Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “fast algorithm”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,369 records · Page 76

A microcomputer based frequency-domain processor for laser Doppler anemometry

A prototype multi-channel laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) processor was assembled using a wideband transient recorder and a microcomputer with an array processor for fast Fourier transform (FFT) computations. The prototype instrument was used to acquire, process, and record signals from a three-component wind tunnel LDA system subject to various conditions of noise and flow turbulence. The recorded data was used to evaluate the effectiveness of burst acceptance criteria, processing algorithms, and selection of processing parameters such as record length. The recorded signals were also used to obtain comparative estimates of signal-to-noise ratio between time-domain and frequency-domain signal detection schemes. These comparisons show that the FFT processing scheme allows accurate processing of signals for which the signal-to-noise ratio is 10 to 15 dB less than is practical using counter processors.

Horne, W. Clifton↗

A microcomputer based frequency-domain processor for laser Doppler anemometry

A prototype multi-channel laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) processor was assembled using a wideband transient recorder and a microcomputer with an array processor for fast Fourier transform (FFT) computations. The prototype instrument was used to acquire, process, and record signals from a three-component wind tunnel LDA system subject to various conditions of noise and flow turbulence. The recorded data was used to evaluate the effectiveness of burst acceptance criteria, processing algorithms, and selection of processing parameters such as record length. The recorded signals were also used to obtain comparative estimates of signal-to-noise ratio between time-domain and frequency-domain signal detection schemes. These comparisons show that the FFT processing scheme allows accurate processing of signals for which the signal-to-noise ratio is 10 to 15 dB less than is practical using counter processors.

Horne, W. Clifton↗

Using single buffers and data reorganization to implement a multi-megasample fast Fourier transform

Data ordering in large fast Fourier transforms (FFT's) is both conceptually and implementationally difficult. Discribed here is a method of visualizing data orderings as vectors of address bits, which enables the engineer to use more efficient data orderings and reduce double-buffer memory designs. Also detailed are the difficulties and algorithmic solutions involved in FFT lengths up to 4 megasamples (Msamples) and sample rates up to 80 MHz.

Brown, R. D.↗

Recursive Use of the Short-Time Fast Fourier Transform for Signature Analysis in Continuous Processes

Although a nuclear reactor is a hostile environment for sensing and electrical communications, the reactor core is amenable to acoustic communication. An acoustic measurement infrastructure (AMI) has been installed in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to record acoustic signals that can capture its different operating regimes. AMI uses coolant pumps as continuous signal sources, coolant and structural components as transmission lines, and accelerometers to capture system motion. A recursive signal processing technique based on the short-time fast Fourier transform (STFFT) for continuous processes provides unique signatures for diagnostic and prognostic analyses from the system motion data. Here this article presents a recursive STFFT methodology that processes acoustic signals from continuous industrial processes. The article first discusses the initial STFFT use with simulated data to elucidate the basic principles necessary to understand and interpret the STFFT results from actual pump vibration data. Each repetitive use of the STFFT on pump vibration data using the results from the prior STFFT processing will generate additional complimentary time-frequency-based signatures. These signatures are generated by the coolant pumps operating under different process conditions. After each use of the STFFT, the resulting signatures provide exemplary examples of the diversity and intuitive nature of recursively using the STFFT. This article focuses on recursively using the STFFT to provide numerous complimentary and diverse signatures that will ultimately be inputs for machine learning algorithms that provide predictive data analytics. The intuitive nature of the information and signatures from recursive STFFT processing will also bring intuitive interpretation capabilities to machine learning and predictive data analytic techniques.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Real-time capable modeling of ICRF heating on NSTX and WEST via machine learning approaches

