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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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Real-time simulation studies often require motion-picture recording of events directly from stroke written cathode-ray tubes (CRT's). Difficulty presented is prevention of "flicker," which results from lack of synchronization between display sequence on CRT and shutter motion of camera. Programmable method has been devised for phasing display sequence to shutter motion, ensuring flicker-free recordings.
Theoretical and model simulation studies on signal to noise levels and shuttle radar cross section are described. Pre-mission system calibrations, system configuration, and postmission system calibration of the tracking radars are described. Conversion of target range, azimuth, and elevation into radar centered east north vertical position coordinates are evaluated. The location of the impinging rf energy with respect to the target vehicles body axis triad is calculated. Cross section correlation between the two radars is presented.
Wind tunnel and piloted simulation studies were conducted to investigate the potential high angle of attack control problems that are introduced by the use of the CCV concept of relaxed static pitch stability (RSS) on fighter aircraft. A conventional wing/aft tail design incorporating modest levels of static instability and a close-coupled canard/wing design exhibiting very high levels of instability was investigated. Two types of high angle of attack control problems can result from the use of RSS: pitch departures caused by coupling and deep stall trim. Avoidance of these problems requires that the airplane have sufficient nose-down pitch control at high angles of attack. The effectiveness of several pitch control configurations were investigated including conventional aft-mounted stabilators, wing-mounted elevators, canard-mounted flaps, and all-moveable canards. Varying the incidence of the canards was the most effective scheme; however, very large deflections may be required on highly unstable configurations to prevent pitch departure without sacrificing roll performance and to avoid deep stall trim. For situations where the high angle of attack pitch control requirement is not met, control laws were developed to inhibit the departure and to allow deep stall recovery. However, these schemes involve limiting airplane roll capability and therefore can potentially compromise maneuverability.
The design of a control system using the linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) control law theory for time invariant systems in conjunction with an incremental gradient procedure is presented. The incremental gradient technique reduces the full-state feedback controller design, generated by the LQR algorithm, to a realizable design. With a realizable controller, the feedback gains are based only on the available system outputs instead of being based on the full-state outputs. The design is for a remotely piloted research vehicle (RPRV) stability augmentation system. The design includes methods for accounting for noisy measurements, discrete controls with zero-order-hold outputs, and computational delay errors. Results from simulation studies of the response of the RPRV to a step in the elevator and frequency analysis techniques are included to illustrate these abnormalities and their influence on the controller design.
A head up display (HUD) format used in simulator studies of the application of HUD to the landing of civil transport aircraft is described in detail. The display features an indication of the aircraft's instantaneous flightpath that constitutes the primary controlled element. Discrete ILS error and altitude signals are scaled and positioned to provide precise guidance modes when tracked with the flightpath symbol. Consideration is given to both the availability and nonavailability of inertial velocity information in the aircraft.
An inversion algorithm has been developed to simultaneously infer the concentrations of two gases with overlapping spectral signatures using limb emission measurements. The algorithm provides a solution in two or three iterations and has been tested in a simulation study for the inference of stratospheric NO2-H2O and HNO3-CF2Cl2. Existing satellite instrumentation was the basis for errors used in the calculations. These included noise, scale and bias errors, angular registration errors, spacecraft motion effects, and effects due to a finite instrument field of view. It is estimated that concentrations of all four gases can be measured globally from a satellite with errors of less than 20%.
A digital computer simulation study is presented for a class of discrete model reference adaptive systems designed using Liapunov's direct method. Plant output measurements are assumed to contain uniformly distributed additive noise. It is shown that the design works well even when such noise is relatively extreme. A new result is presented pertaining to improving the convergence properties of these systems. This result is obtained by modifying the dynamic characteristics of the augmented error equation.
The guidance of an autonomous planetary roving vehicle using a scanning laser/multidetector terrain sensor for short-range hazard detection has been simulated. The sensor data are used to model the terrain, thereby providing the information required by a path selection algorithm to control the motion of the rover. These simulation studies are providing the basis for developing both the real-time computer control software and the hardware systems for laboratory and field testing of rover.
The force-restore method for prediction of ground surface temperature is investigated in view of the large temperature gradient that generally exists on a bare ground surface after an extended period of evaporation. The rate equation for the 'ground surface' temperature is rederived. The result from a numerical experiment indicates that there can be significant differences in the diurnal variation of ground surface temperature depending upon its definition. The method was tested by a simulation study of two field-measured data sets at different experiment sites.
