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At least 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Schlieren System Enhancements at GRC

This presentation describes the latest improvements that have been made to the Schlieren systems at the NASA Glenn Research Center. These systems are used for the visualization of flow and shock structures in our wind tunnel test facilities. Improvements have been made to the optics, light sources and knife edges using the latest state-of-the-art technology. The eventual goal of this upgrade work is to improve the sensitivity of the systems so that they can be used to make quantitative flow measurements.

Schlieren↗
NASA NTRS1983

Revised orbits for 105 Herculis and Pi Cephei A and a model for the Pi Cephei system

New orbital elements for the giant primary components of 105 Herculis and Pi Cephei A are derived using radial velocities from Dominion Astrophysical Observatory coude plates. These data are combined with those of Harper (1925) in order to estimate the velocity amplitude of Pi Cephei A in the visual orbit of this triple system. Two models of this system are developed. In the first model, the unseen spectroscopic secondary component is a single main-sequence star, although this seems unlikely, while in the alternative model the unseen secondary component is itself double.

Scarfe, C. D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating adaptive and predictive power management strategies for optimizing visualization performance on supercomputers

Power is becoming an increasingly scarce resource on the next generation of supercomputers, and should be used wisely to improve overall performance. One strategy for improving power usage is hardware overprovisioning, i.e., systems with more nodes than can be run at full power simultaneously without exceeding the system-wide power limit. With this study, we compare two strategies for allocating power throughout an overprovisioned system – adaptation and prediction – in the context of visualization workloads. While adaptation has been suitable for workloads with more regular execution behaviors, it may not be as suitable on visualization workloads, since they can have variable execution behaviors. This study considers a total of 104 experiments, which vary the rendering workload, power budget, allocation strategy, and node concurrency, including tests processing data sets up to 1 billion cells and using up to 18,432 cores across 512 nodes. Overall, we find that prediction is a superior strategy for this use case, improving performance up to 27% compared to an adaptive strategy.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2010

Effects of Secondary Task Modality and Processing Code on Automation Trust and Utilization During Simulated Airline Luggage Screening

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of environmental distractions on human trust and utilization of automation during the process of visual search. Participants performed a computer-simulated airline luggage screening task with the assistance of a 70% reliable automated decision aid (called DETECTOR) both with and without environmental distractions. The distraction was implemented as a secondary task in either a competing modality (visual) or non-competing modality (auditory). The secondary task processing code either competed with the luggage screening task (spatial code) or with the automation's textual directives (verbal code). We measured participants' system trust, perceived reliability of the system (when a target weapon was present and absent), compliance, reliance, and confidence when agreeing and disagreeing with the system under both distracted and undistracted conditions. Results revealed that system trust was lower in the visual-spatial and auditory-verbal conditions than in the visual-verbal and auditory-spatial conditions. Perceived reliability of the system (when the target was present) was significantly higher when the secondary task was visual rather than auditory. Compliance with the aid increased in all conditions except for the auditory-verbal condition, where it decreased. Similar to the pattern for trust, reliance on the automation was lower in the visual-spatial and auditory-verbal conditions than in the visual-verbal and auditory-spatial conditions. Confidence when agreeing with the system decreased with the addition of any kind of distraction; however, confidence when disagreeing increased with the addition of an auditory secondary task but decreased with the addition of a visual task. A model was developed to represent the research findings and demonstrate the relationship between secondary task modality, processing code, and automation use. Results suggest that the nature of environmental distractions influence interaction with automation via significant effects on trust and system utilization. These findings have implications for both automation design and operator training.

Phillips, Rachel↗
NASA NTRS1984

A study of methods to predict and measure the transmission of sound through the walls of light aircraft. A survey of techniques for visualization of noise fields

A survey of the most widely used methods for visualizing acoustic phenomena is presented. Emphasis is placed on acoustic processes in the audible frequencies. Many visual problems are analyzed on computer graphic systems. A brief description of the current technology in computer graphics is included. The visualization technique survey will serve as basis for recommending an optimum scheme for displaying acoustic fields on computer graphic systems.

