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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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At least 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

A map of the cosmic background radiation at 3 millimeters

Data from a series of balloon flights covering both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, measuring the large angular scale anisotropy in the cosmic background radiation at 3.3 mm wavelength are presented. The data cover 85 percent of the sky to a limiting sensitivity of 0.7 mK per 7 deg field of view. The data show a 50-sigma (statistical error only) dipole anisotropy with an amplitude of 3.44 + or - 0.17 mK and a direction of alpha = 11.2 h + or - 0.1 h, and delta = -6.0 deg + or - 1.5 deg. A 90 percent confidence level upper limit of 0.00007 is obtained for the rms quadrupole amplitude. Flights separated by 6 months show the motion of earth around the sun. Galactic contamination is very small, with less than 0.1 mK contribution to the dipole quadrupole terms. A map of the sky has been generated from the data.

Lubin, P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multiple scattering depolarization in marine stratus clouds: Lidar experiments

The depolarization of ruby lidar backscattering caused by multiple scattering in marine stratus clouds was examined systematically from a field site on the southern California coast. Investigated were the effects on the linear depolarization (delta) of lidar receiver field of view (FOV), elevation angle and laser beam pointing errors. An approximately linear increase in maximum delta values was observed with increasing receiver FOV, and the importance of accurate transmitter/receiver beam alignment was demonstrated during experiments in which the laser axis was deliberately misaligned. An elevation angle dependence to the delta values was observed as a consequence of the natural vertical inhomogeneity of water cloud content above the cloud base. Time histories of the depolarization characteristics of dissipating stratus clouds revealed significant spatial and temporal variability in delta values attributed to cloud composition variations. Employing a 1 mrad transmitter FOV, maximum delta values of 0.21 nd 0.33 were observed with 1 and 3 mrad receiver FOVs, respectively, from the low stratus clouds. The fundamental causes and effects on the lidar equation of multiple scattering are also discussed.

Sassen, K.↗
NASA NTRS1989

On estimating total daily evapotranspiration from remote surface temperature measurements

A method for calculating daily evapotranspiration from the daily surface energy budget using remotely sensed surface temperature and several meteorological variables is presented. Vaules of the coefficients are determined from simulations with a one-dimensional boundary layer model with vegetation cover. Model constants are obtained for vegetation and bare soil at two air temperature and wind speed levels over a range of surface roughness and wind speeds. A different means of estimating the daily evapotranspiration based on the time rate of increase of surface temperature during the morning is also considered. Both the equations using our model-derived constants and field measurements are evaluated, and a discussion of sources of error in the use of the formulation is given.

Carlson, Toby N.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Flux-corrected transport techniques for multidimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamics

A prescription is given for conservatively integrating generalized hydromagnetic equations using flux-corrected transport (FCT) techniques. By placing the magnetic-field components at the interface locations of the finite-difference grid, the field is kept divergence-free to within machine roundoff error. The use of FCT techniques allows an integration scheme of high accuracy to be employed, while the numerical ripples associated with large dispersion errors are avoided. The method is particularly well suited for problems involving magnetohydrodynamic shocks and other discontinuities.

Devore, C. Richard↗
NASA NTRS1990

Influence of temperature gradients on the measurement accuracy of IR imaging systems

Implementing a new experimental aerodynamic technique, a long electrically heated wire was placed across flows with general velocity distributions (wakes, jets). By measuring the temperature distribution along the wire with an IR camera, the flow behavior was identified. Furthermore, it is suggested that by using Nusselt number correlations, the velocity distributions can be deduced. Comparing the results with predictions based on heat transfer correlations, it was found that the IR camera cannot accurately track high gradient temperature fields. A correction procedure is outlined to account for the errors found in the measured results.

