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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

TACT: A Set of MSC/PATRAN- and MSC/NASTRAN- based Modal Correlation Tools

This paper describes the functionality and demonstrates the utility of the Test Analysis Correlation Tools (TACT), a suite of MSC/PATRAN Command Language (PCL) tools which automate the process of correlating finite element models to modal survey test data. The initial release of TACT provides a basic yet complete set of tools for performing correlation totally inside the PATRAN/NASTRAN environment. Features include a step-by-step menu structure, pre-test accelerometer set evaluation and selection, analysis and test result export/import in Universal File Format, calculation of frequency percent difference and cross-orthogonality correlation results using NASTRAN, creation and manipulation of mode pairs, and five different ways of viewing synchronized animations of analysis and test modal results. For the PATRAN-based analyst, TACT eliminates the repetitive, time-consuming and error-prone steps associated with transferring finite element data to a third-party modal correlation package, which allows the analyst to spend more time on the more challenging task of model updating. The usefulness of this software is presented using a case history, the correlation for a NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) low aspect ratio research wind tunnel model. To demonstrate the improvements that TACT offers the MSC/PATRAN- and MSC/DIASTRAN- based structural analysis community, a comparison of the modal correlation process using TACT within PATRAN versus external third-party modal correlation packages is presented.

Marlowe, Jill M.↗

Transfer-function parameters

Computer program fits linear-factored form transfer function to given frequency-response data. Program is based on conjugate-gradient search procedure that minimizes error between given frequency-response data and frequency response of transfer function that is supplied by user.

Seidel, R. C.↗

DSN data systems software methodology

A software methodology for JPL deep space network (DSN) data systems software implementations through transfer and delivery is presented. The DSN Data Systems Software Methodology is compatible with and depends on DSN software methodology and also incorporates the characteristics of real-time program development in a DSN environment. The DSN Data Systems software implementation consists of a series of six distinct phases. An Independent Group is responsible for verification and validation of the DSN Data Systems software during developing phases. The DSN data systems software methodology is applied to all development software provided for or by the DSN data systems section in Mark IV where there is a desire for reliability, maintainability, and usability within budget and schedule constraints.

Hung, C. K.↗

PCDS as a tool in teaching and research at the University of Michigan

The Space Physics Research Laboratory's (SPRL) use of the Pilot Climate Data System (PCDS) is discussed. For this purpose, a computer center was established to provide the hardware and software necessary to fully utilize existing data bases for research and teaching purposes. A schematic of the SPRL network is given. The core of the system consists of two VAX 11/750s and a VAX 8600, networked through ETHERNET to several LSI 11/23 microprocessors. Much of the system is used for external communications with major networks and data centers. A VAX 11/750 provides DECNET services through the SPAN network to the PCDS. A functional diagram of PCDS usage is given. The browsing capabilities of the PCDS are used to generate data files, which are later transferred to the SPRL center for further data manipulation and display. This mode of operation for classroom instruction will be used to effectively use terminals and to simplify usage of the data base. The Atmosphere Explorer data base has been used successfully in a similar manner in courses related to the thermosphere and ionosphere. The main motivation to access the PCDS was to complement research efforts related to the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI), to be flown on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).

Abreu, V.↗

Computation of three-dimensional flow about aerobrake configurations

Ellipsoid, cone and cylinder aerobrake configurations are analyzed to provide comparison data between experimental and model predictions. An analytical model was devised to account for the shock layer ahead of the body and in the near-wake region in terms of the Navier-Stokes equations expressed in conformal polar and azimuthal-angle coordinates. Using polar coordinates simplified the equations by mapping the body onto a sphere, a procedure which also reduced the magnitude of the discretization errors. The equations are then solved using an alternating direction implicit (ADI) factorization technique. Computations were carried out for Mach 3-10 at various grid resolutions and compared with available wind tunnel data. The model generated pressure distributions, heat transfer coefficients and velocity profile data that agreed relatively well with experimental data at a reduced computational cost. Further work is necessary to identify the location of shocks and to model flows about asymmetric configurations.

