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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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Analysis and Testing of Mobile Wireless Networks

Wireless networks are being used to connect mobile computing elements in more applications as the technology matures. There are now many products (such as 802.11 and 802.11b) which ran in the ISM frequency band and comply with wireless network standards. They are being used increasingly to link mobile Intranet into Wired networks. Standard methods of analyzing and testing their performance and compatibility are needed to determine the limits of the technology. This paper presents analytical and experimental methods of determining network throughput, range and coverage, and interference sources. Both radio frequency (BE) domain and network domain analysis have been applied to determine wireless network throughput and range in the outdoor environment- Comparison of field test data taken under optimal conditions, with performance predicted from RF analysis, yielded quantitative results applicable to future designs. Layering multiple wireless network- sooners can increase performance. Wireless network components can be set to different radio frequency-hopping sequences or spreading functions, allowing more than one sooner to coexist. Therefore, we ran multiple 802.11-compliant systems concurrently in the same geographical area to determine interference effects and scalability, The results can be used to design of more robust networks which have multiple layers of wireless data communication paths and provide increased throughput overall.

Alena, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1974

Skylab medical operational support

To support the medical research and the maintenance of crew health during the three Skylab missions, a medical operational support team was organized. The functions of this team ranged from medical data management to medical systems engineering monitoring during the flights. The capability to expand preflight and postflight medical research and analysis was supplied through the use of the Skylab mobile laboratories. These mobile laboratories were not only capable of being transported to the recovery ship for postflight use, but also served as a preflight test area for gathering crewman baseline data. The laboratories contained experiment hardware identical to that of the flight orbital workshop and a laboratory diagnostic facility that duplicated many of the capabilities of ground-based clinical laboratories.

Primeaux, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Spacelab user implementation assessment study. (Software requirements analysis). Volume 2: Technical report

The engineering analyses and evaluation studies conducted for the Software Requirements Analysis are discussed. Included are the development of the study data base, synthesis of implementation approaches for software required by both mandatory onboard computer services and command/control functions, and identification and implementation of software for ground processing activities.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1975

A method of using cluster analysis to study statistical dependence in multivariate data

A technique is presented that uses both cluster analysis and a Monte Carlo significance test of clusters to discover associations between variables in multidimensional data. The method is applied to an example of a noisy function in three-dimensional space, to a sample from a mixture of three bivariate normal distributions, and to the well-known Fisher's Iris data.

Borucki, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Summary of Voyager Design and Flight Loads

Estimates of flight loads for Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are summarized and compared to the Voyager design loads obtained from the shock spectra/impedance method and to the loads obtained using space vehicle transient loads analysis. These estimates were obtained by using the measured flight accelerations at the launch vehicle/spacecraft interface as forcing functions for the Voyager mathematical model. Based on these data, an assessment of the shock spectra/impedance loads method used for Voyager is presented. The following conclusions were reached: (1) the shock spectra approach provided reasonable conservative design loads for Voyager, (2) care has to be executed to insure that all critical events are accounted for in constructing shock spectra envelopes, (3) the selection of critical events is not always obvious, especially for those flight events wherein the spacecraft dynamic characteristics are important, and (4) the success of the method is strongly dependent on the analysts' experience and judgement.

Chen, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Carbon/graphite fiber risk analysis and assessment study: An assessment of the risk to Douglas commercial transport aircraft

The potential hazard to electrical and electronic devices should there be a release of free carbon fibers due to an aircraft crash and fire was assessed. Exposure and equipment sensitivity data were compiled for a risk analysis. Results are presented in the following areas: DC-9/DC-10 electrical/electronic component characterization; DC-9 and DC-10 fiber transfer functions; potential for transport aircraft equipment exposure to carbon fibers; and equipment vulnerability assessment. Results reflect only a negligible increase in risk for the DC-9 and DC-10 fleets either now or projected to 1993.

