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At least 127 records · Page 7

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multirotor Configuration Trades Informed by Handling Qualities for Urban Air Mobility Application

Many contemporary Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and more specifically, urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle designers are attracted to variable rotor speed-controlled designs with multiple rotors because of the great potential for mass savings compared to more traditional, variable blade pitch-controlled vehicles. These designs are based on the assumption that the stability and control of recreation or basic utility-sized drones can be scaled to larger passenger-sized vehicles. Previous work had shown the challenges in stabilizing passenger-sized quadcopters. In this study, power constraints were made less restrictive and varied, allowing more control power. Motor parameters such as efficiency, nominal voltage and current operating point, and rise time of the rotor speed controller step response were studied. By fixing the efficiency of the motor to 95% and assuming a motor voltage to current ratio of 2.0 (previously, assumed to be 1.0), the authors were able to stabilize the quadcopter in the roll axis because this allowed the vehicle to achieve adequate rise times between 0.4 and 0.8 s. This motor optimization was extended to a hexacopter and octocopter designed to the same payload size and mission as the quadcopter. The three vehicle configurations and their motor speed controllers were compared. It was found that while hexacopter and octocopter required more mass and overall power; all three configurations had similar margins required for control. However, the hexacopter and octocopter were able to use this power margin to achieve lower rise times (i.e. the vehicle responded more quickly to pilot inputs) than the quadcopter, with the octocopter having the lowest rotor response rise time of the three vehicle configurations studied.

Multirotor↗

NASA NTRS1993

Total quality management: It works for aerospace information services

Today we are in the midst of information and 'total quality' revolutions. At the NASA STI Program's Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), we are focused on using continuous improvements techniques to enrich today's services and products and to ensure that tomorrow's technology supports the TQM-based improvement of future STI program products and services. The Continuous Improvements Program at CASI is the foundation for Total Quality Management in products and services. The focus is customer-driven; its goal, to identify processes and procedures that can be improved and new technologies that can be integrated with the processes to gain efficiencies, provide effectiveness, and promote customer satisfaction. This Program seeks to establish quality through an iterative defect prevention approach that is based on the incorporation of standards and measurements into the processing cycle. Four projects are described that utilize cross-functional, problem-solving teams for identifying requirements and defining tasks and task standards, management participation, attention to critical processes, and measurable long-term goals. The implementation of these projects provides the customer with measurably improved access to information that is provided through several channels: the NASA STI Database, document requests for microfiche and hardcopy, and the Centralized Help Desk.

Erwin, James↗

NASA NTRS1993

Total quality management - It works for aerospace information services

Erwin, James↗

DOE OSTI2021

Investigating the influence of environmental information on perceived indoor environmental quality: An exploratory study

Under the assumption that information can impact perception, most research on human sensation and satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters has been conducted with respondents uninformed about the test conditions. Therefore, researchers know little about the impact of information on perception. These potential effects are increasingly relevant as quantitative information about indoor environments becomes accessible via low-cost, wirelessly connected sensors. In this experimental study, 48 subjects were exposed to varied indoor environmental conditions and provided with different types of environmental information. The subjects' sensation and satisfaction were compared when they were blinded or provided with quantitative information about and/or qualitative ratings of specific parameters. The results indicate that accurate information on parameter values influenced how the subjects perceived the indoor air quality (IAQ) but not how they perceived the thermal, acoustic, or visual quality. The subjects rated the IAQ more positively when they were informed that there were nonzero ventilation rates. The qualitative ratings influenced the subjects' perceptions of all four environmental factors, but in different directions. The subjects generally had more positive sensation and higher satisfaction when they were told that the parameter values and qualitative ratings were more favorable than the test conditions. However, the improved sensation and satisfaction were often not as good as when the environmental conditions were actually improved and the subjects were provided with accurate information. Here, these findings affirm the critical need for more research on the impacts of information on perceptions of the indoor environment.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS2017

Operational Implementation of Sea Ice Concentration Estimates from the AMSR2 Sensor