Gartenberg, Ehud↗
NASA NTRS1992

Airborne gamma radiation measurements of soil moisture during FIFE: Activities and results

Soil moisture measurements were obtained during the summer of 1987 and 1989 near Manhattan, Kansas, using the National Weather Service (NWS) airborne gamma radiation system. A network of 24 flight lines were established over the research area. Airborne surveys were flown daily during two intensive field campaigns. The data collected was sufficient to modify the NWS standard operational method for estimating soil moisture for the Field Experiment (FIFE) flight lines. The average root mean square error of the soil moisture estimates for shorter FIFE flight lines was found to be 2.5 percent, compared with a reported value of 3.9 percent for NWS flight lines. Techniques were developed to compute soil moisture estimates for portions of the flight lines. Results of comparisons of the airborne gamma radiation soil moisture estimates with those obtained using the NASA Pushbroom Microwave Radiation (PBMR) system and hydrological model are presented. The airborne soil moisture measurements, and real averages computed using all remotely sensed and ground data, have been in support of the research of the many FIFE investigators whose overall goal was the upscale integration of models and the application of satellite remote sensing.

Peck, Eugene L.↗
NASA NTRS2002

High-Resolution Gravity and Time-Varying Gravity Field Recovery using GRACE and CHAMP

This progress report summarizes the research work conducted under NASA's Solid Earth and Natural Hazards Program 1998 (SENH98) entitled High Resolution Gravity and Time Varying Gravity Field Recovery Using GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and CHAMP (Challenging Mini-satellite Package for Geophysical Research and Applications), which included a no-cost extension time period. The investigation has conducted pilot studies to use the simulated GRACE and CHAMP data and other in situ and space geodetic observable, satellite altimeter data, and ocean mass variation data to study the dynamic processes of the Earth which affect climate change. Results from this investigation include: (1) a new method to use the energy approach for expressing gravity mission data as in situ measurements with the possibility to enhance the spatial resolution of the gravity signal; (2) the method was tested using CHAMP and validated with the development of a mean gravity field model using CHAMP data, (3) elaborate simulation to quantify errors of tides and atmosphere and to recover hydrological and oceanic signals using GRACE, results show that there are significant aliasing effect and errors being amplified in the GRACE resonant geopotential and it is not trivial to remove these errors, and (4) quantification of oceanic and ice sheet mass changes in a geophysical constraint study to assess their contributions to global sea level change, while the results improved significant over the use of previous studies using only the SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging)-determined zonal gravity change data, the constraint could be further improved with additional information on mantle rheology, PGR (Post-Glacial Rebound) and ice loading history. A list of relevant presentations and publications is attached, along with a summary of the SENH investigation generated in 2000.

Shum, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS2006

An Interleaver Implementation for the Serially Concatenated Pulse-Position Modulation Decoder

We describe novel interleaver and deinterleaver architectures that support bandwidth efficient memory access for decoders of turbo-like codes that are used in conjunction with high order modulations. The presentation focuses on a decoder for serially concatenated pulse-position modulation (SCPPM), which is a forward-error-correction code designed by NASA to support laser communications from Mars at more than 50 megabits-per-second (Mbps). For 64-ary PPM, the new architectures effectively triple the fan-in of the interleaver and fan-out of the deinterleaver, enabling parallelization that doubles the overall throughput. The techniques described here can be readily modified for other PPM orders.

turbo decoding↗
NASA NTRS2012

Feasibility Study of Two Candidate Reaction Wheel/thruster Hybrid Control Architecture Designs for the Cassini Spacecraft

As the first spacecraft to achieve orbit at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has collected science data throughout its four-year prime mission (2004-08), and has since been approved for a first and second extended mission through 2017. Cassini carries a set of three "fixed" reaction wheels and a backup reaction wheel (reaction wheel #4) is mounted on top of an articulable platform. If necessary, this platform could be articulated to orient the backup reaction wheel with the degraded wheel. The reaction wheels are used primarily for attitude control when precise and stable pointing of a science instrument such as the narrow angle camera is required. In 2001-02, reaction wheel #3 exhibited signs of bearing cage instability. As a result, reaction wheel #4 was articulated to align with reaction wheel #3. Beginning in July 2003, Cassini was controlled using wheel #1, #2, and #4. From their first use in the spring of 2000 until today, reaction wheels #1 and #2 have accumulated more than3.5 billions revolutions each. As such, in spite of very carefully management of the wheel spin rates by the mission operation team, there are some observed increases in the drag torque of the wheels' bearings. Hence, the mission operations team must prepare for the contingency scenario in which the reaction wheel #1 (in addition to wheel #3) had degraded. In this hypothetical fault scenario, the two remaining reaction wheels (#2 and #4) will not be able to provide precise and stable three-axis control of the spacecraft. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of controlling Cassini using the two remaining reaction wheels and four thrusters to meet the science pointing requirements for two key science operational modes: the Optical Remote Sensing and Downlink, Fields, Particles, & Waves operation modes. The performance (e.g., pointing control error, pointing stability, hydrazine consumption rate, etc.) of the hybrid controllers in both operations scenarios will be compared with those achieved using an all-thruster controller design. Strength and weaknesses of the hybrid control architecture are assessed quantitatively.

