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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 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

An Automated FORTRAN documenter

A set of programs designed to help R&D programmers document their FORTRAN programs more effectively were written. The central program reads FORTRAN source code and asks the programmer questions about things it has not heard of before. It inserts the answers to these questions as comments into the FORTRAN code. The comments, as well as extensive cross-reference information, are also written to an unformatted file. Other programs read this file to produce printed information or to act as an interactive document.

Erickson, T.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Programs for transferring data between a relational data base and a finite element structural analysis program

An interface system for passing data between a relational information management (RIM) data base complex and engineering analysis language (EAL), a finite element structural analysis program is documented. The interface system, implemented on a CDC Cyber computer, is composed of two FORTRAN programs called RIM2EAL and EAL2RIM. The RIM2EAL reads model definition data from RIM and creates a file of EAL commands to define the model. The EAL2RIM reads model definition and EAL generated analysis data from EAL's data library and stores these data dirctly in a RIM data base. These two interface programs and the format for the RIM data complex are described.

Johnson, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Static calibration for measurement of loads in wind tunnel tests on Shuttle surface tiles

A description is given of the procedures used for the static calibrations of the Coe (1981) sensor array to determine normal force, pitching moment, and rolling moment from the ensemble of sensor outputs. The use of independent data to confirm the validity of the calibration is also described. Two methods are used in calibrating the Coe sensors. In the first, calibration loads and readings are arranged in matrix form and are assumed to be related in a linear fashion. In the second, each Coe sensor reading is regarded as a sum of contributions from each of the calibration loads. It is shown that the Coe load sensors, in conjunction with either of two data analysis methods, can be used to determine the forces and moments experienced by a Shuttle TPS tile.

Rummler, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Winds over the ocean as measured by the scatterometer on Seasat

An analysis is presented of the relative accuracy of Seasat scatterometer measurements of the wind speeds and directions at 19.5 m altitude as compared to ground truth measurements taken by surface ships and instrumented buoys. Attention is given to the JASIN, QE II, and GOASEX surface data. The validity of 2-30 min averages taken from surface stations spread out over a wide area and serving as a basis for defining wind field averages over the 50 km resolution of SASS is examined. Satisfactory wind speeds were found to be available from SASS readings in the wind speed range 6-14 m/sec. The use of 25 SASS readings around a grid point was determined to reduce scatter to 0.25 m/sec when used in numerical weather prediction modeling. Improvements to the SASS techniques by the Seasat successor, NOSS, are discussed, and inclusion of momentum, heat, and water turbulent fluxes by NOSS is noted.

Pierson, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Circuitry for Angle Measurements

Angle resolver pulsed and read under microprocessor control. Pulse generator excites resolver windings with dual slope pulse. System sequentially reads sine and cosine windings. Microprocessor determines angle through which resolver shaft turned from reference angle. Suitable applications include rate tables, antenna direction controllers, and machine tools.

Currie, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Automated Mercury Dilatometer

Task of reading and recording indications of mercury dilatometer simplified by automatic system. Volume change of sample under test converted into electrical signal. Device modified by addition of resistance wire to mercury column. Height of column read indirectly by measuring resistance between terminals. Signal suitable for strip-chart recording or other processing.

Hong, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Depth Gage for Threaded Holes

Tool for measuring threaded depth of tapped holes accurate and easy to use. Depth read from graduated scale on tool. Gives direct reading of depth, eliminating estimates and calculations. When tool is removed from hole, spring-loaded sleeve returns to zero.

Kahn, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Tethered satellite control mechanism

The tethered satellite control mechanisms consist of four major subsystems. The reel drive mechanism stores the tether. It is motor driven and includes a level wind to uniformly feed the tether to the reel. The lower boom mechanism serves two primary functions: (1) it measures tether length and velocity as the tether runs through the mechanism, and (2) it reads the tether tension at the reel. It also provides change the direction for the tether from the reel to the upper boom mechanism. The deployment boom positions the upper boom mechanism with satellite out of the cargo bay. The deployment function places the 500-kg satellite 20 m away from the Space Shuttle (producing a small natural gravity gradient force), impacts an initial velocity to the satellite for deployment, and allows for satellite docking at a safe distance from the body of the Space Shuttle. The upper boom mechanism (UBM) services three functions: (1) it provides tether control to the satellite as the satellite swings in and out of plane; (2) it reads tether tension in the low range during the early deployment and final retrieval parts of the mission; and (3) it produces additional tether tension at the reel when tether tension to the satellite is in the low range.

Kyrias, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Software for PROM Programing

Driver program allows for programing, reading, and verification of various PROM's. Manual entry of data to DATA/I/O PROM Programmer timeconsuming and error-prone. Driver program combines file management capability of EXORCISOR with flexibility of DATA I/O system. Provides user with way of reading, programing and verifying PROM's storing data on disk, modifying files and printing data.

Goolsby, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The Design and Usage of the New Data Management Features in NASTRAN

Two new data management features are installed in the April 1984 release of NASTRAN. These two features are the Rigid Format Data Base and the READFILE capability. The Rigid Format Data Base is stored on external files in card image format and can be easily maintained and expanded by the use of standard text editors. This data base provides the user and the NASTRAN maintenance contractor with an easy means for making changes to a Rigid Format or for generating new Rigid Formats without unnecessary compilations and link editing of NASTRAN. Each Rigid Format entry in the data base contains the Direct Matrix Abstraction Program (DMAP), along with the associated restart, DMAP sequence subset and substructure control flags. The READFILE capability allows an user to reference an external secondary file from the NASTRAN primary input file and to read data from this secondary file. There is no limit to the number of external secondary files that may be referenced and read.

