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At least 109 records · Page 6

Unstructured Grid Adaptation and Solver Technology for Turbulent Flows

Unstructured grid adaptation is a tool to control Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) discretization error. However, adaptive grid techniques have made limited impact on production analysis workflows where the control of discretization error is critical to obtaining reliable simulation results. Issues that prevent the use of adaptive grid methods are identified by applying unstructured grid adaptation methods to a series of benchmark cases. Once identified, these challenges to existing adaptive workflows can be addressed. Unstructured grid adaptation is evaluated for test cases described on the Turbulence Modeling Resource (TMR) web site, which documents uniform grid refinement of multiple schemes. The cases are turbulent flow over a Hemisphere Cylinder and an ONERA M6Wing. Adaptive grid force and moment trajectories are shown for three integrated grid adaptation processes with Mach interpolation control and output error based metrics. The integrated grid adaptation process with a finite element (FE) discretization produced results consistent with uniform grid refinement of fixed grids. The integrated grid adaptation processes with finite volume schemes were slower to converge to the reference solution than the FE method. Metric conformity is documented on grid/metric snapshots for five grid adaptation mechanics implementations. These tools produce anisotropic boundary conforming grids requested by the adaptation process.

Park, Michael A.↗

Cultivating an Emergent Earth Observation Analytics Ecosystem in the Cloud

A diverse set of data analytics systems for Earth Observations are sprouting up in the Earth Science community, with a wealth of processing algorithms and analysis methods. There is a similar wealth of data resources available via myriad data providers and clearinghouses, including large institutional systems like the Earth Observing System Data and Information System, Comprehensive Large Scale Array-data Stewardship System, and Federated Earth Observation Missions gateway. With Earth system science driving a need to work with more datasets together, and the community developing more analysis tools (some of them dataset-specific), how can we develop analysis workflows that incorporate far-flung datasets and leverage analysis resources from multiple organizations? Cloud computing points the way toward a solution in two different respects. Firstly, the access to and abstraction of virtually unlimited storage and computing power provides an environment that enables more straightforward means of pulling datasets and analysis resources together. Just as importantly, however, cloud computing serves as an example of an "ecosystem" of interoperating services, since the essence of cloud computing is the presentation of all resources as a service, from hardware to infrastructure to platform to software. This enables the combination of off-the-shelf, diverse services to construct entire systems that emerge out of an equally diverse community of architects and developers. This approach can be similarly applied to the data and analysis resources in the Earth Observation community. By exposing these resources via well understood services, and consuming resources in the same way, different organizations can construct bespoke analysis workflows and systems for their own purposes. The key leap the community needs to make is to develop analysis systems in components that interact with other components via services. The result would be a rich ecosystem of analytics components that can be combined to analyze datasets at scale and in conjunction with other datasets from other sources.

chaos↗

Discrete Assemblers Utilizing Conventional Motion Systems

An alternative to additive manufacturing is disclosed, introducing an end-to-end workflow in which discrete building blocks are reversibly joined to produce assemblies called digital materials. Described is the design of the bulk-material building blocks and the devices that are assembled from them. Detailed is the design and implementation of an automated assembler, which takes advantage of the digital material structure to avoid positioning errors within a large tolerance. To generate assembly sequences, a novel CAD/CAM workflow is described for designing, simulating, and assembling digital materials. The structures assembled using this process have been evaluated, showing that the joints perform well under varying conditions and that the assembled structures are functionally precise.

Langford, William Kai↗

Unravelling Complex Geologic Histories Using U–Pb and Trace Element Systematics of Titanite