An operation implementation of a passive microwave sea ice concentration algorithm to support NOAA's operational mission is presented. The NASA team 2 algorithm, previously developed for the NASA advanced microwave scanning radiometer for the Earth observing system (AMSR-E) product suite, is adapted for operational use with the JAXA AMSR2 sensor through several enhancements. First, the algorithm is modified to process individual swaths and provide concentration from the most recent swaths instead of a 24-hour average. A latency (time since observation) field and a 24-hour concentration range (maximum-minimum) are included to provide indications of data timeliness and variability. Concentration from the Bootstrap algorithm is a secondary field to provide complementary sea ice information. A quality flag is implemented to provide information on interpolation, filtering, and other quality control steps. The AMSR2 concentration fields are compared with a different AMSR2 passive microwave product, and then validated via comparison with sea ice concentration from the Suomi visible and infrared imaging radiometer suite. This validation indicates the AMSR2 concentrations have a bias of 3.9% and an RMSE of 11.0% in the Arctic, and a bias of 4.45% and RMSE of 8.8% in the Antarctic. In most cases, the NOAA operational requirements for accuracy are met. However, in low-concentration regimes, such as during melt and near the ice edge, errors are higher because of the limitations of passive microwave sensors and the algorithm retrieval.

Arctic↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Supporting Aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay Using Artificial Intelligence to Detect Poor Water Quality with Remote Sensing

Reliable information on water quality is not currently available at the space and time scales that are required for aquaculture and other resource management needs. For example, shellfish growing areas maybe impacted by harmful algal blooms or runoff from land that increases turbidity, lowers salinity, or introduces contaminants. Shellfish resource managers in the Chesapeake Bay are especially concerned with sources of bacteria from land such as failing onsite waste systems, failing wastewater infrastructure, and concentrated animal feeding operations. There is an urgent need for remote sensing of water quality indicators beyond chlorophyll-a and suspended sediments to augment field sampling programs. Artificial Intelligence trained with simultaneous in situ and satellite observations is explored in preparation for future hyperspectral satellite missions, which offer potential to detect additional water quality indicators not previously possible. This first step identifies and develops a method to harmonize disparate, unlinked aquatic datasets to derive information about where water quality is likely degraded.

Stephanie Schollaert Uz↗

DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing Drinking Water Quality Modeling: Leveraging Physics Informed Neural Networks for Learning with Imperfect Reaction Models and Partial Data

Chemical kinetics models, typically formulated as systems of ordinary or partial differential equations, are valuable tools for simulating drinking water quality. However, these models often face inaccuracies due to discrepancies between the laboratory and the real-world conditions, as well as limitations in experimental analytical methods, hindering the accurate representation of the true underlying chemical mechanisms. In this study, we propose a Physics Informed Neural Network (PINN), using the eXtreme Theory of Functional Connections, to improve the prediction of chemical concentrations over time. The PINN method accounts for imperfect chemical models and incorporates partial data to improve predictions. Focusing on reactions describing water disinfection residual and disinfectant byproduct formation, which are crucial for public health and regulatory compliance, we demonstrate that the PINN model is able to accurately predict the concentrations of chemical species across various pH values. Notably, the model extends its accuracy to predict concentrations of chemical species not originally included in its training data. The developed method can be extended to a variety of chemical systems, offering a wide array of potential applications.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1992

Water quality modeling using geographic information system (GIS) data

Protection of the environment and natural resources at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is of great concern. The potential for surface and ground water quality problems resulting from non-point sources of pollution was examined using models. Since spatial variation of parameters required was important, geographic information systems (GIS) and their data were used. The potential for groundwater contamination was examined using the SEEPAGE (System for Early Evaluation of the Pollution Potential of Agricultural Groundwater Environments) model. A watershed near the VAB was selected to examine potential for surface water pollution and erosion using the AGNPS (Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution) model.