Cassini↗
NASA NTRS2011

An Analysis of Near Fields of 34m Antennas of JPL/NASA Deep Space Network

This paper addresses the issue of calculating near fields of the 34m Beam Waveguide (BWG) antennas of the NASA/JPL Deep Space Network (DSN). Calculating the near fields of DSN antennas are of interest in receive mode where the transmitting signals from nearby flying objects such as helicopters and airplanes could interfere with the operation of sensitive RF receiving system of DSN antennas, and in the transmit mode where fields from high-powered DSN antennas interfere with receivers on nearby flying objects, as well as safety considerations for the operators and visitors to the grounds surrounding the antenna sites. A complete and detailed analysis has been performed using PO/PTD techniques, including surface errors and support struts effects. Some results are presented, including comparisons with preliminary field tests.

near fields↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Automatic Processing Framework for In Situ Determination of Ecohydrological Root Water Content by Ground-Penetrating Radar

This report concerns Root water content (RWC) as a vital component in water flux in soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Knowledge of RWC helps to better understand the root function and the soil-root interaction and improves water cycle modeling. However, due to the lack of appropriate methods, field monitoring of RWC is seriously constrained. In this study, we used ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a common geophysical technique, to characterize RWC of coarse roots noninvasively. An automatic GPR data processing framework was proposed to (1) identify hyperbolic root reflections and locate roots in GPR images and (2) extract waveform parameters from the reflected wave of identified roots. These waveform parameters were then used to establish an empirical model and a semiempirical model to determine RWC. We validated the developed models using GPR root data at three antenna center frequencies (500 MHz, 900 MHz, and 2 GHz) that were produced from simulation experiments (with RWC ranging from 70% to 150%) and field experiments in sandy soils (with RWC ranging from 66% to 144%). Our results show that both the empirical and the semiempirical models achieved a good performance in estimating RWC with similar accuracy, i.e., the prediction error [root-mean-square error (RMSE)] was less than 8% for the simulation data and 12% for the field data. For both models, the accuracy of RWC estimation was the highest when applied to 2-GHz data. This study renders a new opportunity to determine RWC under field conditions that enhances the application of GPR for root study and the understanding and modeling of ecohydrology in the rhizosphere.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2002

Acoustic Quality of the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel Test Section After Installation of a Deep Acoustic Lining

A recessed, 42-inch deep acoustic lining has been designed and installed in the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel (40x80) test section to greatly improve the acoustic quality of the facility. This report describes the test section acoustic performance as determined by a detailed static calibration-all data were acquired without wind. Global measurements of sound decay from steady noise sources showed that the facility is suitable for acoustic studies of jet noise or similar randomly generated sound. The wall sound absorption, size of the facility, and averaging effects of wide band random noise all tend to minimize interference effects from wall reflections. The decay of white noise with distance was close to free field above 250 Hz. However, tonal sound data from propellers and fans, for example, will have an error band to be described that is caused by the sensitivity of tones to even weak interference. That error band could be minimized by use of directional instruments such as phased microphone arrays. Above 10 kHz, air absorption began to dominate the sound field in the large test section, reflections became weaker, and the test section tended toward an anechoic environment as frequency increased.