Schjelderup, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Simultaneous X-ray and optical observations of rapid variability in Scorpius X-1

Copernicus and SAS-3 observations of Sco X-1 during very active states show strong and rapid X-ray flickering with time scales as short as 20 sec. Simultaneous optical photometry reveals similar and remarkably well correlated flickering of lower amplitude. The level of correlation decreases when the X-ray source becomes fainter, but optical and X-ray fluxes, averaged over 1 min, are usually well correlated for B magnitudes less than 12.9. Cross-correlation analysis of the data during periods of high activity shows no really significant time delay between X-ray and optical features, although the cross-correlation function peaks systematically for positive lag values (optical following X-rays). The amplitude of the X-ray flickering exhibits a strong energy-dependence consistent with the well-known intensity versus spectral-hardness relation derived from previous observations. The highly correlated optical activity is interpreted as due to reprocessing of X-ray photons in the binary system.

Ilovaisky, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Further Study of near Solidus Intergranular Cracking in Inconel 718

A series of tests, performed to determine the strain necessary to initiate intergranular cracking in Inconel 718 as a function of temperature, contained enough scatter near the melting temperature that questions remained as to the best curve of curves to fit to the data. Fracture surface analysis showed that the scatter was due to incipient melting in the grain boundary region. The melting contributed to low fracture strain but had only a small on the incipient cracking strain. Gleeble tests, which could be interrupted by water quenching, were used to study the incipient intergranular melting of Inconel 718. This modified weld simulation test provided a sufficiently rapid quench to preserve the intergranular microstructure created during incipient melting. This structure was studied both microscopically and with energy dispensive X-ray analysis. The implications of incipient melting and low-strain incipient cracking on the development of microfissuring envelopes are discussed.

Thompson, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Nonlinear aerodynamic modeling of flap oscillations in transonic flow - A numerical validation

The regime of validity of a nonlinear aerodynamic force and moment formulation, based on concepts from nonlinear functional analysis and applicable to a transonic airfoil with a deflecting flap, is investigated. A time-dependent finite difference technique is used to evaluate the aerodynamic data of the formulation in terms of specified, characteristic motions. Flap-motion histories are generated from the flap inertial equations of motion, with aerodynamic reactions specified by the moment formulation. The motion histories depicting the cases of decaying and growing flap oscillations are compared with histories generated through simultaneous, coupled solution of the fluid-dynamic equations and flap inertial equations of motion. The range of applicability of the formulation is discussed.

Chyu, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evaluation of a fault tolerant system for an integrated avionics sensor configuration with TSRV flight data

The performance analysis results of a fault inferring nonlinear detection system (FINDS) using sensor flight data for the NASA ATOPS B-737 aircraft in a Microwave Landing System (MLS) environment is presented. First, a statistical analysis of the flight recorded sensor data was made in order to determine the characteristics of sensor inaccuracies. Next, modifications were made to the detection and decision functions in the FINDS algorithm in order to improve false alarm and failure detection performance under real modelling errors present in the flight data. Finally, the failure detection and false alarm performance of the FINDS algorithm were analyzed by injecting bias failures into fourteen sensor outputs over six repetitive runs of the five minute flight data. In general, the detection speed, failure level estimation, and false alarm performance showed a marked improvement over the previously reported simulation runs. In agreement with earlier results, detection speed was faster for filter measurement sensors soon as MLS than for filter input sensors such as flight control accelerometers.

Caglayan, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

First flight of the ATMOS instrument during the Spacelab 3 Mission, April 29 through May 6, 1985

The underlying rationale and the implementation of the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) investigation are discussed, a description of the sensor is given, and the ground tests and integration procedures leading to the Spacelab 3 flight are described. The data reduction and analysis procedures used after the flight are discussed, a number of examples of the spectra obtained are shown, and the concentration profiles as a function of altitude for the minor and trace gases measured during the mission are presented. On the basis of the instrument's ability to survive both the launch and the reentry of the shuttle and its flawless performance while on orbit, the concepts involved in the investigation have been proved by the Spacelab 3 flight, and an extended series of reflights is currently being planned as a part of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) Missions. The goals for the investigation during these missions are also discussed.