Engel, Bernard A↗

DOE OSTI2021

Background Information on the Power Quality Requirements in IEEE Std 1547-2018

The revised Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1547-2018, Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces, was published in April 2018. This standard is one of the foundational documents in the United States needed for integrating distributed energy resources (DERs), including solar energy systems, and energy storage systems with the electric distribution grid. The revised standard contains 11 chapters (clauses) and 8 annexes that comprise 136 pages. The revision is significantly different from the 2003 version, and it contains new concepts and new technical requirements. Each clause specifies information or requirements that apply to certain aspects that are important to the interconnection of DERs to the electric power system. Implementing the requirements necessitates a careful study of the underlying technical concepts and requires appropriate information to calculate relevant settings and configurations. This document provides informative material on the requirements related to electrical power quality in IEEE Std 1547-2018, with the intent to equip the reader with basic knowledge and background information to improve understanding and use of the requirements specified.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1989

Image gathering and coding for digital restoration: Information efficiency and visual quality

Image gathering and coding are commonly treated as tasks separate from each other and from the digital processing used to restore and enhance the images. The goal is to develop a method that allows us to assess quantitatively the combined performance of image gathering and coding for the digital restoration of images with high visual quality. Digital restoration is often interactive because visual quality depends on perceptual rather than mathematical considerations, and these considerations vary with the target, the application, and the observer. The approach is based on the theoretical treatment of image gathering as a communication channel (J. Opt. Soc. Am. A2, 1644(1985);5,285(1988). Initial results suggest that the practical upper limit of the information contained in the acquired image data range typically from approximately 2 to 4 binary information units (bifs) per sample, depending on the design of the image-gathering system. The associated information efficiency of the transmitted data (i.e., the ratio of information over data) ranges typically from approximately 0.3 to 0.5 bif per bit without coding to approximately 0.5 to 0.9 bif per bit with lossless predictive compression and Huffman coding. The visual quality that can be attained with interactive image restoration improves perceptibly as the available information increases to approximately 3 bifs per sample. However, the perceptual improvements that can be attained with further increases in information are very subtle and depend on the target and the desired enhancement.

Huck, Friedrich O.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Adding Remote Sensing Data Products to the Nutrient Management Decision Support Toolbox

Some of the primary issues that manifest from nutrient enrichment and eutrophication (Figure 1) may be observed from satellites. For example, remotely sensed estimates of chlorophyll a (chla), total suspended solids (TSS), and light attenuation (Kd) or water clarity, which are often associated with elevated nutrient inputs, are data products collected daily and globally for coastal systems from satellites such as NASA s MODIS (Figure 2). The objective of this project is to inform water quality decision making activities using remotely sensed water quality data. In particular, we seek to inform the development of numeric nutrient criteria. In this poster we demonstrate an approach for developing nutrient criteria based on remotely sensed chla.

Lehrter, John↗

NASA NTRS1981

Application of digital image processing techniques and information systems to water quality monitoring of Lake Tahoe

The Tahoe basin occupies over 500 square miles of territory located in a graben straddling the boundary between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe contains 126 million acre-feet of water. Since the 1950's the basin has experienced an ever increasing demand for land development at the expense of the natural watershed. Discharge of sediment to the lake has greatly increased owing to accelerated human interference, and alterations to the natural drainage patterns are evident in some areas. In connection with an investigation of the utility of a comprehensive system that takes into account the causes as well as the effects of lake eutrophication, it has been attempted to construct an integrated and workable data base, comprised of currently available data sources for the Lake Tahoe region. Attention is given to the image based information system (IBIS), the construction of the Lake Tahoe basin data base, and the application of the IBIS concept to the Lake Tahoe basin.

Smith, A. Y.↗

NASA NTRS2006

An Overview of NASA's IM&S Verification and Validation Process Plan and Specification for Space Exploration

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) is implementing a management approach for modeling and simulation (M&S) that will provide decision-makers information on the model's fidelity, credibility, and quality. This information will allow the decision-maker to understand the risks involved in using a model's results in the decision-making process. This presentation will discuss NASA's approach for verification and validation (V&V) of its models or simulations supporting space exploration. This presentation will describe NASA's V&V process and the associated M&S verification and validation (V&V) activities required to support the decision-making process. The M&S V&V Plan and V&V Report templates for ESMD will also be illustrated.