Unravelling the spatio-temporal evolution of orogenic terranes requires a comprehensive understanding of the duration and extent of metamorphic events and hydrothermal alteration. Commonly used minerals such as zircon and monazite may not fully record geological histories in complex tectonic settings because their elemental constituents do not react under many metamorphic and metasomatic conditions. Here, we complement the current geochronological record of the Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia, with titanite U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of felsic intrusive rocks to draw conclusions about the use of titanite in understanding the evolution of orogenic terranes. Because titanite usually incorporates common-Pb and may be variably reset by multiple metamorphic and hydrothermal events, a workflow is provided here for the systematic and robust interpretation of titanite U-Pb data. The addition of trace element data in titanite is particularly effective for differentiating whether a grain is igneous, recrystallized or metamorphic. We have developed several petrogenetic indices to differentiate these three types of titanite using Zr-in-titanite temperature, Th/U, Th/Pb, Al/(Al + Fe), light to heavy rare earth element ratio, and Eu anomalies. The addition of trace element geochemistry can also highlight anomalously radiogenic (sup 207)Pb/(sup 206)Pb reservoirs. Utilization of our workflow in the Capricorn Orogen reveals that titanite ages from the same samples as published zircon U–Pb data range from coeval to several hundreds of Myr of age difference between the two minerals. Titanite geochronology and trace element geochemistry indicates ~20 Myr of previously unrecognized prolonged cooling for the Capricorn Orogeny to ca. 1750 Ma. The spatial extent of the ca. 1210–1170 Ma part of the Mutherbukin Tectonic Event is also broadened significantly farther north and south than previously recognized. Incorporating titanite geochronology and trace geochemistry with more commonly used techniques (e.g., zircon and monazite petrochronology) extends our ability to resolve the complete history of large-scale orogenic terranes.

Hugo K. H. Olierook↗

GeneLab: A Systems Biology Platform for Omics Analysis

NASA's GeneLab includes an open-access repository of some 200+ omics datasets generated by biological experiments relevant to spaceflight (including simulated cosmic radiation and microgravity). In order to maximize the intelligibility of these data, particularly for users with limited bioinformatics knowledge, GeneLab is now transforming the data in the repository into actual biological and physiological knowledge of the genetic and proteomic signatures found in these samples. This processed data is being derived by establishing standard data analysis workflows vetted by 114 scientists who are members of the four GeneLab Analysis Working Groups (Animal AWG, Plant AWG, Microbe AWG, Multi-Omics AWG). AWG members from institutes spanning the U.S. and four other countries participate on a voluntary basis. The AWGs meet monthly to discuss data mining, compare results and interpretations, and test forthcoming releases of the GeneLab Data Systems (GLDS). GLDS version 3.0 has been available to the general public since October 1st 2018, and has been providing a professional state-of-the-art bioinformatics platform for everyone in the space biology community to upload their data into a space biology omics data commons, to process their data with vetted standard workflows and to compare to existing analyses. The user interface for the platform is being designed to be accessible to a broad variety of users including those with limited bioinformatics experience, including high school and college students who can use it to learn about omics data analysis and space biology. As such, Genelab will constitute a powerful general public outreach capability of NASA and the Space Biology community at large. Data mining of the GeneLab database by the AWG has already started generating very interesting findings, including reports linking specific spaceflight conditions such as radiation, microgravity or carbon dioxide levels to molecular changes seen across various species. In this presentation, we will report on the current and future objectives for GeneLab, and review recent studies reported by the various AWGs relating molecular changes observed in various animal models and tissue with microgravity, radiation, circadian rhythm, hydration and carbon dioxide conditions.

Omics↗

GeneLab: A Systems Biology Platform for Omics Analysis: Disseminate and Reuse Data, Tools, and Samples Post-Project

NASA's GeneLab includes an open-access repository of some 200 plus omics datasets generated by biological experiments relevant to spaceflight (including simulated cosmic radiation and microgravity). In order to maximize the intelligibility of these data, particularly for users with limited bioinformatics knowledge, GeneLab is now transforming the data in the repository into actual biological and physiological knowledge of the genetic and proteomic signatures found in these samples. This processed data is being derived by establishing standard data analysis workflows vetted by 114 scientists who are members of the four GeneLab Analysis Working Groups (Animal AWG, Plant AWG, Microbe AWG, Multi-Omics AWG). AWG members from institutes spanning the U.S. and four other countries participate on a voluntary basis. The AWGs meet monthly to discuss data mining, compare results and interpretations, and test forthcoming releases of the GeneLab Data Systems (GLDS). GLDS version 3.0 has been available to the general public since October 1st 2018, and has been providing a professional state-of-the-art bioinformatics platform for everyone in the space biology community to upload their data into a space biology omics data commons, to process their data with vetted standard workflows and to compare to existing analyses. The user interface for the platform is being designed to be accessible to a broad variety of users including those with limited bioinformatics experience, including high school and college students who can use it to learn about omics data analysis and space biology. As such, Genelab will constitute a powerful general public outreach capability of NASA and the Space Biology community at large. Data mining of the GeneLab database by the AWG has already started generating very interesting findings, including reports linking specific spaceflight conditions such as radiation, microgravity or carbon dioxide levels to molecular changes seen across various species. In this presentation, we will report on the current and future objectives for GeneLab, and review recent studies reported by the various AWGs relating molecular changes observed in various animal models and tissue with microgravity, radiation, circadian rhythm, hydration and carbon dioxide conditions.