Li, C. P.↗

A proposed update to the solar irradiance spectrum used in LOWTRAN and MODTRAN

The calibrated upwelling radiance spectra measured by AVIRIS are increasingly being analyzed with radiative transfer codes. Analysis of AVIRIS data with the LOWTRAN and MODTRAN radiative transfer codes has led to indications of an error in the solar irradiance spectra used by these codes. This paper presents evidence for the error and proposed update to the solar irradiance spectra used by LOWTRAN and MODTRAN.

Green, Robert O.↗

Polar Geophysics Products Derived from AVHRR: The "AVHRR Polar Pathfinder

This NOAA/NASA Pathfinder effort was established to locate, acquire, and process Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery into geo-located and calibrated radiances, cloud masks, surface clear-sky broadband albedo, clear-sky skin temperatures, satellite viewing times, and viewing and solar geometry for the, high-latitude portions of the northern and southern hemispheres (all area north of 48N and south of 53S). AVHRR GAC data for August 1981 - July 1998 were acquired, with some gaps remaining, and processed into twice-daily 5-km grids, with some products also provided at 25-km resolution. AVHRR LAC data for 3.5 years of coverage in the northern hemisphere and 2.75 years of coverage in the southern hemisphere were processed into 1.25-km grids for the same suite of products. The resulting data sets are presently being transferred to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) for archiving and distribution. Using these data, researchers now have at their disposal an extensive AVHRR data set for investigations of high-latitude processes. In addition, the data lend themselves to development and testing of algorithms. The products are particularly relevant for climate research and algorithm development as applied to relatively long time periods and large areas.

Maslanik, James↗

Estimation of Asian Dust Aerosol Effect on Cloud Radiation Forcing Using Fu-Liou Radiative Model and CERES Measurements

The impact of Asian dust on cloud radiative forcing during 2003-2006 is studied by using the Earth's Radiant Energy Budget Scanner (CERES) data and the Fu-Liou radiative transfer model. Analysis of satellite data shows that the dust aerosol significantly reduced the cloud cooling effect at TOA. In dust contaminated cloudy regions, the 4-year mean values of the instantaneous shortwave, longwave and net cloud radiative forcing are -138.9, 69.1, and -69.7 Wm(sup -2), which are 57.0, 74.2, and 46.3%, respectively, of the corresponding values in more pristine cloudy regions. The satellite-retrieved cloud properties are significantly different in the dusty regions and can influence the radiative forcing indirectly. The contributions to the cloud radiation forcing by the dust direct, indirect and semi-direct effects are estimated using combined satellite observations and Fu-Liou model simulation. The 4-year mean value of combination of indirect and semi-direct shortwave radiative forcing (SWRF) is 82.2 Wm(sup -2), which is 78.4% of the total dust effect. The direct effect is only 22.7 Wm(sup -2), which is 21.6% of the total effect. Because both first and second indirect effects enhance cloud cooling, the aerosol-induced cloud warming is mainly the result of the semi-direct effect of dust.

Su, Jing↗

A Proposed Update to the Solar Irradiance Spectrum Used in LOWTRAN and MODTRAN

The calibrated upwelling radiance spectra measured by AVIRIS are increasingly being analyzed with radiative transfer codes. Analysis of AVIRIS data with the LOWTRAN and MODTRAN radiative transfer codes has led to indications of an error in the solar irradiance spectra used by these codes. This paper presents evidence for the error and a proposed update to the solar irradiance spectra used by LOWTRAN and MODTRAN.

AVIRIS↗

Downward longwave radiation at the surface from satellite measurements

A new technique is presented for generating downward longwave flux at the earth's surface from satellite meteorological data and a radiative transfer model. The technique was tested by using TIROS-N data from 41 passes over a ground site covering a period of one month. Satellite-derived fluxes were compared with those measured by a ground-based pyrgeometer during each overpass. The standard error of the satellite-derived fluxes relative to the mean ground-measured values was found to be 6.5 percent.