Farmer, Crofton B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Study of pseudo noise CW diode laser for ranging applications

A new Pseudo Random Noise (PN) modulated CW diode laser radar system is being developed for real time ranging of targets at both close and large distances (greater than 10 KM) to satisy a wide range of applications: from robotics to future space applications. Results from computer modeling and statistical analysis, along with some preliminary data obtained from a prototype system, are presented. The received signal is averaged for a short time to recover the target response function. It is found that even with uncooperative targets, based on the design parameters used (200-mW laser and 20-cm receiver), accurate ranging is possible up to about 15 KM, beyond which signal to noise ratio (SNR) becomes too small for real time analog detection.

Lee, Hyo S.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Elementary Theoretical Forms for the Spatial Power Spectrum of Earth's Crustal Magnetic Field

The magnetic field produced by magnetization in Earth's crust and lithosphere can be distinguished from the field produced by electric currents in Earth's core because the spatial magnetic power spectrum of the crustal field differs from that of the core field. Theoretical forms for the spectrum of the crustal field are derived by treating each magnetic domain in the crust as the point source of a dipole field. The geologic null-hypothesis that such moments are uncorrelated is used to obtain the magnetic spectrum expected from a randomly magnetized, or unstructured, spherical crust of negligible thickness. This simplest spectral form is modified to allow for uniform crustal thickness, ellipsoidality, and the polarization of domains by an periodically reversing, geocentric axial dipole field from Earth's core. Such spectra are intended to describe the background crustal field. Magnetic anomalies due to correlated magnetization within coherent geologic structures may well be superimposed upon this background; yet representing each such anomaly with a single point dipole may lead to similar spectral forms. Results from attempts to fit these forms to observational spectra, determined via spherical harmonic analysis of MAGSAT data, are summarized in terms of amplitude, source depth, and misfit. Each theoretical spectrum reduces to a source factor multiplied by the usual exponential function of spherical harmonic degree n due to geometric attenuation with attitude above the source layer. The source factors always vary with n and are approximately proportional to n(exp 3) for degrees 12 through 120. The theoretical spectra are therefore not directly proportional to an exponential function of spherical harmonic degree n. There is no radius at which these spectra are flat, level, or otherwise independent of n.

Voorhies, C.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Seasonally Frozen Soil Monitoring Using Passive Microwave Satellite Data and Simulation Modeling

Satellite data and simulation modeling were used to assess seasonally frozen soils in the central US - Canada borders area (46-53 degrees N and 96-108 degrees). We used Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) satellite data to delineate the top layer of frozen soils. SMMR is a passive microwave sensor having five channels (6.6, 10, 18, 21 and 37 GHz) with a horizontal and vertical polarization. SMRR data are available between 1978-1987 with noon and midnight overpass and footprint sizes between 25 km and 150 km. SMMR data were processed from resampled 1/4 degree grid cells during fall freeze-up and spring thaw (fall 1985 - spring 1987). The dielectric properties of a target may directly affect the satellite signal. The dielectric value is an order of magnitude smaller for frozen soil water. There are other significant changes to the emitted microwave signal from changes to the surface physical temperature, attenuation of the soil signal from plant water and soil moisture. We further characterized the temporal and spatial dynamic of frozen soils using the FroST (Frozen Soil Temperature) simulation model. The FroST model was used to further predict soil water and ice content, and soil temperature. SMMR results were compared versus 5-cm soil temperature data from available weather stations (14 in Canada and 11 for available months in the US). SMMR data were analyzed as a function of frequency, polarization, polarization difference, and "frequency gradient". In addition, vegetation density, physical temperature and snow depth were also considered. Preliminary analysis of SMMR derived frozen soil/thaw classification using a simple threshold classification indicates a mean overall classification accuracy by season of 85 percent. A sensitivity analysis for different soils with varying amounts of snow was conducted with FroST, which showed that the amount of snow, and the time of snow fall and melt affected the ice and water content, and depth of thaw. These results indicate a potential source of flooding and erosion under conditions when melting snow and spring rains provide a source of infiltrating water.

