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At least 1,279 records · Page 71

Research in ground-based near-terminal area 4D guidance and control

This paper describes work being done at NASA, Langley Research Center and at the Research Triangle Institute on advanced, ground-based guidance and control for the near terminal area. Large-scale computer traffic simulations in conjunction with flight experiments with a Boeing 737 aircraft will be used to evaluate various concepts for automated terminal area metering and spacing. The all-digital real-time air traffic simulation model is described. Facilities for aircraft tracking and for interfacing the aircraft with the digital simulation are discussed, along with possible application to other types of experiments.

Britt, C. L., Jr.↗

Viking mission support

Deep Space Network support for the four Viking spacecraft during October and November 1976 is summarized. The period covers the last portion of the prime mission which officially terminated on 15 November 1976 and the start of the Viking extended mission on that date. November also covered the Mars-Sun-Earth superior conjunction period with the rapid degradation of RF link performance resulting in the tapering off and termination of telemetry data coincident with a rapid increase in radio science experiment activity. The various radio science experiments are described in detail and the computer aided countdown program utilized by the tracking stations during the Viking mission is also described.

Johnston, D. W. H.↗

Reynolds number effects on shock-wave turbulent boundary-layer interactions - A comparison of numerical and experimental results

An experiment is described that tests and guides computations of a shock-wave turbulent boundary-layer interaction flow over a 20-deg compression corner at Mach 2.85. Numerical solutions of the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for the entire flow field, employing various turbulence models, are compared with the data. Each model is critically evaluated by comparisons with the details of the experimental data. Experimental results for the extent of upstream pressure influence and separation location are compared with numerical predictions for a wide range of Reynolds numbers and shock-wave strengths.

Horstman, C. C.↗

A comparison between Nimbus 5 THIR and ITPR temperatures and derived winds with rawinsonde data obtained in the AVE II experiment

During the second Atmospheric Variability Experiment (AVE II), atmospheric temperature profiles were computed from Nimbus 5 data, which comprised ITPR, NEMS, and SCR measurements. Rawinsonde data were obtained from NWS stations in the AVE II network and processed for each pressure contact; the soundings closest in space and time were interpolated to the Nimbus 5 sounding points for comparison purposes. Cross sections of thermal and geostrophic winds were computed from satellite-derived cross sections of temperature along the Nimbus orbital track.

Arnold, J. E.↗

On the use of classical and conical diffraction mountings for XUV gratings

A description is given of the properties of plane diffraction gratings used in conical diffraction. Formulas are given for computing the direction of the diffracted orders. Experiments were performed to investigate the behavior of gratings used on conical diffraction mountings. Comparisons made with classical diffraction mountings show a significant increase in the efficiency of the -1 order. An empirical formula to predict the efficiencies of gratings used in conical diffraction mountings has been verified by the measurements.

Neviere, M.↗

Synthetic Aperture Radar Technology Conference, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N. Mex., March 8-10, 1978, Proceedings

The following aspects of SAR development are discussed: calibration techniques, image simulation and interpretability, antennas, data processing, and system design. Papers are presented on such topics as a postlaunch calibration experiment for the Seasat-A SAR, computer simulation of an orbital SAR system, definition study of the Shuttle Imaging Radar, custom LSI circuits for spaceborne SAR processors, and random sampling adaptively focusing SAR.

Source record↗

Interior structure of Saturn inferred from Pioneer 11 gravity data

The structure of Saturn is studied via a fourth-order theory for rotating planets and equations of state for the envelope which depend parametrically on the helium abundance, on the starting temperature for the adiabat, and on adopted forms of the pressure-density curve in the region of transition from molecular to metallic hydrogen. Models are constrained by the values of J2 and J4 obtained from the Pioneer-Saturn celestial mechanics experiment. Equations of state are tested by computing Jupiter models, which can now be subjected to a more stringent comparison with observed zonal harmonics. It is found that Saturn has a low-density hydrogen-helium envelope with no evidence for enhancement of H2O, CH4, or other abundant compounds. Such compounds are presumably located near the core. The helium mass abundance for Saturn's envelope appears to be in the range of approximately 0.12 to 0.19, but this result is very model-dependent. The helium abundance in the envelope of Jupiter is apparently very similar to that of Saturn.