Pamidi, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Effects of Shuttle bay environment on UV sensitive photographic film - Instrumentation for Get-Away-Special

An account is given of a Get-Away-Special experiment flown on Space Shuttles 7 and 8 investigating the effect of the space environment on Shumann emulsions. Shumann emulsions, having low gelatin content and no protective gelatin overcoating, are useful detectors of ultraviolet radiation shorter than 2200 angstroms but are extremely sensitive to environmental conditions and handling. The instrument required no interface with the Shuttle. It was turned on by an aneroid switch at an altitude of 50,000 feet. After that, its operation was controlled completely by a CMOS digital controller. Each hour, two temperatures and one voltage were read and stored in a CMOS programmable read only memory. At intervals, valves were opened and closed to expose SO 652 film strips of three sensitivities to the cargo bay environment for various time periods. The design and operation of the instrument package is described.

Kreplin, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Programable Driver for Voltage-Controlled Oscillators

Electronically programable read-only memory (EPROM) and digital-to-analog converter provide customized time-varying voltage for frequency modulation. Voltage used to modulate IMPATT oscillator that serves as microwave pump for solid-state maser in low-noise amplifier. EPROM simple to tailor voltage waveform to suit characteristics of given maser. Digital information for waveform programed into EPROM chip; digital-to-analog converter reads information and produces corresponding analog wave. Principle readily adapted to other applications.

Fowler, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Optical Scanner for Linear Arrays

Optical scanner instantaneously reads contiguous lines forming scene or target in object plane. Reading active or passive and scans, continuous or discrete. Scans essentially linear with scan angle and symmetric about axial ray. Nominal focal error, resulting from curvature of scan, well within Rayleigh limit. Scanner specifically designed to be fully compatible with general requirements of linear arrays.

Finkel, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

No Fatigue Effect on Blink Rate

Blink rate is reported to vary dependent upon ongoing task performance, perceptual, attentional and cognitive factors, and fatigue. Five levels of task difficulty were operationally defined and task performance as lines read aloud per minute were measured. A single noninvasive infrared TV eyetracker was modified to measure blinking and an on-line computer program identified and counted blinks while the subject performed the tasks. Blink rate decreased by 50% when either task performance increased (fast reading) or visual difficulty increased (blurred text); blink rate increased greatly during rest breaks. There was no change in blink rate during one hour experiments even though subjects complained of severe fatigue.

Kim, W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Automatic multi-banking of memory for microprocessors

A microprocessor system is provided with added memories to expand its address spaces beyond its address word length capacity by using indirect addressing instructions of a type having a detectable operations code and dedicating designated address spaces of memory to each of the added memories, one space to a memory. By decoding each operations code of instructions read from main memory into a decoder to identify indirect addressing instructions of the specified type, and then decoding the address that follows in a decoder to determine which added memory is associated therewith, the associated added memory is selectively enabled through a unit while the main memory is disabled to permit the instruction to be executed on the location to which the effective address of the indirect address instruction points, either before the indirect address is read from main memory or afterwards, depending on how the system is arranged by a switch.

Wiker, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Spring wheat-leaf phytomass and yield estimates from airborne scanner and hand-held radiometer measurements

An attempt has been made to relate hand-held radiometer measurements, and airborne multispectral scanner readings, with both different wheat stand densities and grain yield. Aircraft overflights were conducted during the tillering, stem extension and heading period stages of growth, while hand-held radiometer readings were taken throughout the growing season. The near-IR/red ratio was used in the analysis, which indicated that both the aircraft and the ground measurements made possible a differentiation and evaluation of wheat stand densities at an early enough growth stage to serve as the basis of management decisions. The aircraft data also corroborated the hand-held radiometer measurements with respect to yield prediction. Winterkill was readily evaluated.

Aase, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A comparison of software verification techniques

A controlled experiment performed by the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) to compare the effectiveness of code reading, functional testing, and structural testing as software verification techniques is described. The experiment results indicate that code reading provides the greatest error detection capability at the lowest cost, whereas structural testing is the least effective technique. The experiment plan is explained, the experiment results are described, related results from other studies are discussed. The application of these results to the development of software in the flight dynamics environment is considered. Appendices summarize the experiment data and list the test programs.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

A statistical trend analysis of ozonesonde data

A detailed statistical analysis of monthly averages of ozonesond readings is performed to assess trends in ozone in the troposphere and the lower to midstratosphere. Regression time series models, which include seasonal and trend factors, are estimated for 13 stations located mainly in the midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. At each station, trend estimates are calculated for 14 'fractional' Umkehr layers covering the altitude range from 0 to 33 km. For the 1970-1982 period, the main findings indicate an overall negative trend in ozonesonde data in the lower stratosphere (15-21 km) of about -0.5 percent per year, and some evidence of a positive trend in the troposphere (0-5 km) of about 0.8 percent per year. An in-depth sensitivity study of the trend estimates is performed with respect to various correction procedures used to normalize ozonesonde readings to Dobson total ozone measurements. The main results indicate that the negative trend findings in the 15- to 21-km altitude region are robust to the normalization procedures considered.

Tiao, G. C.↗