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At least 1,207 records · Page 67

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NASA NTRS1992

TIGER: Turbomachinery interactive grid generation

A three dimensional, interactive grid generation code, TIGER, is being developed for analysis of flows around ducted or unducted propellers. TIGER is a customized grid generator that combines new technology with methods from general grid generation codes. The code generates multiple block, structured grids around multiple blade rows with a hub and shroud for either C grid or H grid topologies. The code is intended for use with a Euler/Navier-Stokes solver also being developed, but is general enough for use with other flow solvers. TIGER features a silicon graphics interactive graphics environment that displays a pop-up window, graphics window, and text window. The geometry is read as a discrete set of points with options for several industrial standard formats and NASA standard formats. Various splines are available for defining the surface geometries. Grid generation is done either interactively or through a batch mode operation using history files from a previously generated grid. The batch mode operation can be done either with a graphical display of the interactive session or with no graphics so that the code can be run on another computer system. Run time can be significantly reduced by running on a Cray-YMP.

Soni, Bharat K.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Mentat/A: Medium grain parallel processing

The objective of this project is to test the Algorithm to Architecture Mapping Model (ATAMM) firing rules using the Mentat run-time system and the Mentat Programming Language (MPL). A special version of Mentat, Mentat/A (Mentat/ATAMM) was constructed. This required changes to: (1) modify the run-time system to control queue length and inhibit actor firing until required data tokens are available and space is available in the input queues of all of the direct descendent actors; (2) disallow the specification of persistent object classes in the MPL; and (3) permit only decision free graphs in the MPL. We were successful in implementing the spirit of the plan, although some goals changed as we came to better understand the problem. We report on what we accomplished and the lessons we learned. The Mentat/A run-time system is discussed, and we briefly present the compiler. We present results for three applications and conclude with a summary and some observations. Appendix A contains a list of technical reports and published papers partially supported by the grant. Appendix B contains listings for the three applications.

Grimshaw, Andrew S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Effect of hindlimb unweighting on tissue blood flow in the rat

This study characterized distribution of blood flow in the rat during hindlimb unweighting (HU), and post-HU standing and exercise. The relationship between reduced hindlimb blood flow and the previously observed elevation in anaerobic metabolism observed with contractile activity in the atrophied soleus muscle was examined (Witzmann et al., 1992). Blood flow was measured during unweighting, normal standing, and running on a treadmill (15 m/min), after 15 days of HU or cage control. For another group blood flow was measured during preexercise treadmill standing and treadmill running. During unweighting, PE standing, and running no difference in soleus blood flow was observed between groups. Muscles composed mainly of fast twitch glycolytic fibers received greater blood flow during chronic unweighting. With exercise blood flow to visceral organs was reduced in control animals, a similar change was not seen in 15 day HU rats. These changes suggest a reduction in the ability of the sympathetic nervous system to distribute cardiac output after chronic HU. A reduction in blood flow to the soleus during exercise was not observed after HU and so does not explain the increased dependence of the atrophied soleus on anerobic energy production during contractile activity.

Mcdonald, K. S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Numerical simulation of MPD thruster flows with anomalous transport

Anomalous transport effects in an Ar self-field coaxial MPD thruster are presently studied by means of a fully 2D two-fluid numerical code; its calculations are extended to a range of typical operating conditions. An effort is made to compare the spatial distribution of the steady state flow and field properties and thruster power-dissipation values for simulation runs with and without anomalous transport. A conductivity law based on the nonlinear saturation of lower hybrid current-driven instability is used for the calculations. Anomalous-transport simulation runs have indicated that the resistivity in specific areas of the discharge is significantly higher than that calculated in classical runs.

Caldo, Giuliano↗

NASA NTRS1992

Scalable parallel communications

Coarse-grain parallelism in networking (that is, the use of multiple protocol processors running replicated software sending over several physical channels) can be used to provide gigabit communications for a single application. Since parallel network performance is highly dependent on real issues such as hardware properties (e.g., memory speeds and cache hit rates), operating system overhead (e.g., interrupt handling), and protocol performance (e.g., effect of timeouts), we have performed detailed simulations studies of both a bus-based multiprocessor workstation node (based on the Sun Galaxy MP multiprocessor) and a distributed-memory parallel computer node (based on the Touchstone DELTA) to evaluate the behavior of coarse-grain parallelism. Our results indicate: (1) coarse-grain parallelism can deliver multiple 100 Mbps with currently available hardware platforms and existing networking protocols (such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and parallel Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) rings); (2) scale-up is near linear in n, the number of protocol processors, and channels (for small n and up to a few hundred Mbps); and (3) since these results are based on existing hardware without specialized devices (except perhaps for some simple modifications of the FDDI boards), this is a low cost solution to providing multiple 100 Mbps on current machines. In addition, from both the performance analysis and the properties of these architectures, we conclude: (1) multiple processors providing identical services and the use of space division multiplexing for the physical channels can provide better reliability than monolithic approaches (it also provides graceful degradation and low-cost load balancing); (2) coarse-grain parallelism supports running several transport protocols in parallel to provide different types of service (for example, one TCP handles small messages for many users, other TCP's running in parallel provide high bandwidth service to a single application); and (3) coarse grain parallelism will be able to incorporate many future improvements from related work (e.g., reduced data movement, fast TCP, fine-grain parallelism) also with near linear speed-ups.

