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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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The FY 1988 descriptions of technical accomplishments is presented in seven sections: Automation and Robotics, Communications Systems, Computer Sciences, Controls and Guidance, Data Systems, Human Factors, and Sensor Technology.
Papers on issues related to Mars exploration are presented, covering topics such as the social implications of manned missions to Mars, mission strategies, mission designs, the economics of a Mars mission, Space Station support for a Mars mission, a Diagnostic and Environmental Monitoring System, and a zero-g CELSS/recreation facility for an earth/Mars crew shuttle. Other topics include biomedical concerns and fitness in spaceflight, spaceflight environment habitability, the Mars Rover/Sample Return Mission, a rooitic Mars surface sampler, a Mars Orbiter, and scientific goals of Mars exploration. Additional topics include Space Station evolution, mission options, modeling advanced space systems, computer support for Mars missions, launch system options, advanced propulsion techniques, the utilization of resources on Mars, the development of a Martian base, and options for mobility on Mars.
The past several decades have seen the rise of large, highly interactive systems that are on the forward edge of technology. As a result of this growth and the increased usage of digital systems (computers and software), the concept of systems engineering has gained increasing attention. Some of this attention is no doubt due to large program failures which possibly could have been avoided, or at least mitigated, through the use of systems engineering principles. The complexity of modern day weapon systems requires conscious application of systems engineering concepts to ensure producible, operable and supportable systems that satisfy mission requirements. Although many authors have traced the roots of systems engineering to earlier dates, the initial formalization of the systems engineering process for military development began to surface in the mid-1950s on the ballistic missile programs. These early ballistic missile development programs marked the emergence of engineering discipline 'specialists' which has since continued to grow. Each of these specialties not only has a need to take data from the overall development process, but also to supply data, in the form of requirements and analysis results, to the process. A number of technical instructions, military standards and specifications, and manuals were developed as a result of these development programs. In particular, MILSTD-499 was issued in 1969 to assist both government and contractor personnel in defining the systems engineering effort in support of defense acquisition programs. This standard was updated to MIL-STD499A in 1974, and formed the foundation for current application of systems engineering principles to military development programs.
Distributed computing systems are proliferating, owing to the availability of powerful, affordable microcomputers and inexpensive communication networks. A critical problem in developing such systems is getting application programs to interact with one another across a computer network. Remote interprogram connectivity is particularly challenging across heterogeneous environments, where applications run on different kinds of computers and operating systems. NetWorks! (trademark) is an innovative software product that provides an object-oriented messaging solution to these problems. This paper describes the design and functionality of NetWorks! and illustrates how it is being used to build complex distributed applications for NASA and in the commercial sector.
Modem electron microprobe systems have become increasingly sophisticated. These systems utilize either UNIX or PC computer systems for measurement, automation, and data reduction. These systems have undergone major improvements in processing, storage, display, and communications, due to increased capabilities of hardware and software. Instrument specifications are typically utilized at the time of purchase and concentrate on hardware performance. The microanalysis community includes analysts, researchers, software developers, and manufacturers, who could benefit from exchange of ideas and the ultimate development of core community specifications (CCS) for hardware and software components of microprobe instrumentation and operating systems.
High performance computing systems are becom- ing increasingly complex, both in node architecture and in the multiple layers of software stack required to compile and run applications. As a consequence, the likelihood is increasing for application performance regressions to occur as a result of routine upgrades of system software components which interact in complex ways. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of continuous integration tools for application performance monitoring on HPC systems. In addition, this paper also describes a prototype system for application perfor- mance monitoring based on Jenkins, a Java-based continuous integration tool. The monitoring system described leverages several features in Jenkins to track application performance results over time. Preliminary results and lessons learned from monitoring applications on Cray systems at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility are presented.
This presentation reviews the challenges we encountered porting our combustion codes to the Frontier computer system, work sponsored under the Exascale Computing Program.
A reconfigurable computing platform includes a reconfigurable computing device, electro-optical transceiver, and first voltage converter disposed on a multilayer board. The electro-optical transceiver converts an optical signal at least one of to and from an electrical signal, and the electrical signal is operatively coupled to the reconfigurable computing device. The electro-optical transceiver is disposed in proximity to the reconfigurable computing device, and the first voltage converter is operatively coupled to a common voltage distributed around a periphery of the multilayer board. The first voltage converter converts the common voltage to a first operating voltage, and the first voltage converter is disposed in proximity to the reconfigurable computing device. The first operating voltage is provided to the reconfigurable computing device as a first power source. A reconfigurable computing system includes a plurality of reconfigurable computing platforms operatively coupled together using an optical signal. A corresponding method of providing a reconfigurable computing platform is also disclosed.