Hubbard, W. B.↗

Prediction of bead area contact load at the tire-wheel interface using NASTRAN

The theoretical prediction of the bead area contact load at the tire wheel interface using NASTRAN is reported. The application of the linear code to a basically nonlinear problem results in excessive deformation of the structure and the tire-wheel contact conditions become impossible to achieve. A psuedo-nonlinear approach was adopted in which the moduli of the cord reinforced composite are increased so that the computed key deformations matched that of the experiment. Numerical results presented are discussed.

Chen, C. H. S.↗

The VERRUN and VERNAL software systems for steady-state visual evoked response experimentation

Two digital computer programs were developed for use in experiments involving steady-state visual evoked response (VER): VERRUN, whose primary functions are to generate a sum-of-sines (SOS) stimulus and to digitize and store electro-cortical response; and VERNAL, which provides both time- and frequency-domain metrics of the evoked response. These programs were coded in FORTRAN for operation on the PDP-11/34, using the RSX-11 Operating System, and the PDP-11/23, using the RT-11 Operating System. Users' and programmers' guides to these programs are provided, and guidelines for model analysis of VER data are suggested.

Levison, W. H.↗

Getting Mental Models and Computer Models to Cooperate

A qualitative theory of supervisory control is outlined wherein the mental models of one or more human operators are related to the knowledge representations within automatic controllers (observers, estimators) and operator decision aids (expert systems, advice-givers). Methods of quantifying knowledge and the calibration of one knowledge representation to another (human, computer, or objective truth) are discussed. Ongoing experiments in the use of decision aids for exploring one's own objective function or exploring system constraints and control strategies are described.

Sheridan, T. B.↗

Integrated design checkout of shuttle payload avionics interfaces

Orbiter/payload avionics integration testing in the shuttle program are discussed. Payloads show extensive orbiter interfaces. The three testing modes used to verify orbiter/payload avionics interfaces are described. These modes consist of orbiter testing using generic payload simulators, payload testing utilizing the actual payload and a high fidelity orbiter simulator, and interface testing with the actual orbiter and payload. Several special avionics techniques, such as the split flight computer technique were developed for this testing. Experience from the first six shuttle cargoes is reviewed and problems found in testing that would have hampered mission success are emphasized.

Muratore, J. F.↗

Shock tube measurements of growth constants in the branched-chain ethane-carbon monoxide-oxygen system

Exponential free radical growth constants have been measured for ethane carbon monoxide oxygen mixtures by monitoring the growth of oxygen atom concentration as manifested by CO flame band emission. Data were obtained over the temperature range of 1200 to 1700 K. The data were analyzed using an ethane oxidation mechanism involving seven elementary reaction steps. Calculated growth constants were close to experimental values at lower temperatures, up to about 1400 K, but at higher temperatures computed growth constants were considerably smaller than experiment. In attempts to explain these results additional branching reactions were added to the mechanism. However, these additional reactions did not appreciably change calculated growth constants.

Brokaw, R. S.↗

Computation of viscous flows in turbomachinery cascades

Analytic and numerical experiments involving the use of the space-marching method for the prediction of the viscous flow field in turbomachinery cascades indicate that the grid lines in the physical domain must be nearly orthogonal in order to arrive at accurate predictions. For staggered cascades, a nonperiodic grid system was used and appropriate approximations were applied in place of the periodicity boundary conditions upstream and downstream of the cascade. Predicted drag coefficient, turning angle, boundary layer momentum thicknesses, and velocity profiles are compared with experimental data. Good agreement is obtained in most cases.