Marshall, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Project M: Scale Model of Lunar Landing Site of Apollo 17: Focus on Lighting Conditions and Analysis

This document captures the research and development of a scale model representation of the Apollo 17 landing site on the moon as part of the NASA INSPIRE program. Several key elements in this model were surface slope characteristics, crater sizes and locations, prominent rocks, and lighting conditions. This model supports development of Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) and Project M for the GN&C Autonomous Flight Systems Branch. It will help project engineers visualize the landing site, and is housed in the building 16 Navigation Systems Technology Lab. The lead mentor was Dr. Timothy P. Crain. The purpose of this project was to develop an accurate scale representation of the Apollo 17 landing site on the moon. This was done on an 8'2.5"X10'1.375" reduced friction granite table, which can be restored to its previous condition if needed. The first step in this project was to research the best way to model and recreate the Apollo 17 landing site for the mockup. The project required a thorough plan, budget, and schedule, which was presented to the EG6 Branch for build approval. The final phase was to build the model. The project also required thorough research on the Apollo 17 landing site and the topography of the moon. This research was done on the internet and in person with Dean Eppler, a space scientist, from JSC KX. This data was used to analyze and calculate the scale of the mockup and the ratio of the sizes of the craters, ridges, etc. The final goal was to effectively communicate project status and demonstrate the multiple advantages of using our model. The conclusion of this project was that the mockup was completed as accurately as possible, and it successfully enables the Project M specialists to visualize and plan their goal on an accurate three dimensional surface representation.

Vanik, Christopher S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Isochronous and period-doubling diagrams for symplectic maps of the plane

Symplectic mappings of the plane serve as key models for exploring the fundamental nature of complex behavior in nonlinear systems. Central to this exploration is the effective visualization of stability regimes, which enables the interpretation of how systems evolve under varying conditions. While the area-preserving quadratic Hénon map has received significant theoretical attention, a comprehensive description of its mixed parameter-space dynamics remain lacking. This limitation arises from early attempts to reduce the full two-dimensional phase space to a one-dimensional projection, a simplification that resulted in the loss of important dynamical features. Consequently, there is a clear need for a more thorough understanding of the underlying qualitative aspects. This paper aims to address this gap by revisiting the foundational concepts of reversibility and associated symmetries, first explored in the early works of G.D. Birkhoff. We extend the original framework proposed by Hénon by adding a period-doubling diagram to his isochronous diagram, which allows to represents the system’s bifurcations and the groups of symmetric periodic orbits that emerge in typical bifurcations of the fixed point. A qualitative and quantitative explanation of the main features of the region of parameters with bounded motion is provided, along with the application of this technique to other symplectic mappings, including cases of multiple reversibility. Modern chaos indicators, such as the Reversibility Error Method (REM) and the Generalized Alignment Index (GALI), are employed to distinguish between various dynamical regimes in the mixed space of variables and parameters. These tools prove effective in differentiating regular and chaotic dynamics, as well as in identifying twistless orbits and their associated bifurcations. Additionally, we discuss the application of these methods to real-world problems, such as visualizing dynamic aperture in accelerator physics, where our findings have direct relevance.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Applications of Thermochemical Modeling in Molten Salt Reactors

The extensively evaluated and consistent thermodynamic database, the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database—Thermochemical (MSTDB-TC), was used along with additional thermodynamic values from other sources as examples of ways to examine molten salt reactor (MSR) fuel behavior. Relative stability with respect to halide potential and temperature for likely fuel and fission product components were mapped in Ellingham diagrams for the chloride and fluoride systems. The Ellingham diagrams provide a rich, visual means for identifying halide-forming components in proposed fuel/solvent salt systems. Thermochemical models and values from MSTDB-TC and ancillary sources were used in global equilibrium calculations to provide compositions for a close analysis of the behavior of a possible Molten Chloride Salt Fast Reactor and a Molten Salt Reactor Experiment-type system at high burnup (100 GWd/t). The results illustrated the oxidative nature of burnup in MSRs and provided information about redox behavior and possible control.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1995

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) photographic survey special publication

During the construction, integration, launch, retrieval and deintegration of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), photographic surveys were made. Approximately 10,000 photographs were taken during the various phases of the LDEF project. These surveys are of technical and scientific importance because they revealed the pre and post flight conditions of the experiment trays as well as the spacecraft. Visual inspection of the photographs reveal valuable data such as space environment's effects and the earth atmosphere's effects post-retrieval. Careful files and records have been kept of these photographs. Each photograph has a Kennedy Space Center photo number or a Johnson Spaceflight Center photo number as well as a Langley Research Center photo number. The tray number, row number, and experiment number are also noted. Out of the 10,000 photographs taken, approximately 700 selected photographs were chosen for publication in a NASA Special Publication (SP) because they reveal the effects of space exposure to the viewer. These photographs will give researchers and spacecraft designers visual images of the effects of the space environment on specific materials, systems and spacecraft in general. One can visually see the degradation of thermal blankets, meteoroid craters, outgassing discoloration, atomic oxygen erosion, etc.