Omics↗

Smart Handoffs: Preserving User Context Between Tools and Services Related to NASA's EOSDIS Data Archive

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is tasked with archiving and distributing Earth Observation data across a range of disciplines, including atmospheric science, oceanography, land processes, natural hazards, solar radiance and even socioeconomic aspects relating to the environment. Given the breadth of disciplines and depth of data that EOSDIS provides, the efficient and intuitive discovery and usage of data by a scientist is of paramount importance. An effective data gathering workflow may involve switching from general use discovery tools to a more bespoke services designed specifically for the scientist's discipline. Providing concrete interoperability between such tools could vastly improve the efficiency of a scientist's workflow.

Analytics↗

GeneLab: A Systems Biology Platform for Omics Analysis

NASA GeneLab is an open-access repository for omics datasets generated by biological experiments conducted in space or experiments relevant to spaceflight (e.g. simulated cosmic radiation, simulated microgravity, bed rest studies). The GeneLab Data Systems (GLDS) version 4.0 will be available on October 1st 2019, and will provide the latest in terms of professional state-of-the-art bioinformatics platform for the space biology and radiation community to upload their data into an omics data commons, to process their data with vetted standard workflows and to compare to existing analyses. Started in 2015 as a repository designed to archive omics data from space experiments, GeneLab has expanded its scope to all ionizing radiation omics experiments conducted on the ground and has put considerable effort in providing carefully characterized radiation metadata on all dataset. GeneLab is also providing processed data derived from the raw data covering a large spectrum of omics (genome, epigenome, transcriptome, epitranscriptome, proteome, metabolome) to help users explore important questions: 1) Which genes or proteins are expressed differently in space for various living organisms? 2) What specific DNA mutations or epigenetic changes happen in space or after exposure to ionizing radiation? and 3) How does genetics affect these responses? Processed data available on GeneLab are derived by standard data analysis workflows vetted by hundreds of scientists who volunteered to join one of the four GeneLab Analysis Working Groups (Animal AWG, Plant AWG, Microbe AWG, Multi-Omics AWG). In this presentation, we will discuss how to bridge the gap between irradiation studies performed on earth and biological experiments conducted in space since the early 1990's. We will discuss how radiation dosimetry was estimated for datasets derived from samples collected during the Space Shuttle era or on the International Space Station. Finally, we will address future strategies regarding dose monitoring in future missions into space, inter-agency efforts to unify data under one umbrella, and knowledge dissemination across the radiation research community and the space biology community.

open-science↗

NASA GeneLab Space Omics Database: Expanding from Space to Ionizing Radiation Data on the Ground