Darnell, W. L.↗

Characteristics of heat exchange in the region of injection into a supersonic high-temperature flow

An experimental investigation of the local heat transfer coefficient distribution during gas injection into the supersonic-flow portion of a Laval nozzle is discussed. The controlling dimensionless parameters of the investigated process are presented in terms of a generalized relation for the maximum value of the heat transfer coefficient in the nozzle cross section behind the injection hole. Data on the heat transfer coefficient variation along the nozzle length as a function of gas injection rate are also presented, along with the heat transfer coefficient distribution over a cross section of the nozzle.

Bakirov, F. G.↗

Problems in Assessment of the UV Penetration into Natural Waters from Space-based Measurements

Satellite instruments currently provide global maps of surface UV (ultraviolet) irradiance by combining backscattered radiance data with radiative transfer models. The models are often limited by uncertainties in physical input parameters of the atmosphere and surface. Global mapping of the underwater UV irradiance creates further challenges for the models. The uncertainties in physical input parameters become more serious because of the presence of absorbing and scattering quantities caused by biological processes within the oceans. In this paper we summarize the problems encountered in the assessment of the underwater UV irradiance from space-based measurements, and propose approaches to resolve the problems. We have developed a radiative transfer scheme for computation of the UV irradiance in the atmosphere-ocean system. The scheme makes use of input parameters derived from satellite instruments such as TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) and SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor). The major problem in assessment of the surface UV irradiance is to accurately quantify the effects of clouds. Unlike the standard TOMS UV algorithm, we use the cloud fraction products available from SeaWiFS and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) to calculate instantaneous surface flux at the ocean surface. Daily UV doses can be calculated by assuming a model of constant cloudiness throughout the day. Both SeaWiFS and MODIS provide some estimates of seawater optical properties in the visible. To calculate the underwater UV flux the seawater optical properties must be extrapolated down to shorter wavelengths. Currently, the problem of accurate extrapolation of visible data down to the UV spectral range is not solved completely, and there are few available measurements. The major difficulty is insufficient correlation between photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments of phytoplankton absorbing in the visible and UV respectively. We propose to empirically parameterize seawater absorption in the UV on a basis of available data sets of bio-optical measurements from a variety of ocean waters. Another problem is the lack of reliable data on pure seawater absorption in the UV. Laboratory measurements of the UV absorption of both pure water and pure seawater are required.

Vasilkov, Alexander P.↗

Modeling Constellation Virtual Missions Using the Vdot(Trademark) Process Management Tool

The authors have identified a software tool suite that will support NASA's Virtual Mission (VM) effort. This is accomplished by transforming a spreadsheet database of mission events, task inputs and outputs, timelines, and organizations into process visualization tools and a Vdot process management model that includes embedded analysis software as well as requirements and information related to data manipulation and transfer. This paper describes the progress to date, and the application of the Virtual Mission to not only Constellation but to other architectures, and the pertinence to other aerospace applications. Vdot s intuitive visual interface brings VMs to life by turning static, paper-based processes into active, electronic processes that can be deployed, executed, managed, verified, and continuously improved. A VM can be executed using a computer-based, human-in-the-loop, real-time format, under the direction and control of the NASA VM Manager. Engineers in the various disciplines will not have to be Vdot-proficient but rather can fill out on-line, Excel-type databases with the mission information discussed above. The author s tool suite converts this database into several process visualization tools for review and into Microsoft Project, which can be imported directly into Vdot. Many tools can be embedded directly into Vdot, and when the necessary data/information is received from a preceding task, the analysis can be initiated automatically. Other NASA analysis tools are too complex for this process but Vdot automatically notifies the tool user that the data has been received and analysis can begin. The VM can be simulated from end-to-end using the author s tool suite. The planned approach for the Vdot-based process simulation is to generate the process model from a database; other advantages of this semi-automated approach are the participants can be geographically remote and after refining the process models via the human-in-the-loop simulation, the system can evolve into a process management server for the actual process.