A model-based technique for predicting pilot opinion ratings is described. Features of this procedure, which is based on the optimal-control model for pilot/vehicle systems, include (1) capability to treat 'unconventional' aircraft dynamics, (2) a relatively free-form pilot model, (3) a simple scalar metric for attentional workload, and (4) a straightforward manner of proceeding from descriptions of the flight task environment and requirements to a prediction of pilot opinion rating. The method is able to provide a good match to a set of pilot opinion ratings obtained in a manned simulation study of large commercial aircraft in landing approach.
An interactive computer program (in FORTRAN) for the variance covariance analysis of VLBI experiments is presented for use in experiment planning, simulation studies and optimal design problems. The interactive mode is especially suited to these types of analyses providing ease of operation as well as savings in time and cost. The geodetic parameters include baseline vector parameters and variations in polar motion and Earth rotation. A discussion of the theroy on which the program is based provides an overview of the VLBI process emphasizing the areas of interest to geodesy. Special emphasis is placed on the problem of determining correlations between simultaneous observations from a network of stations. A model suitable for covariance analyses is presented. Suggestions towards developing optimal observation schedules are included.
Several guidance and control system research and development activities aimed at improving the operational capabilities of commercial aircraft in the terminal area are described. The guidance and control systems were designed to improve the capacity and efficiency of terminal area operations, enhance the approach and landing capability of aircraft in adverse weather conditions, and reduce the impact of aircraft noise perceived on the ground. Specific performance features include the ability to capture and track steep glideslopes, use short final approaches, perform flares with reduced longitudinal touchdown dispersion and execute high speed runway rollout and turnoff. Results obtained from simulation studies or flight tests are shown for each of the algorithms.
Pilot fatigue and circadian desynchronosis, its significance to air transport safety, and research approaches, were examined. There is a need for better data on sleep, activity, and other pertinent factors from pilots flying a variety of demanding schedules. Simulation studies of flight crew performance should be utilized to determine the degree of fatigue induced by demanding schedules and to delineate more precisely the factors responsible for performance decrements in flight and to test solutions proposed to resolve problems induced by fatigue and desynchronosis. It was concluded that there is a safety problem of uncertain magnitude due to transmeridian flying and a potential problem due to fatigue associated with various factors found in air transport operations.
The pilot signal parameter optimization and power transponder analyses are presented. The SPS antenna phase control system is modeled and the hardware simulation study described. Ionospheric and system phase error effects and the effects of high power amplifier phase and amplitude jitters are considered. Parameter optimization of the spread spectrum receiver, consisting of the carrier tracking loop and the code tracking loop, is described.
A gas chromatograph mounted in the Pioneer Venus sounder probe measured the chemical composition of the atmosphere of Venus at three altitudes. Ne, N2, O2, Ar, CO, H2O, SO2, and CO2 were measured, and upper limits set for H2, COS, H2S, CH4, Kr, N2O, C2H4, C2H6, and C3H8. Simulation studies have provided indirect evidence for sulfuric acid-like droplets and support the possibility of water vapor at altitudes of 42 and 24 km. The paper discusses the implications of these results for the origin, evolution, and present state of Venus' atmosphere.
This paper presents a design metholodology and simulation study results for a combined star scanner-gyro-scan platform in-flight calibration for the dual spin Galileo spacecraft. The design process involves three separate parts: the construction of an error model, development of the calibration model, and the selection of the appropriate estimation technique. The major innovative contribution lies in the development of the first two parts which are unique to the Galileo design. A unified procedure has been developed to allow simultaneous calibration of the three subsystems. However, provisions are also made in the software to calibrate each subsystem separately when the necessary a priori information is available.
A piloted-simulation study was conducted to evaluate the effect on instrument landing system tracking performance of integrating localizer-error rate with raw localizer and glide-slope error. The display was named the pseudocommand tracking indicator (PCTI) because it provides an indication of the change of heading required to track the localizer center line. Eight instrument-rated pilots each flew five instrument approaches with the PCTI and five instrument approaches with a conventional course deviation indicator. The results show good overall pilot acceptance of the display, a significant improvement in localizer tracking error, and no significant changes in glide-slope tracking error or pilot workload.
A simulation study to examine the influence of surface-albedo on July circulation in subtropical regions is presented. The results are based on two 47-day integrations. In the first integration, called the control run, surface albedos were normally prescribed, whereas in the second integration, called the anomaly run, the surface albedo was modified in four regions: the Sahel in Africa, the Great Plains in the United States, the Thar Desert border in the Indian subcontinent, and Brazil in South America. Each run was started from observed initial conditions for June 15, 1979 based on NMC analysis. The surface albedo in each of the regions was arbitrarily made 30%.