Gravitz, Robert M.↗

NASA NTRS2006

NASA's M and S Accreditation Process Plan and Specification for Space Exploration

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) is implementing a management approach for modeling and simulation (M&S) that will provide decision-makers information on the model's fidelity, credibility, and quality. This information will allow the decision-maker to understand the risks involved in using a model's results in the decision-making process. This presentation will discuss NASA's overall approach to achieving formal accreditation of its models or simulations supporting space exploration. The development of a formal Accreditation Plan is a key component in the preliminary activities for modeling and simulation (M&S) assessment. This presentation will describe NASA's process for identifying risks associated with M&S use and the associated M&S assessments that will dictate the level of data certification and M&S verification and validation (V&V) activities required to support the decision-making process. The M&S Accreditation Plan and Report templates for ESMD will also be illustrated.

O'Neil, David↗

NASA NTRS1975

Orbit and attitude state recoveries from Landmark data

The navigation of earth-referenced satellites with imaging data rather than, or in addition to, conventional radio tracking and attitude sensor telemetry is gaining increased popularity. Driving forces include a trend towards spacecraft autonomy, a need for timely and highly accurate griding information, and a growing awareness of the presence of high quality navigation information contained in such data. This paper describes the techniques used and the results obtained in an experiment to determine the orbit and attitude state of the geosynchronous SMS-1 spacecraft from Landmark observations extracted from earth images generated by the on-board Visible and Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR).

Fuchs, A. F.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Orbit and attitude state recoveries from Landmark data

The navigation of earth-referenced satellites with imaging data rather than, or in addition to, conventional radio tracking and attitude sensor telemetry is gaining increased popularity. Driving forces include a trend towards spacecraft autonomy, a need for timely and highly accurate gridding information, and a growing awareness of the presence of high quality navigation information contained in such data. This paper describes the techniques used and the results obtained in an experiment to determine the orbit and attitude state of the geosynchronous SMS-1 spacecraft from Landmark observations extracted from earth images generated by the on-board Visible and Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR).

Fuchs, A. F.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Heavy-ion induced genetic changes and evolution processes

On Moon and Mars, there will be more galactic cosmic rays and higher radiation doses than on Earth. Our experimental studies showed that heavy ion radiation can effectively cause mutation and chromosome aberrations and that high Linear Energy Transfer (LET) heavy-ion induced mutants can be irreversible. Chromosome translocations and deletions are common in cells irradiated by heavy particles, and ionizing radiations are effective in causing hyperploidy. The importance of the genetic changes in the evolution of life is an interesting question. Through evolution, there is an increase of DNA content in cells from lower forms of life to higher organisms. The DNA content, however, reached a plateau in vertebrates. By increasing DNA content, there can be an increase of information in the cell. For a given DNA content, the quality of information can be changed by rearranging the DNA. Because radiation can cause hyperploidy, an increase of DNA content in cells, and can induce DNA rearrangement, it is likely that the evolution of life on Mars will be effected by its radiation environment. A simple analysis shows that the radiation level on Mars may cause a mutation frequency comparable to that of the spontaneous mutation rate on Earth. To the extent that mutation plays a role in adaptation, radiation alone on Mars may thus provide sufficient mutation for the evolution of life.

Yang, C. H.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Remote Sensing Information Sciences Research Group, Santa Barbara Information Sciences Research Group, year 3

Research continues to focus on improving the type, quantity, and quality of information which can be derived from remotely sensed data. The focus is on remote sensing and application for the Earth Observing System (Eos) and Space Station, including associated polar and co-orbiting platforms. The remote sensing research activities are being expanded, integrated, and extended into the areas of global science, georeferenced information systems, machine assissted information extraction from image data, and artificial intelligence. The accomplishments in these areas are examined.

Estes, J. E.↗