Hardy, Roger↗

Remote Sensing Reflectance and Inherent Optical Properties in the Mid-mesohaline Chesapeake Bay

We used an extensive set of bio-optical data and radiative transfer (RT) model simulations of radiation fields to investigate relationships between inherent optical properties and remotely sensed quantities in the optically complex, mid-mesohaline Chesapeake Bay waters. Field observations showed that the chlorophyll algorithms used by the MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) ocean color sensor (i.e. Chlor_a, chlor_MODIS, chlor_a_3 products) do not perform accurately in these Case 2 waters. This is because, when applied to waters with high concentrations of chlorophyll, all MODIS algorithms are based on empirical relationships between chlorophyll concentration and blue-green wavelength remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) ratios that do not account for the typically strong blue-wavelength absorption by non-covarying, dissolved and non-algal particulate components. Stronger correlation was observed between chlorophyll concentration and Rrs ratios in the red (i.e. Rrs(677)/Rrs(554)) where dissolved and non-algal particulate absorption become exponentially smaller. Regionally-specific algorithms that are based on the phytoplankton optical properties in the red wavelength region provide a better basis for satellite monitoring of phytoplankton blooms in these Case 2 waters. Good optical closure was obtained between independently measured Rrs spectra and the optical properties of backscattering, b(sub b), and absorption, a, over the wide range of in-water conditions observed in the Chesapeake Bay. Observed variability in the quantity f/Q (proportionality factor in the relationship between Rrs and the water inherent optical properties ratio b(sub b)/(a+b(sub b)) was consistent with RT model calculations for the specific measurement geometry and water bio-optical characteristics. Data and model results showed that f/Q values in these Case 2 coastal waters are not considerably different from those estimated in previous studies for Case 1 waters. Variation in surface backscattering significantly affected Rrs magnitude across the visible spectrum and was most strongly correlated (R(sup 2)=0.88) with observed variability in Rrs at 670 nm. Surface values of particulate backscattering were strongly correlated with non-algal particulate absorption, a(sub nap), in the blue wavelengths (R(sup 2)=0.83). These results, along with the measured values of backscattering fraction magnitude and non-algal particulate absorption spectral slope, suggest that suspended non-algal particles with high inorganic content are the major water constituents regulating b(sub b) variability in the mid-mesohaline Chesapeake Bay. Remote retrieval of surface b(sub b) and (a(sub nap), from Rrs(670) can be used in regionally-specific satellite algorithms to separate contribution by non-algal particles and dissolved organic matter to total light absorption in the blue, and monitor non-algal suspended particle concentration and distribution in these Case 2 waters.

Tzortziou, Maria↗

Gas flow environment and heat transfer nonrotating 3D program

A complete set of benchmark quality data for the flow and heat transfer within a large rectangular turning duct is provided. These data are to be used to evaluate, and verify, three-dimensional internal viscous flow models and computational codes. The analytical contract objective is to select a computational code and define the capabilities of this code to predict the experimental results obtained. Details of the proper code operation will be defined and improvements to the code modeling capabilities will be formulated. Internal flow in a large rectangular cross-sectioned 90 deg. bend turning duct was studied. The duct construction was designed to allow detailed measurements to be made for the following three duct wall conditions: (1) an isothermal wall with isothermal flow; (2) an adiabatic wall with convective heat transfer by mixing between an unheated surrounding flow; and (3) an isothermal wall with heat transfer from a uniformly hot inlet flow.

Schulz, R. J.↗

Reinterpretation of Mariner 9 IRIS data on the basis of a simulation of radiative-conductive convective transfer in the dust laden Martian atmosphere

Time dependent vertical distributions of atmospheric temperature and static stability were determined by a radiative-convective-conductive heat transfer model attuned to Mariner 9 IRIS radiance data. Of particular interest were conditions of both the dust-laden and dust-free atmosphere in the middle latitudes on Mars during the late S.H. summer season. The numerical model simulates at high spatial and temporal resolution (52 atmospheric and 30 subsurface levels; with a time-step of 7.5 min.) the heat transports in the ground-atmosphere system. The algorithm is based on the solution of the appropriate heating rate equation which includes radiative, molecular-conductive and convective heat transfer terms. Ground and atmosphere are coupled by an internal thermal boundary condition.

Pallman, A. J.↗