Soderman, Paul T.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modification of the Local Cubic Law of fracture flow for weak inertia, tortuosity, and roughness

The classical Local Cubic Law (LCL) generally overestimates flow through real fractures. We thus developed and tested a modified LCL (MLCL) which takes into account local tortuosity and roughness, and works across a low range of local Reynolds Numbers. The MLCL is based on (1) modifying the aperture field by orienting it with the flow direction and (2) correcting for local roughness changes associated with local flow expansion/contraction. In order to test the MLCL, we compared it with direct numerical simulations with the Navier-Stokes equations using real and synthetic three-dimensional rough-walled fractures, previous corrected forms of the LCL, and experimental flow tests. The MLCL performed well and the effective errors (δ) in volumetric flow rate range from -6.7% to 13.4% with an arithmetic mean of |δ| (<|δ|>) equal to 3.7%. The MLCL is more accurate than previous modifications of the LCL. We also investigated the error associated with applying the Cubic Law (CL) while utilizing modified aperture field. The δ from the CL ranges from -14.2% to 11.2%, with a slightly higher <|δ|> = 6.1% than the MLCL. The CL with the modified aperture field considering local tortuosity and roughness may also be sufficient for predicting the hydraulic properties of rough fractures.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2014

Trajectory Prediction Accuracy and Error Sources for Regional Jet Descents: Results of a 2010 Flight Trial at Denver International Airport using a Global 5000 Test Aircraft - Part I

The Efficient Descent Advisor (EDA) controller automation tool generates trajectory-based speed, path, and altitude-profile advisories to facilitate efficient, continuous descents into congested terminal airspace. While prior field trials have assessed the trajectory-prediction accuracy for large jet (i.e., Boeing and Airbus) types, smaller (i.e., regional and business) jet types present unique challenges involving different descent procedures and Flight Management System (FMS) capabilities. A small-jet field trial was conducted at Denver in the fall of 2010 with the objective of measuring trajectory prediction accuracy and quantifying the primary sources of error. This paper uses data collected onboard a Bombardier Global 5000 test aircraft to quantify the size and sources of trajectory prediction error. Error sources were quantified for the 44 runs by incrementally replacing predicted data with data collected onboard the aircraft and measuring the effect on time error. Results for en-route descents, from prior to top of descent to the meter fix 60-120 nmi downstream, indicate that the aircraft arrived an average 15 seconds earlier than predicted, with a standard deviation of 10 seconds. Target Mach and CAS deceleration were found to be the two largest error sources. If CAS deceleration error was reduced using a typical, more predictable level flight deceleration then the arrival time prediction error in 2010 would be on par with a 2009 flight trial of Airbus and Boeing revenue flights. Four of the error sources, tracker jumps, CAS deceleration, target Mach, and path distance, lend themselves to significant reductions with modest to no changes to ATC automation andor procedures. Wind error and its impact on arrival time error was significantly reduced in 2010 compared to a 1994 flight test using NASAs Boeing 737 test aircraft.

Trajectory Prediction Error↗
NASA NTRS2003

Estimation of Model Error Variances During Data Assimilation

Data assimilation is all about understanding the error characteristics of the data and models that are used in the assimilation process. Reliable error estimates are needed to implement observational quality control, bias correction of observations and model fields, and intelligent data selection. Meaningful covariance specifications are obviously required for the analysis as well, since the impact of any single observation strongly depends on the assumed structure of the background errors. Operational atmospheric data assimilation systems still rely primarily on climatological background error covariances. To obtain error estimates that reflect both the character of the flow and the current state of the observing system, it is necessary to solve three problems: (1) how to account for the short-term evolution of errors in the initial conditions; (2) how to estimate the additional component of error caused by model defects; and (3) how to compute the error reduction in the analysis due to observational information. Various approaches are now available that provide approximate solutions to the first and third of these problems. However, the useful accuracy of these solutions very much depends on the size and character of the model errors and the ability to account for them. Model errors represent the real-world forcing of the error evolution in a data assimilation system. Clearly, meaningful model error estimates and/or statistics must be based on information external to the model itself. The most obvious information source is observational, and since the volume of available geophysical data is growing rapidly, there is some hope that a purely statistical approach to model error estimation can be viable. This requires that the observation errors themselves are well understood and quantifiable. We will discuss some of these challenges and present a new sequential scheme for estimating model error variances from observations in the context of an atmospheric data assimilation system.

