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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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At least 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

The application of integrated knowledge-based systems for the Biomedical Risk Assessment Intelligent Network (BRAIN)

One of NASA's goals for long duration space flight is to maintain acceptable levels of crew health, safety, and performance. One way of meeting this goal is through BRAIN, an integrated network of both human and computer elements. BRAIN will function as an advisor to mission managers by assessing the risk of inflight biomedical problems and recommending appropriate countermeasures. Described here is a joint effort among various NASA elements to develop BRAIN and the Infectious Disease Risk Assessment (IDRA) prototype. The implementation of this effort addresses the technological aspects of knowledge acquisition, integration of IDRA components, the use of expert systems to automate the biomedical prediction process, development of a user friendly interface, and integration of IDRA and ExerCISys systems. Because C language, CLIPS and the X-Window System are portable and easily integrated, they were chosen ss the tools for the initial IDRA prototype.

Loftin, Karin C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Integrated flight/propulsion control specifications for systems with two-way coupling

A general technique for generating specifications for integrated flight propulsion control is extended to include systems with significant two-way coupling between the flight and propulsion systems. These specification define how the subsystems must perform within an integrated control system in order to assure that performance goals (specifically stability) are met when the subsystems are combined to form a closed-loop integrated system. Such specifications are useful for a large class of integrated control problems that are best approached in a partitioned or decentralized manner. An example demonstrating the application of these techniques to a simple helicopter problem is provided.

Rock, Stephen M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Integrated controls-structures design - A practical design tool for modern spacecraft

An integrated controls-structures design approach is developed for a class of flexible spacecraft. The integrated design problem is posed in the form of simultaneous optimization of both the structural and the control design variables. The approach is demonstrated by application to the integrated design of a geostationary platform and to a ground-based flexible structure experiment. The numerical results obtained indicate that the integrated design approach can yield spacecraft designs that have substantially superior performance over the conventional design approach wherein the structural design and control design are performed sequentially.

Maghami, P. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Integrated multidisciplinary rotorcraft optimization research at the NASA Langley Research Center

NASA-Langley and U.S. Army researchers have developed optimization procedures for improving helicopter rotor blade design processes through more extensive integration of the requisite disciplines. These disciplines encompass rotor aerodynamics, rotor dynamics, rotor structures, airframe dynamics, and acoustics. In the first phase of this integrated optimization approach, acoustics and airframe aerodynamics are decoupled and accounted for as effective constraints on the design for the first three disciplines. In phase two, acoustics is integrated with the first three disciplines; in phase three, airframe dynamics are integrated with the other four disciplines. Representative results are presented from recent work on blade shear force reduction and aerodynamic/dynamic optimization.

Adelman, Howard M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Integrated energy balance analysis for Space Station Freedom

An integrated simulation model is described which characterizes the dynamic interaction of the energy transport subsystems of Space Station Freedom for given orbital conditions and for a given set of power and thermal loads. Subsystems included in the model are the Electric Power System (EPS), the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS), the External Thermal Control System (ETCS), and the cabin Temperature and Humidity Control System (THC) (which includes the avionics air cooling, cabin air cooling, and intermodule ventilation systems). Models of the subsystems were developed in a number of system-specific modeling tools and validated. The subsystem models are then combined into integrated models to address a number of integrated performance issues involving the ability of the integrated energy transport system of Space Station Freedom to provide power, controlled cabin temperature and humidity, and equipment thermal control to support operations.

Tandler, John↗
NASA NTRS1992

Integrated horn antennas for millimeter-wave applications

The development of integrated horn antennas since their introduction in 1987 is reviewed. The integrated horn is fabricated by suspending a dipole antenna, on a thin dielectric membrane, in a pyramidal cavity etched in silicon. Recent progress has resulted in optimized low- and high-gain designs, with single and double polarization for remote-sensing and communication applications. A full-wave analysis technique has resulted in an integrated antenna with performance comparable to that of waveguide-fed corrugated-horn antennas. The integrated horn design can be extended to large arrays, for imaging and phased-array applications, while leaving plenty of room for the RF and IF processing circuitry. Theoretical and experimental results at microwave frequencies and at 90 GHz, 240 GHz, and 802 GHz are presented.

Rebeiz, Gabriel M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A new explicit variable time-integration self-starting methodology for computational structural dynamics

A new explicit variable time-integration methodology and architecture which possesses self-starting attributes, eliminates the need to involve acceleration computations, and which has improved accuracy characteristics in comparison to the traditional central-difference-type formulations customarily advocated is described for applicability to computational structural dynamics. To sharpen the focus of the present study, an explicit variable time-integration architecture which is relatively simple, yet effective, is described. Unlike variable explicit time-integration formulations adopted in the past, the present self-starting variable time-integration architecture and implementation aspects facilitate a simplified representation and a straightforward and effective approach for combining finite element meshes requiring different time steps in a single analysis. Numerical test cases are provided which demonstrate the applicability of the proposed formulations.