Oneal, Robert L.↗
DOE OSTI2022

The ParFlow Sandtank: An interactive educational tool making invisible groundwater visible

Physical aquifer models are a highly effective teaching tool for hydrology education, however they come with inherent limitations that include the high cost to purchase, the static configuration of the model materials, the time required to visualize hydrogeological phenomena, and the effort to reset and clean them over time. To address these and other limitations, we have developed an interactive computer simulation of a physical aquifer model called the ParFlow Sandtank. In this gamified interface, users run the simulation using a familiar web-app like interface with sliders and buttons while learning real hydrologic concepts. Our user interface allows participants to dive into the world of hydrology, understanding assumptions about model parameters such as hydraulic conductivity, making decisions about inputs to groundwater aquifer systems such as pumping rates, visualizing outputs such as stream flow, transport, and saturation, and exploring various factors that impact real environmental systems such as climate change. The ParFlow Sandtank has already been used in a variety of educational settings with more than 9,000 users per year, and we feel this emerging educational tool can be used broadly in educational environments and can be scaled-up to provide greater accessibility for students and educators. Here we present the capabilities and workflow of the ParFlow Sandtank, two use cases, and additional tools and custom templates that have been developed to support and enhance the reach of the ParFlow Sandtank.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pulsar Movement Animation and its Corresponding Signal Visualization for Timing Source

The global positioning system, widely used for synchronization in energy systems, faces vulnerabilities, while Pulsars—natural cosmic clocks—offer long-term stability as potential backup timing sources. Existing research lacks sufficient exploration of Pulsar signal animation under astrophysical factors, limiting practical applications. This study establishes a mathematical model based on the rotation dynamics of dual-beam Pulsars and implements dynamic signal visualization through MATLAB. The model dynamically illustrates the relative motion between Pulsar beams and observers via timeline calculations, beam intensity modeling, and rotation matrix derivation. A case study on the millisecond Pulsar J1939+2134 reveals that observer angles influence signal peak timing, while beam widths determine signal duration, highlighting the critical role of parameter calibration for timing accuracy. Open-source code and animation results are publicly shared, providing tools for interdisciplinary research. This study validates the feasibility of Pulsar-based timing in energy systems, offering new insights to enhance synchronization robustness.

Wu, Ori [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000326723410)↗
NASA NTRS2008

Intelligent Integrated Health Management for a System of Systems

An intelligent integrated health management system (IIHMS) incorporates major improvements over prior such systems. The particular IIHMS is implemented for any system defined as a hierarchical distributed network of intelligent elements (HDNIE), comprising primarily: (1) an architecture (Figure 1), (2) intelligent elements, (3) a conceptual framework and taxonomy (Figure 2), and (4) and ontology that defines standards and protocols. Some definitions of terms are prerequisite to a further brief description of this innovation: A system-of-systems (SoS) is an engineering system that comprises multiple subsystems (e.g., a system of multiple possibly interacting flow subsystems that include pumps, valves, tanks, ducts, sensors, and the like); 'Intelligent' is used here in the sense of artificial intelligence. An intelligent element may be physical or virtual, it is network enabled, and it is able to manage data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) focused on determining its condition in the context of the entire SoS; As used here, 'health' signifies the functionality and/or structural integrity of an engineering system, subsystem, or process (leading to determination of the health of components); 'Process' can signify either a physical process in the usual sense of the word or an element into which functionally related sensors are grouped; 'Element' can signify a component (e.g., an actuator, a valve), a process, a controller, an actuator, a subsystem, or a system; The term Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) is used to describe a capability that focuses on determining the condition (health) of every element in a complex system (detect anomalies, diagnose causes, prognosis of future anomalies), and provide data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) not just data to control systems for safe and effective operation. A major novel aspect of the present development is the concept of intelligent integration. The purpose of intelligent integration, as defined and implemented in the present IIHMS, is to enable automated analysis of physical phenomena in imitation of human reasoning, including the use of qualitative methods. Intelligent integration is said to occur in a system in which all elements are intelligent and can acquire, maintain, and share knowledge and information. In the HDNIE of the present IIHMS, an SoS is represented as being operationally organized in a hierarchical-distributed format. The elements of the SoS are considered to be intelligent in that they determine their own conditions within an integrated scheme that involves consideration of data, information, knowledge bases, and methods that reside in all elements of the system. The conceptual framework of the HDNIE and the methodologies of implementing it enable the flow of information and knowledge among the elements so as to make possible the determination of the condition of each element. The necessary information and knowledge is made available to each affected element at the desired time, satisfying a need to prevent information overload while providing context-sensitive information at the proper level of detail. Provision of high-quality data is a central goal in designing this or any IIHMS. In pursuit of this goal, functionally related sensors are logically assigned to groups denoted processes. An aggregate of processes is considered to form a system. Alternatively or in addition to what has been said thus far, the HDNIE of this IIHMS can be regarded as consisting of a framework containing object models that encapsulate all elements of the system, their individual and relational knowledge bases, generic methods and procedures based on models of the applicable physics, and communication processes (Figure 2). The framework enables implementation of a paradigm inspired by how expert operators monitor the health of systems with the help of (1) DIaK from various sources, (2) software tools that assist in rapid visualization of the condition of the system, (3) analical software tools that assist in reasoning about the condition, (4) sharing of information via network communication hardware and software, and (5) software tools that aid in making decisions to remedy unacceptable conditions or improve performance.