Electric power systems provide the backbone of modern industrial societies. Enabling scalable grid analytics is the keystone to successfully operating large transmission and distribution systems. However, today's power systems are suffering from ever-increasing computational burdens in sustaining the expanding communities and deep integration of renewable energy resources, as well as managing huge volumes of data accordingly. These unprecedented challenges call for transformative analytics to support the resilient operations of power systems. Recently, the explosive growth of quantum computing techniques has ignited new hopes of revolutionizing power system computations. Quantum computing harnesses quantum mechanisms to solve traditionally intractable computational problems, which may lead to ultra-scalable and efficient power grid analytics. This paper reviews the newly emerging application of quantum computing techniques in power systems. We present a comprehensive overview of existing quantum-engineered power analytics from different operation perspectives, including static analysis, transient analysis, stochastic analysis, optimization, stability, and control. We thoroughly discuss the related quantum algorithms, their benefits and limitations, hardware implementations, and recommended practices. We also review the quantum networking techniques to ensure secure communication of power systems in the quantum era. Finally, we discuss challenges and future research directions. This paper will hopefully stimulate increasing attention to the development of quantum-engineered smart grids.
The advanced avionics breadboard (AAB) executive evolved from an effort to design and develop an avionics system. This executive is unique in that it supervises a triple redundant avionics computer system. Three IBM System 4 Pi/CP computers, operating synchronously and executing identical software, comprise the central processors which route data to and from a data bus via an input/output controller. The executive's basic function is to provide application programs with an efficient software structure within which to perform specific avionics application tasks. Although implemented in a triplex data management system, the AAB executive contains the flexibility to be adapted to other systems with minimal change.
ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that astronauts use for training on a frequent basis. This software consists of two primary software groups. The first series of components is responsible for displaying the graphical scenes. The remaining components are responsible for simulating the Mobile Servicing System (MSS), the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), and the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Free Flyer Robotics Operations. The MSS simulation software includes: Robotic Workstation (RWS) simulation, a simulation of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), a simulation of the ISS Command and Control System (CCS), and a portion of the Portable Computer System (PCS) software necessary for MSS operations. These components all run under the CentOS4.5 Linux operating system. The JEMRMS simulation software includes real-time, HIL, dynamics, manipulator multi-body dynamics, and a moving object contact model with Tricks discrete time scheduling. The JEMRMS DST will be used as a functional proficiency and skills trainer for flight crews. The HTV Free Flyer Robotics Operations simulation software adds a functional simulation of HTV vehicle controllers, sensors, and data to the MSS simulation software. These components are intended to support HTV ISS visiting vehicle analysis and training. The scene generation software will use DOUG (Dynamic On-orbit Ubiquitous Graphics) to render the graphical scenes. DOUG runs on a laptop running the CentOS4.5 Linux operating system. DOUG is an Open GL-based 3D computer graphics rendering package. It uses pre-built three-dimensional models of on-orbit ISS and space shuttle systems elements, and provides realtime views of various station and shuttle configurations.
Previous research and experimentation on the use of a non-linear programming constrained optimisation technique to define an optimal control vector for rotorcraft applications indicated that use of this methodology was feasible and desirable in many cases. In particular, use of non-linear programming methods that solve a sequence of related quadratic-programming sub-problems were used successfully to solve these problems. Accordingly, a licence for one of the latest versions of Professor Klaus Schittkowskis very successful Sequential Quadratic Programming NLPQLP software was obtained and used to experiment with and analyse typical optimisation problems of the type encountered in various rotorcraft wind tunnel and flight tests. This research resulted in the development of the general NLPQLP Computation System that could be used to solve problems of the type encountered in various rotorcraft applications where there is a linear dependence of the measurement vector on the control vector, and where equality andor inequality constraints might be imposed. This development was accomplished on a mainframe computer not part of actual wind tunnel andor flight-test experiment, but in a format which was transferable to wind tunnel lap-top computers. Emphasis was directed toward obtaining efficiency, robustness and speed in computation.The System was developed in support of the five-bladed SMART Rotor Active Flap Rotor Hub Loads analytical minimisation research. The design and development of the Computation System was tailored to address the particular requirements of the problem to minimise a performance metric function of measured hub load harmonic angular couple components by optimising the control vector harmonic flap angular couple components subject to constraints on the amplitudes of these control vector harmonic flap angular couple components. In addition, to facilitate real time wind tunnel experimentation, the ability to rapidly selectchange the particular hub load harmonic angular couple components andor the particular control vector harmonic angular couple components to be considered in the optimisation procedure was provided in the System. This capability allows the singling out of particular hub load frequencies andor particular flap angle frequencies to be analysed during testing operations. The System was used very successfully for the SMART Active Flap Rotor Hub minimisation problems considered in the study, the results of which were presented at the American Helicopter Society Fifth Decennial Aeromechanics Specialist Conference in January 2014. Excellent agreement between cases initiated with best guess starting estimates for the control vector elements and cases initiated with zero control vector starting element estimates resulted, indicating the robustness of the NLP10x10 algorithm.