Pouagare, M.↗

Multiscale turbulence effects in supersonic jets exhausting into still air

A modified version of the multiscale turbulence model of Hanjalic has been applied to the problem of supersonic jets exhausting into still air. In particular, the problem of shock-cell decay through turbulent interaction with the mixing layer has been studied for both mildly interacting and strongly resonant jet conditions. The modified Hanjalic model takes into account the nonequilibrium energy transfer between two different turbulent spectral scales. The turbulence model was incorporated into an existing shock-capturing, parabolized Navier-Stokes computational model in order to perform numerical experiments. The results show that the two-scale turbulence model provides significant improvement over one-scale models in the prediction of plume shock structure for underexpanded supersonic (Mach 2) and sonic (Mach 1) jets. For the supersonic jet, excellent agreement with experiment was obtained for the centerline shock-cell pressure decay up to 40 jet radii. For the sonic jet, the agreement with experiment was not so good, but the two-scale model still showed significant improvement over the one-scale model. It is shown that by relating some of the coefficients in the turbulent-transport equations to the relative time scale for transfer of energy between scales the two-scale model can provide predictions that bound the measured shock-cell decay rate for the sonic jet.

Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.↗

Multiscale turbulence effects in underexpanded supersonic jets

A modified version of the multiscale turbulence model of Hanjalic has been applied to the problem of underexpanded supersonic jets. In particular, the shock-cell decay resulting from shock-mixing layer interactions has been studied for both mildly interacting and strongly resonant jet conditions. A version of the Hanjalic model which accounts for nonequilibrium energy transfer between two spectral scales of turbulence was incorporated into an existing shock-capturing, parabolized Navier-Stokes computational model in order to perform numerical experiments. Results are presented for nominal initial jet Mach numbers of 2.0, 1.4, and 1.0 and are compared to experiments and to predictions made using single-scale models. The results show significant effects of multi-spectral turbulent energy transfer on the predicted shock-cell decay particularly for the lower jet Mach numbers.

Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.↗

Euler equation computations for the flow over a hovering helicopter rotor

A numerical solution technique is developed for computing the flow field around an isolated helicopter rotor in hover. The flow is governed by the compressible Euler equations which are integrated using a finite volume approach. The Euler equations are coupled to a free wake model of the rotary wing vortical wake. This wake model is incorporated into the finite volume solver using a prescribed flow, or perturbation, technique which eliminates the numerical diffusion of vorticity due to the artificial viscosity of the scheme. The work is divided into three major parts: (1) comparisons of Euler solutions to experimental data for the flow around isolated wings show good agreement with the surface pressures, but poor agreement with the vortical wake structure; (2) the perturbation method is developed and used to compute the interaction of a streamwise vortex with a semispan wing. The rapid diffusion of the vortex when only the basic Euler solver is used is illustrated, and excellent agreement with experimental section lift coefficients is demonstrated when using the perturbation approach; and (3) the free wake solution technique is described and the coupling of the wake to the Euler solver for an isolated rotor is presented. Comparisons with experimental blade load data for several cases show good agreement, with discrepancies largely attributable to the neglect of viscous effects. The computed wake geometries agree less well with experiment, the primary difference being that too rapid a wake contraction is predicted for all the cases.

Roberts, Thomas Wesley↗

Details of the computed flowfield over a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 1200

The application of an upwind-biased implicit approximate factorization Navier-Stokes algorithm to the unsteady impulsive start-up flow over a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 1200 is described. The complete form of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations is used, and the algorithm is second-order accurate in both space and time. The development with time of the shape and size of the separated vortical flow region is computed, as well as the time-variation of several boundary layer parameters and profile shapes. Computations, in general, show excellent agreement with experiment, although the present method predicts a more rapid onset of reversed flow on the cylinder than evidenced in experiment. The changes that the vortical region behind the cylinder undergoes as the symmetric flow transitions to periodic vortex shedding are discussed. The flow becomes periodic with a Strouhal frequency of 0.222, which compares well with the experimental value of approximately 0.21. The effect of grid density on the development of the unsteady flow is also shown.

Rumsey, C. L.↗

The CSM testbed software system: A development environment for structural analysis methods on the NAS CRAY-2

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) Activity at Langley Research Center is developing methods for structural analysis on modern computers. To facilitate that research effort, an applications development environment has been constructed to insulate the researcher from the many computer operating systems of a widely distributed computer network. The CSM Testbed development system was ported to the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulator (NAS) Cray-2, at the Ames Research Center, to provide a high end computational capability. This paper describes the implementation experiences, the resulting capability, and the future directions for the Testbed on supercomputers.

Gillian, Ronnie E.↗