Smith, Harvey↗
NASA NTRS1979

Field-aligned currents and large-scale magnetospheric electric fields

The existence of field-aligned currents (FAC) at northern and southern high latitudes was confirmed by a number of observations, most clearly by experiments on the TRIAD and ISIS 2 satellites. The high-latitude FAC system is used to relate what is presently known about the large-scale pattern of high-latitude ionospheric electric fields and their relation to solar wind parameters. Recently a simplified model was presented for polar cap electric fields. The model is of considerable help in visualizing the large-scale features of FAC systems. A summary of the FAC observations is given. The simplified model is used to visualize how the FAC systems are driven by their generators.

Dangelo, N.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Capturing, Analyzing, Maintaining, and Disseminating Shape Memory Material Data Between Information Management Systems

With an increased demand on reducing the time, cost, and effort to develop new materials, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) has received widespread attention in various engineering disciplines as a catalyst for significantly reducing experimental testing during the material design process. An ICME approach to design can enable ‘fit-for-purpose’ materials to be realized in engineering applications by incorporating well-understood process-property-performance relationships between the various length and time scales in a material’s structure, enabling material optimization. However, such an approach requires validated multiscale models at the various length scales for a material, which in turn requires a large amount of data, a robust means of storing the data, and the ability to link data to developed material models. The NASA Vision 2040 [1] has identified nine key elements to enabling ICME approaches in system level design, with one being “Data, Information, and Visualization”, thus outlining the importance of a robust information management system for ICME. As the relationship between microstructure, properties, and material performance become better understood and incorporated into multiscale models that can be leveraged in application design, the emergence of new materials with application-driven properties can be realized. One such new material class that has seen growing attention are shape memory materials (SMM), in which a material can transition between a deformed and undeformed state via a reversible phase transformation when subject to a thermal, mechanical, or magnetic load [2]. SMMs have been used widely in aerospace and biomedical industries, including applications such as actuators, low-shock mechanisms, medical staples, braces, and stents [3, 4]. These materials exhibit unique behavior due to their ability to transition between phases, and thus the mechanisms that enable this transition must be captured in a data information management system and incorporated into SMM material models. At NASA Glenn Research Center, the Shape Memory Materials Database (SMMD) Tool has been developed to capture the necessary information that governs SMM material behavior and provide users the ability to select and visualize various SMMs for a specific application [5]. The database contains point-wise data for published SMM materials, along with the pedigree metadata for traceability necessary for a robust information management system. The database is also capable of storing in-house test data performed at NASA GRC by interacting with the developed Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Analytics tool to extract the necessary point-wise values and populate the database. Although the SMMD Tool offers its users a single, authoritative source for SMM material data that is critical for model development and material design, the full material pedigree of the in-house test data for SMMs is not currently captured and is out of the scope for the SMMD tool. In this work, the schema for capturing SMM test data within the larger NASA GRC ICME Schema [6, 7, 8, 9] will be developed and implemented for thermomechanical tests conducted at NASA GRC. The developed schema will not only store the relevant data needed for the SMMD tool, but also the material pedigree (i.e., production of the bulk material, bulk material analysis, sample cut-out diagrams, sample fabrication procedure, etc.), test pedigree (i.e., test equipment used, measurement systems used, raw test data), and analysis pedigree (i.e., how the data in the SMMD tool is calculated). Furthermore, a Python-based framework will be developed to seamlessly interact between the SMA Analytics and SMMD tools, which will write the full dataset and associated metadata to the GRC Information Management System before passing the required point-wise data to the SMMD tool. Data informatics is a key element of the NASA Vision 2040, which requires not only that data is stored and maintained throughout the material lifecycle, but that the data is also accessible and reusable such that material development efforts can be minimized. Therefore, for an ICME design approach to be realized, a centralized information management system that drives the ICME process must be able to communicate with other databases. The work that will be presented in this presentation will therefore not only demonstrate the ability of NASA GRC’s information management system to capture SMM data, but also its ability to interact with pre-existing tools specialized for such materials.

Data management↗