Maly, K.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Demonstration of automated proximity and docking technology

Automated spacecraft docking operations are being performed using a full scale motion based simulator and an optical sensor. This presentation will discuss the work in progress at TRW and MSFC facilities to study the problem of automated proximity and docking operations. The docking sensor used in the MSFC Optical Sensor and simulation runs are performed using the MSFC Flat Floor Facility. The control algorithms and six degrees of freedom (6DOF) simulation software were developed at TRW and integrated into the MSFC facility. Key issues being studied are the quantification of docking sensor requirements and operational constraints necessary to perform automated docking maneuvers, control algorithms capable of performing automated docking in the presence of sensitive and noisy sensor data, and sensor technologies for automated proximity and docking operations. As part of this study the MSFC sensor characteristics were analyzed and modeled so that off line simulation runs can be performed for control algorithm testing. Our goal is to develop and demonstrate full 6DOF docking capabilities with actual sensors on the MSFC motion based simulator. We present findings from actual docking simulation runs which show sensor and control loop performance as well as problem areas which require close attention. The evolution of various control algorithms using both phase plane and Clohessy-Wiltshire techniques are discussed. In addition, 6DOF target acquisition and control strategies are described.

Anderson, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Oxygen production on Mars and the Moon

Significant progress was made in the area of in-situ oxygen production in the last year. In order to reduce sealing problems due to thermal expansion mismatch in the disk configuration, several all-Zirconia cells were constructed and are being tested. Two of these cells were run successfully for extended periods of time. One was run for over 200 hours and the other for over 800 hours. These extended runs, along with gas sample analysis, showed that the oxygen being produced is definitely from CO2 and not from air leaks or from the disk material. A new tube system is being constructed that is more rugged, portable, durable, and energy efficient. The important operating parameters of this system will be better controlled compared to previous systems. An electrochemical compressor will also be constructed with a similar configuration. The electrochemical compressor will use less energy since the feed stock is already heated in the separation unit. In addition, it does not have moving parts.

Sridhar, K. R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Preconditioning for stratospheric sudden warmings - Sensitivity studies with a numerical model

Results are presented of numerical experiments performed to determine what constitutes preconditioning for stratospheric sudden warmings. A number of 20-d runs were performed with a 3D primitive equation model. Runs varied in that they had different (zonally symmetric) initial fields and different lower boundary planetary wave fields, both based on NMC data for particular days. Initial and boundary data were used from the two minor and the sole major sudden warmings of January-February 1979 and some minor and the sole major sudden warmings of January-February 1989. To isolate the properties of the initial conditions from preconditioned cases and those with no warming, hybrid initial fields were created by combining data from two different days, one preconditioned and the other not. Runs with the hybrid initial conditions indicate that it is the lower stratospheric winds that are important in characterizing a preconditioned flow. It is suggested that it would be possible for a preconditioned state to exist for at least a short time without a warming occurring.

Smith, Anne K.↗

NASA NTRS1934

The wave suppressor used in the N.A.C.A. tank

So long a time was required for the disturbed water to become quiet after a model had been towed down the N.A.C.A. tank, that only 12 to 18 runs a day could be made. In order to shorten the time lost in waiting between runs, several different methods of suppressing the waves were tried. The most effective form of wave suppressor developed consists of wooden frames covered with fine copper screening and secured horizontally just beneath the surface of the water at the sides of the tank. With these suppressor placed every 50 feet along the length of the tank, 40 to 60 test runs a day can be made.

Truscott, Starr↗

NASA NTRS1940

Tests of Lead-bronze Bearings in the DVL Bearing-testing Machine

The lead-bronze bearings tested in the DVL machine have proven themselves very sensitive to load changes as in comparison with bearings of light metal. In order to prevent surface injuries and consequently running interruptions, the increase of the load has to be made in small steps with sufficient run-in time between steps. The absence of lead in the running surface, impurities in the alloy (especially iron) and surface irregularities (pores) decreases the load-carrying capacity of the bearing to two or three times that of the static load.