Understanding and tuning the performance of extreme-scale parallel computing systems demands a streaming approach due to the computational cost of applying offline algorithms to vast amounts of performance log data. Analyzing large streaming data is challenging because the rate of receiving data and limited time to comprehend data make it difficult for the analysts to sufficiently examine the data without missing important changes or patterns. To support streaming data analysis, we introduce a visual analytic framework comprising of three modules: data management, analysis, and interactive visualization. The data management module collects various computing and communication performance metrics from the monitored system using streaming data processing techniques and feeds the data to the other two modules. The analysis module automatically identifies important changes and patterns at the required latency. In particular, we introduce a set of online and progressive analysis methods for not only controlling the computational costs but also helping analysts better follow the critical aspects of the analysis results. Finally, the interactive visualization module provides the analysts with a coherent view of the changes and patterns in the continuously captured performance data. Through a multi-faceted case study on performance analysis of parallel discrete-event simulation, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework for identifying bottlenecks and locating outliers.
As man strives for higher levels of sophistication in air and space transportation, awareness of the need for accurate life and material behavior predictions for advanced propulsion system components is heightened. Such sophistication will require complex operating conditions and advanced materials to meet goals in performance, thrust-to-weight ratio, and fuel efficiency. To accomplish these goals will require that components be designed using a high percentage of the material's ultimate capabilities. This serves only to complicate matters dealing with life and material behavior predictions. An essential component of material behavior model development is the underlying experimentation which must occur to identify phenomena. To support experimentation, the NASA Lewis Research Center's High Temperature Fatigue and Structures Laboratory has been expanded significantly. Several new materials testing systems have been added, as well as an extensive computer system. The intent of this paper is to present an overview of the laboratory, and to discuss specific aspects of the test systems. A limited discussion of computer capabilities will also be presented.
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale observatory with sites across the US collecting standardized ecological observations that will operate for multiple decades. To maximize the utility of NEON data, we envision edge computing systems that gather, calibrate, aggregate, and ingest measurements in an integrated fashion. Edge systems will employ machine learning methods to cross-calibrate, gap-fill and provision data in near-real time to the NEON Data Portal and to High Performance Computing (HPC) systems, running ensembles of Earth system models (ESMs) that assimilate the data. For the first time gridded EC data products and response functions promise to offset pervasive observational biases through evaluating, benchmarking, optimizing parameters, and training new machine learning parameterizations within ESMs all at the same model-grid scale. Leveraging open-source software for EC data analysis, we are already building software infrastructure for integration of near-real time data streams into the International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMB) package for use by the wider research community. We will present a perspective on the design and integration of end-to-end infrastructure for data acquisition, edge computing, HPC simulation, analysis, and validation, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches are used throughout the distributed workflow to improve accuracy and computational performance.
A collective communication apparatus and method for parallel computing systems. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises a plurality of processor elements (PEs); collective interconnect logic to dynamically form a virtual collective interconnect (VCI) between the PEs at runtime without global communication among all of the PEs, the VCI defining a logical topology between the PEs in which each PE is directly communicatively coupled to a only a subset of the remaining PEs; and execution logic to execute collective operations across the PEs, wherein one or more of the PEs receive first results from a first portion of the subset of the remaining PEs, perform a portion of the collective operations, and provide second results to a second portion of the subset of the remaining PEs.
The application of small computers using digital techniques for operating the servo and control system of large antennas is discussed. The advantages of the system are described. The techniques were evaluated with a forty foot antenna and the Sigma V computer. Programs have been completed which drive the antenna directly without the need for a servo amplifier, antenna position programmer or a scan generator.
Digital computing systems needed for Army programs such as the Computer-Aided Low Altitude Helicopter Flight Program and the Armored Systems Modernization (ASM) vehicles may be characterized by high computational throughput and input/output bandwidth, hard real-time response, high reliability and availability, and maintainability, testability, and producibility requirements. In addition, such a system should be affordable to produce, procure, maintain, and upgrade. To address these needs, the Army Fault Tolerant Architecture (AFTA) is being designed and constructed under a three-year program comprised of a conceptual study, detailed design and fabrication, and demonstration and validation phases. Described here are the results of the conceptual study phase of the AFTA development. Given here is an introduction to the AFTA program, its objectives, and key elements of its technical approach. A format is designed for representing mission requirements in a manner suitable for first order AFTA sizing and analysis, followed by a discussion of the current state of mission requirements acquisition for the targeted Army missions. An overview is given of AFTA's architectural theory of operation.