Tamma, Kumar K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

High-gain step-profiled integrated diagonal horn-antennas

A new step-profiled integrated-horn antenna is proposed. The antenna allows gains in the range of 17-20 dB to be achieved using standard (100) silicon wafers. The antenna is diagonally fed and exhibits very good circular symmetry within the 10-dB beamwidth. It has a fundamental Gaussian coupling efficiency of 83 percent. It is demonstrated that the profiled antenna has a radiation pattern similar to that of its smooth envelope horn, provided that the discontinuity between successive wafers does not exceed 0.15 lambda. The integrated stepped-profile horn performs much better than a corresponding smooth 70 deg flare-angle integrated horn of the same aperture size. The integrated step-profile horn is very well-suited for radio-astonomical and remote-sensing millimeter-wave imaging arrays requiring a large number of focal-plane elements.

Eleftheriades, George V.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Advanced satellite workstation: An integrated workstation environment for operational support of satellite system planning and analysis

A prototype integrated environment, the Advanced Satellite Workstation (ASW), is described that has been developed and delivered for evaluation and operator feedback in an operational satellite control center. The current ASW hardware consists of a Sun Workstation and Macintosh II Workstation connected via an ethernet Network Hardware and Software, Laser Disk System, Optical Storage System, and Telemetry Data File Interface. The central mission of ASW is to provide an intelligent decision support and training environment for operator/analysts of complex systems such as satellites. There have been many workstation implementations recently which incorporate graphical telemetry displays and expert systems. ASW is a considerably broader look at intelligent, integrated environments for decision support, based upon the premise that the central features of such an environment are intelligent data access and integrated toolsets. A variety of tools have been constructed in support of this prototype environment including: an automated pass planner for scheduling vehicle support activities, architectural modeler for hierarchical simulation and analysis of satellite vehicle subsystems, multimedia-based information systems that provide an intuitive and easily accessible interface to Orbit Operations Handbook and other relevant support documentation, and a data analysis architecture that integrates user modifiable telemetry display systems, expert systems for background data analysis, and interfaces to the multimedia system via inter-process communication.

Sutton, Stewart A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An optimization-based integrated controls-structures design methodology for flexible space structures

An approach for an optimization-based integrated controls-structures design is presented for a class of flexible spacecraft that require fine attitude pointing and vibration suppression. The integrated design problem is posed in the form of simultaneous optimization of both structural and control design variables. The approach is demonstrated by application to the integrated design of a generic space platform and to a model of a ground-based flexible structure. The numerical results obtained indicate that the integrated design approach can yield spacecraft designs that have substantially superior performance over a conventional design wherein the structural and control designs are performed sequentially. For example, a 40-percent reduction in the pointing error is observed along with a slight reduction in mass, or an almost twofold increase in the controlled performance is indicated with more than a 5-percent reduction in the overall mass of the spacecraft (a reduction of hundreds of kilograms).

Maghami, Peiman G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Model reduction in integrated controls-structures design

It is the objective of this paper to present a model reduction technique developed for the integrated controls-structures design of flexible structures. Integrated controls-structures design problems are typically posed as nonlinear mathematical programming problems, where the design variables consist of both structural and control parameters. In the solution process, both structural and control design variables are constantly changing; therefore, the dynamic characteristics of the structure are also changing. This presents a problem in obtaining a reduced-order model for active control design and analysis which will be valid for all design points within the design space. In other words, the frequency and number of the significant modes of the structure (modes that should be included) may vary considerably throughout the design process. This is also true as the locations and/or masses of the sensors and actuators change. Moreover, since the number of design evaluations in the integrated design process could easily run into thousands, any feasible order-reduction method should not require model reduction analysis at every design iteration. In this paper a novel and efficient technique for model reduction in the integrated controls-structures design process, which addresses these issues, is presented.

Maghami, Peiman G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Man-systems integration and the man-machine interface

Viewgraphs on man-systems integration and the man-machine interface are presented. Man-systems integration applies the systems' approach to the integration of the user and the machine to form an effective, symbiotic Man-Machine System (MMS). A MMS is a combination of one or more human beings and one or more physical components that are integrated through the common purpose of achieving some objective. The human operator interacts with the system through the Man-Machine Interface (MMI).