Fischer, G↗

NASA NTRS1994

Computing Thermodynamic And Transport Properties Of Air

EQAIRS computer program is set of FORTRAN 77 routines for computing thermodynamic and transport properties of equilibrium air for temperatures from 100 to 30,000 K. Computes properties from 11-species, curve-fit mathematical model. Successfully implemented on DEC VAX-series computer running VMS, Sun4-series computer running SunOS, and IBM PC-compatible computer running MS-DOS.

Thompson, Richard A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Pyrolaser Operating System

Software provides for control and acquisition of data from optical pyrometer. There are six individual programs in PYROLASER package. Provides quick and easy way to set up, control, and program standard Pyrolaser. Temperature and emisivity measurements either collected as if Pyrolaser in manual operating mode or displayed on real-time strip charts and stored in standard spreadsheet format for posttest analysis. Shell supplied to allow macros, which are test-specific, added to system easily. Written using Labview software for use on Macintosh-series computers running System 6.0.3 or later, Sun Sparc-series computers running Open-Windows 3.0 or MIT's X Window System (X11R4 or X11R5), and IBM PC or compatible computers running Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later.

Roberts, Floyd E., III↗

NASA NTRS1993

The giant impact produced a precipitated Moon

The author's current simulations of Giant Impacts on the protoearth show the development of large hot rock vapor atmospheres. The Balbus-Hawley mechanism will pump mass and angular momentum outwards in the equatorial plane; upon cooling and expansion the rock vapor will condense refractory material beyond the Roche distance, where it is available for lunar formation. During the last seven years, the author together with several colleagues has carried out a series of numerical investigations of the Giant Impact theory for the origin of the Moon. These involved three-dimensional simulations of the impact and its aftermath using Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), in which the matter in the system is divided into discrete particles whose motions and internal energies are determined as a result of the imposed initial conditions. Densities and pressures are determined from the combined overlaps of the particles, which have a bell-shaped density distribution characterized by a smoothing length. In the original series of runs all particle masses and smoothing lengths had the same values; the matter in the colliding bodies consisted of initial iron cores and rock (dunite) mantles. Each of 41 runs used 3,008 particles, took several weeks of continuous computation, and gave fairly good representations of the ultimate state of the post-collision body or bodies but at best crude and qualitative information about individual particles in orbit. During the last two years an improved SPH program was used in which the masses and smoothing lengths of the particles are variable, and the intent of the current series of computations is to investigate the behavior of the matter exterior to the main parts of the body or bodies subsequent to the collisions. These runs are taking times comparable to a year of continuous computation in each case; they use 10,000 particles with 5,000 particles in the target and 5,000 in the impactor, and the particles thus have variable masses and smoothing lengths (the latter are dynamically adjusted so that a particle typically overlaps a few tens of its neighbors). Since the matter in the impactor provides the majority of the mass left in orbit after the collision, and since the masses of the particles that originated in the impactor are smaller than those in the target, the mass resolution in the exterior parts of the problem is greatly improved and the exterior particles properly simulate atmospheres in hydrostatic equilibrium.

Cameron, A. G. W.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Planetary astronomy of Mars. Mars data reduction

Grant #NAGW-1408 was specifically awarded to obtain telescopic visible and near-IR spectral imaging of Mars during the 1988 apparition (9/28/88). The observing program was highly successful producing approximately 2 Gbytes of data, but was only funded for one year and virtually all of the funds were spent in data acquisition. The follow-up grant was funded the following year for reduction of these data into a scientifically productive form, which because of the size and nature of our observations, was a non-trivial task. A more detailed scientific analysis of these data (fully reduced) is in progress now and will take a number of years. Extended geologic analyses of the astronomical data are being funded by the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics program. The objective was to produce detailed reflectance spectra for contiguous, spatially resolved surface elements covering most of the planet (about +50 degrees to -90 degrees latitude, all longitudes). A total of 6 observing runs, of 3-4 days duration each, were conducted on the University of Arizona's 1.5m telescope on Mt. Bigelow. We present a sketch map showing the approximate total extent of our spectral image coverage. Nearly all of Mars south of 40 degrees N was observed at least once. About half of the area shown was observed multiple times. South of 65 degrees S, including the south polar cap, our coverage is heavily redundant. The first run was conducted June 29 - July 1, 1988 (all dates are UT) to serve as a baseline prior to possible dust storm activity on Mars. The other observing runs were closer to opposition: Sept. 3-6, 13-15, 24-26, and Oct. 5-7 and 16-18. The September and October observations were scheduled to provide maximum longitudinal coverage. This was also intended to provide a balance between surface observations and observations of predicted dust storm activity. No global dust storm developed in 1988, so we have a large volume of data for the surface of Mars.