NASA GeneLab is an open-access repository for omics datasets generated by biological experiments conducted in space or ground experiments relevant to spaceflight (e.g. simulated cosmic radiation, simulated microgravity, bed rest studies). The GeneLab Data Systems (GLDS) version 4.0 will be available on October 1st 2019, and will provide a state-of-the-art bioinformatics platform for the space biology and radiation communities to upload their data into an omics data commons, to process their data with vetted standard workflows and to compare with existing analyses. Started in 2015 as a repository designed to archive omics data from space experiments, GeneLab has expanded its scope to all ionizing radiation omics experiments conducted on the ground and has put considerable effort in providing carefully characterized radiation metadata on all datasets. GeneLab is also providing processed data derived from the raw data covering a large spectrum of omics (genome, epigenome, transcriptome, epitranscriptome, proteome, metabolome) to help users explore important questions: 1) Which genes or proteins are expressed differently in space for various living organisms? 2) What specific DNA mutations or epigenetic changes happen in space or after exposure to ionizing radiation? and 3) How does genetics affect these responses? Processed data available on GeneLab are derived by standard data analysis workflows vetted by hundreds of scientists who volunteered to join one of the four GeneLab Analysis Working Groups (Animal AWG, Plant AWG, Microbe AWG, Multi-Omics AWG). In this presentation, we will discuss how to bridge the gap between irradiation studies performed on earth and biological experiments conducted in space since the early 1990's. We will discuss how radiation dosimetry was estimated for datasets derived from samples collected during the Space Shuttle era on the International Space Station and on other orbiting platforms. Finally, we will address future strategies regarding dose monitoring in future missions into space, inter-agency efforts to unify data under one umbrella, and knowledge dissemination across the radiation research community and the space biology community.

open-science↗

Simplifying Satellite and Ground Data Validation with Level-2 Subsetting

We demonstrate that scientists can simplify their satellite data validation workflow with the use of NASA Godddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) subsetting services. We perform a sample validation of Aura ozone products collocated with ground-based ozone measurements using subsetting services to trim satellite data to only the relevant user-defined variables and spatio-temporal region. Because the subsetting service automatically returns only relevant data granules that adhere to a set of user-defined coincidence criteria, user workload is greatly reduced. Moreover, the resultant data files are substantially smaller than full data granules due to the subsetting service further culling the data to the relevant geospatio-temporal coincidence criteria, user-defined variables, and user-defined dimensions of variables. This decreases data download throughput and file storage requirements. The validation presented here quantifies the time and file size savings that can be achieved by utilizing subsetting services within the satellite data validation workflow.

Johnson, James↗

Unstructured Grid Development for the Space Launch System Liftoff and Transition Lineloads Computational Analysis

Production of aerodynamic lineloads databases for the Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle at Liftoff and Transition (LOT) conditions has required the development of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) workflow capable of producing high-quality solutions for this unique phase of flight. Aerodynamic considerations included a wide range of flow angles (from 0°up to 90°total angle of attack), resulting leeside separation, and interaction effects between the three bodies of the integrated SLS vehicle, as well as the nearby launch tower. Computational mesh development for similar problems at the NASA Langley Research Center (such as for the Constellation/Ares launch vehicles) has primarily relied on in-house tools such as VGRID/POSTGRID, with grids designed for NASA-developed and maintained flow solvers such as USM3D and FUN3D. The workflow for such problems has evolved over the development of the various SLS configurations to incorporate new tools such as the Heldenpatch/Heldenmesh grid generator (Helden Aerospace) and CREATE-AV Kestrel (US Department of Defense) flow solver. This paper describes efforts to benchmark a grid generation approach for LOT problems using Heldenpatch/Heldenmesh and Kestrel, verified against prior best practices from VGRID/POSTGRID. Parameters studied include surface grid density, first-layer viscous cell height, and volume grid growth rate parameters. Resulting solutions are compared based on total force and moment values, sectional line loads, and surface pressures, all validated against existing wind tunnel aerodynamic databases where available for the SLS Block 1B Cargo configuration.

Space launch systems↗

Aerothermodynamic CFD Analysis

This presentation provides an introduction to two Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes, LAURA and FUN3D, which have been developed and widely used at NASA Langley Research Center in Entry, Descent, and Landing applications. A workflow using the LAURA and FUN3D CFD codes to predict aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic engineering quantities is presented. The presentation will cover the basics of setting up and running simulations using both CFD codes, as well as how to post-process results obtained from each code. More advanced topics will also be presented, including a state-of-the-art uncertainty quantification approach to be included in the next LAURA release, and a new geometry-based workflow used with FUN3D focused on replacing user-defined meshing with an adaptation-based approach.