Toll, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Performance of The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Mirror Assemblies

The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer is a NASA astrophysics satellite which produces high-resolution spectra in the far-ultraviolet (90.5-118.7 nm bandpass) using a high effective area and low background detectors. The observatory was launched on its three-year mission from Cape Canaveral Air Station on 24 June 1999. The instrument contains four coaligned, normal incidence, off-axis parabolic mirrors which illuminate separate Rowland circle spectrograph channels equipped with holographically ruled diffraction gratings and delay line microchannel plate detectors. The telescope mirrors have a 352 x 387 mm aperture and 2245 mm focal length and are attached to actuator assemblies, which provide on-orbit, tip, tilt, and focus control. Two mirrors are coated with silicon carbide (SiC) and two are coated with lithium fluoride over aluminum (Al:LiF). We describe mirror assembly in-flight optical and mechanical performance. On-orbit measurements of the far-ultraviolet point spread function associated with each mirror are compared to expectations based on pre-flight laboratory measurements and modeling using the Optical Surface Analysis Code and surface metrology data. On-orbit imaging data indicate that the mirrors meet their instrument-level requirement of 50 percent and 95 percent slit transmission for the high- and mid-resolution spectrograph entrance slits, respectively. The degradation of mirror reflectivity during satellite integration and test is also discussed. The far-ultraviolet reflectivity of the SiC- and AlLiF-coated mirrors decreased about six percent and three percent, respectively, between coating and launch. Each mirror is equipped with three actuators, which consist of a stepper motor driving a ball screw via a two-stage planetary gear train. We also discuss the mechanical performance of the mirror assemblies, including actuator performance and thermal effects.

Ohi, Raymond G.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Density, Electrical Conductivity and Viscosity of Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te Melt

The density, viscosity, and electrical conductivity of Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te melt were measured as a function of temperature. A pycnometric method was used to measure the melt density in the temperature range of 1072 to 1122 K. The viscosity and electrical conductivity were determined using a transient torque method from 1068 to 1132 K. The density result from this study is within 0.3% of the published data. However, the current viscosity result is approximately 30% lower than the existing data. The electrical conductivity of Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te melt as a function of temperature, which is not available in the literature, is also determined. The analysis of the temperature dependent electrical conductivity and the relationship between the kinematic viscosity and density indicated that the structure of the melt appeared to be homogeneous when the temperature was above 1090 K. A structural transition occurred in the Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te melt as the temperature was decreased to below 1090 K

Li, C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Usability of EFBs for Viewing NOTAMs and AIS/MET Data Link Messages

Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) are increasingly integral to flight deck information management. A piloted simulation study was conducted at NASA Langley Research Center, one aspect of which was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of EFBs for viewing and managing Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and data linked aeronautical information services (AIS) and meteorological information (MET). The study simulated approaches and landings at Memphis International Airport (KMEM) using various flight scenarios and weather conditions. Ten two-pilot commercial airline crews participated, utilizing the Cockpit Motion Facility's Research Flight Deck (CMF/RFD) simulator. Each crew completed approximately two dozen flights over a two day period. Two EFBs were installed, one for each pilot. Study data were collected in the form of questionnaire/interview responses, audio/video recordings, oculometer recordings, and aircraft/system state data. Preliminary usability results are reported primarily based on pilot interviews and responses to questions focused on ease of learning, ease of use, usefulness, satisfaction, and acceptability. Analysis of the data from the other objective measures (e.g., oculometer) is ongoing and will be reported in a future publication. This paper covers how the EFB functionality was set up for the study; the NOTAM, AIS/MET data link, and weather messages that were presented; questionnaire results; selected pilot observations; and conclusions.

Evans, Emory T.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Enhancements of Bayesian Blocks; Application to Large Light Curve Databases

Bayesian Blocks are optimal piecewise linear representations (step function fits) of light-curves. The simple algorithm implementing this idea, using dynamic programming, has been extended to include more data modes and fitness metrics, multivariate analysis, and data on the circle (Studies in Astronomical Time Series Analysis. VI. Bayesian Block Representations, Scargle, Norris, Jackson and Chiang 2013, ApJ, 764, 167), as well as new results on background subtraction and refinement of the procedure for precise timing of transient events in sparse data. Example demonstrations will include exploratory analysis of the Kepler light curve archive in a search for "star-tickling" signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. (The Cepheid Galactic Internet, Learned, Kudritzki, Pakvasa1, and Zee, 2008, arXiv: 0809.0339; Walkowicz et al., in progress).

Kepler light curve archive↗