Singer, Robert B.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Surfactant studies for bench-scale operation

A phase 2 study has been initiated to investigate surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction, with the objective of quantifying the enhancement in liquid yields and product quality. This report covers the second quarter of work. The major accomplishments were: completion of coal liquefaction autoclave reactor runs with Illinois number 6 coal at processing temperatures of 300, 325, and 350 C, and pressures of 1800 psig; analysis of the filter cake and the filtrate obtained from the treated slurry in each run; and correlation of the coal conversions and the liquid yield quality to the surfactant concentration. An increase in coal conversions and upgrading of the liquid product quality due to surfactant addition was observed for all runs.

Hickey, Gregory S.↗

NASA NTRS1993

User's manual for the HYPGEN hyperbolic grid generator and the HGUI graphical user interface

The HYPGEN program is used to generate a 3-D volume grid over a user-supplied single-block surface grid. This is accomplished by solving the 3-D hyperbolic grid generation equations consisting of two orthogonality relations and one cell volume constraint. In this user manual, the required input files and parameters and output files are described. Guidelines on how to select the input parameters are given. Illustrated examples are provided showing a variety of topologies and geometries that can be treated. HYPGEN can be used in stand-alone mode as a batch program or it can be called from within a graphical user interface HGUI that runs on Silicon Graphics workstations. This user manual provides a description of the menus, buttons, sliders, and typein fields in HGUI for users to enter the parameters needed to run HYPGEN. Instructions are given on how to configure the interface to allow HYPGEN to run either locally or on a faster remote machine through the use of shell scripts on UNIX operating systems. The volume grid generated is copied back to the local machine for visualization using a built-in hook to PLOT3D.

Chan, William M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

An algorithm for the estimation of bounds on the emissivity and temperatures from thermal multispectral airborne remotely sensed data

The effective flux incident upon the detectors of a thermal sensor, after it has been corrected for atmospheric effects, is a function of a non-linear combination of the emissivity of the target for that channel and the temperature of the target. The sensor system cannot separate the contribution from the emissivity and the temperature that constitute the flux value. A method that estimates the bounds on these temperatures and emissivities from thermal data is described. This method is then tested with remotely sensed data obtained from NASA's Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) - a 6 channel thermal sensor. Since this is an under-determined set of equations i.e. there are 7 unknowns (6 emissivities and 1 temperature) and 6 equations (corresponding to the 6 channel fluxes), there exist theoretically an infinite combination of values of emissivities and temperature that can satisfy these equations. Using some realistic bounds on the emissivities, bounds on the temperature are calculated. These bounds on the temperature are refined to estimate a tighter bound on the emissivity of the source. An error analysis is also carried out to quantitatively determine the extent of uncertainty introduced in the estimate of these parameters. This method is useful only when a realistic set of bounds can be obtained for the emissivities of the data. In the case of water the lower and upper bounds were set at 0.97 and 1.00 respectively. Five flights were flown in succession at altitudes of 2 km (low), 6 km (mid), 12 km (high), and then back again at 6 km and 2 km. The area selected with the Ross Barnett reservoir near Jackson, Mississippi. The mission was flown during the predawn hours of 1 Feb. 1992. Radiosonde data was collected for that duration to profile the characteristics of the atmosphere. Ground truth temperatures using thermometers and radiometers were also obtained over an area of the reservoir. The results of two independent runs of the radiometer data averaged 7.03 plus or minus .70 for the first run and 7.31 plus or minus .88 for the second run. The results of the algorithm yield a temperature of 7.68 for the low altitude data to 8.73 for the high altitude data.

Jaggi, S.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Numerical modeling of impact erosion of atmospheres: Preliminary results

It is clear from the great diversity of atmospheres among the terrestrial planets that their formation and evolution must have depended on a balance among a number of different processes. One of these processes is atmospheric erosion by impacts, which may have been particularly effective on Mars. The reason is that geomorphic evidence on Mars suggests that this planet had, early in its history, dense enough atmosphere to sustain active precipitation over geologically significant periods of time. Analytic calculations indicate that neither the projectile entering the atmosphere nor the main crater ejecta can cause the lose of significant amounts of atmosphere. The vapor plume that is formed, however, expands rapidly as its internal energy is converted into kinetic energy, and may blow off the overlying atmosphere. A model of this part of the impact/atmosphere interaction predicts Mars could have lost a substantial early atmosphere by impact erosion alone. Although our more detailed calculations, which took into account the anisotropy of the atmosphere with respect to zenith angle, show that the process isn't quite as effective, they still indicate the probability of substantial atmospheric loss from Mars. The first results from 2-D hydrocode runs are discussed. These include two runs which make most of the same simplifying approximations as the analytic models, in order to compare the analytic and numerical results directly, and one run (as yet incomplete) that models the full impact.

Vickery, A. M.↗