Kyle B Thompson↗

Trajectory Simulation Using Multi Model Monte Carlo with Python (MXMCPy)

EDL (Entry, Descent and Landing) is the process from a vehicle approaching a surface to landing on it, such as a Mars rover approaching the planet before landing. POST2 (Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories 2) is Langley’s primary EDL simulation tool and is used NASA-wide for simulations. POST2 can generate highly accurate results by running a precise, but time consuming, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation hundreds or thousands of times. Though POST2 can produce highly accurate results, it can take unrealistic time spans to generate these results, which has created a need to speed up the simulations. The new NASA software MXMCPy offers various ways to speed up the simulations while getting just as precise results. Instead of running high-precision POST2 simulations many times for traditional MC, MXMCPy can run fewer high-precision POST2 simulations and many less precise POST2 simulations and merge the results. MXMCPy contains 30+ different methods which will each suggest different allocations between model precision levels, which result in results of varying precision based on the POST2 simulation. I created Python and Bash code to automate the 5 steps of MXMCPy’s application to POST2. I also tested the precision of traditional Monte Carlo simulations to MXMCPy aided simulations and found that MXMCPy can achieve substantially more precise solutions at the same computer runtime. I learned Test Driven Development (TDD), a software programming workflow which involves writing computer-automated tests before writing the code which is being tested. These tests are ran every time the code is changed and they can find glitches in the code much quicker than a human can. This programming workflow saved me a lot of time because the automated tests could tell me exactly where the code had stopped working. I plan on using this software development method for future academic and professional software projects. I have greatly enjoyed my work at NASA, so I have been applying to NASA internships and Pathways positions. In addition, I plan on applying what I have learned about Test Driven Development to my computer science courses next semester

James Warner↗

Verification of Viscous Goal-Based Anisotropic Mesh Adaptation

Adaptive unstructured mesh techniques have a limited, but growing impact on production analysis workflows where the control of discretization error is critical to obtaining reliable simulation results. Recent progress has matured a number of independent implementations of flow solvers, error estimation methods, and anisotropic mesh adaptation mechanics. Anisotropic metric construction methods are evaluated with analytically defined primal and adjoint fields. This allows the comparison of different metric formulations and different implementations of the same formulation without the complications of a flow and adjoint solution method. Unstructured mesh adaptation tools are verified by comparison on analytic primal and dual field before verification on benchmark aerodynamics cases. The documentation of these verification exercises helps to prepare these goal-based methods for routine use in production simulation workflows.

Mesh adaptation↗

Preliminary Design of an 'Autonomous Medical Response Agent' Interface Prototype for Long Duration Spaceflight

Major challenges for astronauts in future long-duration exploration missions (LDEMs) will be that crewmembers are not expected to be medical professionals, may be under high workload and stress, are facing physiological challenges caused by spaceflight, and will have limited, delayed voice communications with medical support from Earth. An autonomous medical response agent (AMRA) is envisioned to help astronauts address medical complaints, develop a differential diagnosis, and guide self-treatment until a healthy state is restored. AMRA develops a process of personalized diagnosis and treatment through a Bayesian predictive control system that recommends therapeutic control actions including diagnostic tests and treatments to crewmembers (Menon, 2020). The Human Computer Interaction (HCI) lab from NASA Ames Research Center’s Human Systems Integration Division (Code TH) has collaborated with Nahlia Inc in human-centered design augmentation research for AMRA. The project, titled Design of ‘Autonomous Medical Response Agent Interface Prototype for Long Duration Spaceflight, has been funded by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) and introduces an interactive user-interface prototype that guides astronauts through self-diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation while communicating with remote specialists in ground support (most notably a patient’s flight surgeon). Our project develops the interaction design for the crewmember using AMRA through user research, iterative design, and usability testing to evaluate the user interface and workflow designed. The interface design deliverable for this project, titled AMRA Aggregate Information Display (AMRA AID) is an integrated information display system for comprehensive autonomous medical guidance, diagnosis, and treatment of in-flight medical conditions experienced by crewmembers. AMRA AID demonstrates how we might ensure crew autonomy, increase the crew’s medical capabilities, and decrease cognitive burden within a front-end user interface. AMRA AID refrains from relying on input from ground or mission control for self-treatment of medical issues—though ground awareness and communication with ground is maintained as a means of ensuring trust between mission control and crew. AMRA AID demonstrates how the crew’s on-board medical system might integrate with information from vehicle monitoring and crew schedule, without assuming causal relationships. AMRA AID’s comprehensive view enables efficient information access for both crew and ground support, reducing cognitive burden in the event of an unplanned or emergency medical incident and enabling informed analytical decisions to be made based on both crew and vehicle health. Human-centered design augmentation advanced within the prototype included: enhanced workflow and treatment guidance for two medical scenarios for a non-specialist user base with various levels of medical training, interaction design which considered speech (conversational user interface) elements and on-screen interactions to be developed in future iterations of the project, communication design and functional requirements relevant to self-care versus caring for another astronaut, as well as user testing of the prototype with an international space medical community. This project arrives at critical findings regarding usability needs, communication requirements, and integrated information requirements for a future technology interface functioning to increase confidence between ground support and LDEM crewmembers.