Dee, Dick↗
NASA NTRS2011

NEAT: A Microarcsec Astrometric Telescope

NEAT, Nearby Exo-Earth Astrometric Telescope is a medium-small telescope (is) approximately 1m in diameter that is designed to make ultra precise (is) less than 1 uas (microarcsec) astrometric measurements of nearby stars in a (is) approximately 1hr observation. Four major error sources prevent normal space telescopes from obtaining accuracies close to 1 uas. Even with a small 1m telescope, photon noise is usually not a problem for the bright nearby target stars. But in general, the reference stars are much fainter. Typically a field of view of (is) approximately 0.5 deg dia is needed to obtain enough bright reference stars. The NEAT concept uses a very simple but unusual design to avoid optically induced astrometric errors. The third source of error is the accuracy and stability of the focal plane. A 1uas error over a (is) approximately 2000 arcsec field of view implies the focal plane is accurate or at least stable to 5 parts in 10(exp 10) over the lifetime of the mission ( (is) approximately 5yrs). The 4th class of error has to do with our knowledge of the PSF and how that PSF is sampled by an imperfect detector. A Nyquist sampled focal plane would have (is) greater than 2 pixels per lambda/D, and centroiding to 1uas means centroiding to 10-5 pixels. This paper describes the mission concept, and an overview of the technology needed to perform 1uas astrometry with a small telescope, and how we overcome problems 1 and 2. A companion paper will describe the technical progress we've made in solving problems 3 and 4.

Earth like planets↗
NASA NTRS2004

Results of the Magnetometer Navigation (MAGNAV) Inflight Experiment

The Magnetometer Navigation (MAGNAV) algorithm is currently running as a flight experiment as part of the Wide Field Infrarad Explorer Post-Science Engineer- ing Testbed. Initialization of MAGNAV occured on September 4, 2004. MAGNAV is designed to autonomously estimate the spacecraft orbit, attitude, and rate using magnetometer and sun sensor data. Since the earth s magnetic field is a function of time and position, and since time is known quite precisely, the differences between the computed magnetic field and measured magnetic field components, as measured by the magnetometer throughout the entire spacecraft orbit, are a function of the spacecraft trajectory and attitude errors. Therefore, these errors are used to estimate both trajec- tory and attitude. In addition, the time rate of change of the magnetic field vector is used to estimate the spacecraft rotation rate. The estimation of the attitude and tra- jectory is augmented with the rate estimation into an Extended Kalman filter blended with a pseudc-linear Kalman filter. Sun sensor data is also used to improve the accu- racy and observability of the attitude and rate estimates. This test serves to validate MAGNAV as a single low cost navigation system which utilizes reliable, flight qualified sensors. MAGNAV is intended as a backup algorithm, an initialization algorithm, or possibly a prime navigation algorithm for a mission with coarse constraints.

Thienel, Julie↗
DOE OSTI2018

Solving many-body Schrödinger equations with kinetic energy partition method

We present a general formulation of our previously developed kinetic energy partition (KEP) method for solving many-bodySchrödinger equations. In atomic physics, as well as in general molecular and solid state physics, solving many-electronSchrödinger equations is a very challenging task, often called Dirac’s challenge. The central problem is how to properly handle the electron–electron Coulomb repulsion interactions. Using the KEP solution scheme, in addition to dividing the kinetic energy into partial terms, the electron–electron Coulomb interaction is also separated into parts to be associated with a “negative mass” kinetic energy term. Therefore, the full Hamiltonian can be expressed as a simple sum of subsystem Hamiltonians, each representing an effective one-body problem. Using a Hartree-like product in constructing the wave-function, we achieve fast convergence in the calculations of the ground state energies. First, the model Moshinsky atoms are used to illustrate the solution procedure. We then apply this new KEP method to harmonium atoms and obtain precise energies with an error less than 5% using only two basis functions from each subsystem. It is thus very promising that this methodology, when further extended, can be useful for general many-body systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