Hale, Joseph P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Lunar materials processing system integration

The theme of this paper is that governmental resources will not permit the simultaneous development of all viable lunar materials processing (LMP) candidates. Choices will inevitably be made, based on the results of system integration trade studies comparing candidates to each other for high-leverage applications. It is in the best long-term interest of the LMP community to lead the selection process itself, quickly and practically. The paper is in five parts. The first part explains what systems integration means and why the specialized field of LMP needs this activity now. The second part defines the integration context for LMP -- by outlining potential lunar base functions, their interrelationships and constraints. The third part establishes perspective for prioritizing the development of LMP methods, by estimating realistic scope, scale, and timing of lunar operations. The fourth part describes the use of one type of analytical tool for gaining understanding of system interactions: the input/output model. A simple example solved with linear algebra is used to illustrate. The fifth and closing part identifies specific steps needed to refine the current ability to study lunar base system integration. Research specialists have a crucial role to play now in providing the data upon which this refinement process must be based.

Sherwood, Brent↗
NASA NTRS1993

An integrated knowledge system for wind tunnel testing - Project Engineers' Intelligent Assistant

The Project Engineers' Intelligent Assistant (PEIA) is an integrated knowledge system developed using artificial intelligence technology, including hypertext, expert systems, and dynamic user interfaces. This system integrates documents, engineering codes, databases, and knowledge from domain experts into an enriched hypermedia environment and was designed to assist project engineers in planning and conducting wind tunnel tests. PEIA is a modular system which consists of an intelligent user-interface, seven modules and an integrated tool facility. Hypermedia technology is discussed and the seven PEIA modules are described. System maintenance and updating is very easy due to the modular structure and the integrated tool facility provides user access to commercial software shells for documentation, reporting, or database updating. PEIA is expected to provide project engineers with technical information, increase efficiency and productivity, and provide a realistic tool for personnel training.

Lo, Ching F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Coupling finite element and integral equation solutions using decoupled boundary meshes

A method is outlined for calculating scattered fields from inhomogeneous penetrable objects using a coupled finite element-integral equation solution. The finite element equation can efficiently model fields in penetrable and inhomogeneous regions, while the integral equation exactly models fields on the finite element mesh boundary and in the exterior region. By decoupling the interior finite element and exterior integral equation meshes, considerable flexibility is found in both the number of field expansion points as well as their density. Only the nonmetal portions of the object need be modeled using a finite element expansion; exterior perfect conducting surfaces are modeled using an integral equation with a single unknown field since E(tan) is identically zero on these surfaces. Numerical convergence, accuracy, and stability at interior resonant frequencies are studied in detail.

Cwik, Tom↗
NASA NTRS1992

Integration of thermal and environmental control systems during Space Station Freedom early assembly phase

An overview of Space Station Freedom Thermal Control System (TCS) and Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) integration is presented for Stages 2-6. Particular attention is given to issues associated with integrating five distinct, functioning spacecraft with hardware not specifically designed for intermediate stages. Areas specifically addressed include integrated ECLSS temperature and humidity control performance, thermal load balancing, performance and verification requirements, interface verification procedures, TCS activation sequence, resource allocation and Space Shuttle integration.

Di Pietro, David A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Development of the advanced life support Systems Integration Research Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center

Future NASA manned missions to the moon and Mars will require development of robust regenerative life support system technologies which offer high reliability and minimal resupply. To support the development of such systems, early ground-based test facilities will be required to demonstrate integrated, long-duration performance of candidate regenerative air revitalization, water recovery, and thermal management systems. The advanced life support Systems Integration Research Facility (SIRF) is one such test facility currently being developed at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The SIRF, when completed, will accommodate unmanned and subsequently manned integrated testing of advanced regenerative life support technologies at ambient and reduced atmospheric pressures. This paper provides an overview of the SIRF project, a top-level description of test facilities to support the project, conceptual illustrations of integrated test article configurations for each of the three SIRF systems, and a phased project schedule denoting projected activities and milestones through the next several years.

Tri, Terry O.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Efficient optimization of integrated aerodynamic-structural design

The introduction of composite materials is having a profound effect on the design process. Because these materials permit the designer to tailor material properties to improve structural, aerodynamic and acoustic performance, they require a more integrated multidisciplinary design process. Because of the complexity of the design process numerical optimization methods are required. The present paper is focused on a major difficulty associated with the multidisciplinary design optimization process - its enormous computational cost. We consider two approaches for reducing this computational burden: (1) development of efficient methods for cross-sensitivity calculation using perturbation methods; and (2) the use of approximate numerical optimization procedures. Our efforts are concentrated upon combined aerodynamic-structural optimization. Results are presented for the integrated design of a sailplane wing. The impact of our computational procedures on the computational costs of integrated costs of integrated designs are discussed.

Haftka, R. T.↗