TRISH↗

Augmenting Topic Finding in the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System using Topic Modeling

Context: The NASA Aviation and Safety Reporting System (ASRS) provides various publications to the aviation community (including individual anonymous reports, Callback, Database Search Requests, Directline, and Alerting Messages). Key to these publications are the timely processing of new reports, which is currently done mostly manually by ASRS staff, and which the volume increases yearly. Aim: We investigate whether existing topic modelling techniques are suitable to ease some of the manual effort, and to enhance it with additional visual cues regarding the process of grouping, sense making and labeling incoming (and previous) reports. Method: We evaluate the applicability of WarpLDA topic modelling results combined with three visualization tools, the first two of which have been extended by us in this work for ASRS: Termite, TopicFlow, and LDAVis. Based on the identified limitations in these tools, we propose a methodology for improving them, and evaluate their outputs using ASRS as our test dataset. Results: The user interfaces of Termite, Topicflow and LDAVis were found insufficient for sense-making of the narratives. Moreover, concerns regarding the stability of results due to the inherent randomness of topic modelling, and the lack of a measurable approach for evaluation against the existing ASRS manual workflow were also noted. Conclusion: While many tools to topic modeling and visualization have been proposed, more work is necessary before they can be applied in practical situations to improve existing manual workflows. The methodology presented and applied in this work contribute towards this effort.

ASRS↗

Maximizing Spaceflight Biological Data with Omics Analytics: The NASA GeneLab Database

NASA’s GeneLab includes an open-access repository of some 250+ omics datasets generated by biological experiments relevant to spaceflight including simulated cosmic radiation and microgravity. In order to maximize the intelligibility of these data, particularly for users with limited bioinformatics background, GeneLab has become a knowledgebase platform converting raw genetic and proteomic signatures found in flight samples into biological and physiological meanings. A large community of more than 100 scientists has rallied behind GeneLab and organized into four Analysis Working Groups (AWGs: Animal, Plant, Microbe, and Multi-Omics). Together, the AWGs have gained scientific recognition worldwide by establishing a consortium in charge of adopting new complex standards for data analysis workflows and omics sample processing in a rapidly evolving field. We will demonstrate the usage of the repository with smart search capability, an online controlled-access toolshed "Galaxy" to process user data with vetted standard workflows, a workspace for data sharing and a data submission portal with ontology control for better metadata curation. The GeneLab visualization portal will also be demonstrated, showing how anyone without formal training in bioinformatics can now browse the space biology omics data to discover new biology and potential solutions to improve life in space.

Sylvain Vincent Costes↗

LaRC SmartLab Apps For Instrument Control And Data Processing: Optical Micrometer Data Visualizer

The LaRC Smart Lab applications are a series of software tools to greatly enhance researcher efficiency by streamlining and automating workflows. Python scripts and applications are increasingly being used in scientific workflows, including for instrument control and data processing. Interactive Python scripting environments such as Jupyter Lab provide powerful tools for using Python. In some use cases, the development of standalone applications with dedicated graphical user interfaces (GUIs) can enhance the utility of the code and open it up to more users, including non-programmers. Here, we describe a GUI based optical micrometer data visualization application developed as part of the LaRC SmartLab project. We highlight its use in visualizing experimental data and briefly discuss its implementation to give pointers to programmers who wish develop work based on this application's or similar co de.

LaRC SmartLab↗