Abstract A real-time capable core Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) heating model on NSTX and WEST is developed. The model is based on two nonlinear regression algorithms, the random forest ensemble of decision trees and the multilayer perceptron neural network. The algorithms are trained on TORIC ICRF spectrum solver simulations of the expected flat-top operation scenarios in NSTX and WEST assuming Maxwellian plasmas. The surrogate models are shown to successfully capture the multi-species core ICRF power absorption predicted by the original model for the high harmonic fast wave and the ion cyclotron minority heating schemes while reducing the computational time by six orders of magnitude. Although these models can be expanded, the achieved regression scoring, computational efficiency and increased model robustness suggest these strategies can be implemented into integrated modeling frameworks for real-time control applications.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Fast Solution of Fully Implicit Runge--Kutta and Discontinuous Galerkin in Time for Numerical PDEs, Part II: Nonlinearities and DAEs

Fully implicit Runge--Kutta (IRK) methods have many desirable accuracy and stability properties as time integration schemes, but high-order IRK methods are not commonly used in practice with large-scale numerical PDEs because of the difficulty of solving the stage equations. This paper introduces a theoretical and algorithmic framework for solving the nonlinear equations that arise from IRK methods (and discontinuous Galerkin discretizations in time) applied to nonlinear numerical PDEs, including PDEs with algebraic constraints. Several new linearizations of the nonlinear IRK equations are developed, offering faster and more robust convergence than the often-considered simplified Newton, as well as an effective preconditioner for the true Jacobian if exact Newton iterations are desired. Inverting these linearizations requires solving a set of block 2 x 2 systems. Under quite general assumptions, it is proven that the preconditioned 2 x 2 operator's condition number is bounded by a small constant close to one, independent of the spatial discretization, spatial mesh, and time step, and with only weak dependence on the number of stages or integration accuracy. Moreover, the new method is built using the same preconditioners needed for backward Euler-type time stepping schemes, so can be readily added to existing codes. The new methods are applied to several challenging fluid flow problems, including the compressible Euler and Navier--Stokes equations, and the vorticity-streamfunction formulation of the incompressible Euler and Navier--Stokes equations. Up to 10th-order accuracy is demonstrated using Gauss IRK, while in all cases fourth-order Gauss IRK requires roughly half the number of preconditioner applications as required by standard Singly diagonally implicit Runge--Kutta methods.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Consideration of computer limitations in implementing on-line controls

A formal statement of the optimal control problem which includes the interval of dicretization as an optimization parameter, and extend this to include selection of a control algorithm as part of the optimization procedure, is formulated. The performance of the scalar linear system depends on the discretization interval. Discrete-time versions of the output feedback regulator and an optimal compensator, and the use of these results in presenting an example of a system for which fast partial-state-feedback control better minimizes a quadratic cost than either a full-state feedback control or a compensator, are developed.

Roberts, G. K.↗

Accelerating Demand Paging for Local and Remote Out-of-Core Visualization

This paper describes a new algorithm that improves the performance of application-controlled demand paging for the out-of-core visualization of data sets that are on either local disks or disks on remote servers. The performance improvements come from better overlapping the computation with the page reading process, and by performing multiple page reads in parallel. The new algorithm can be applied to many different visualization algorithms since application-controlled demand paging is not specific to any visualization algorithm. The paper includes measurements that show that the new multi-threaded paging algorithm decreases the time needed to compute visualizations by one third when using one processor and reading data from local disk. The time needed when using one processor and reading data from remote disk decreased by up to 60%. Visualization runs using data from remote disk ran about as fast as ones using data from local disk because the remote runs were able to make use of the remote server's high performance disk array.

Ellsworth, David↗

An O(Nm(sup 2)) Plane Solver for the Compressible Navier-Stokes Equations

A hierarchical multigrid algorithm for efficient steady solutions to the two-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations is developed and demonstrated. The algorithm applies multigrid in two ways: a Full Approximation Scheme (FAS) for a nonlinear residual equation and a Correction Scheme (CS) for a linearized defect correction implicit equation. Multigrid analyses which include the effect of boundary conditions in one direction are used to estimate the convergence rate of the algorithm for a model convection equation. Three alternating-line- implicit algorithms are compared in terms of efficiency. The analyses indicate that full multigrid efficiency is not attained in the general case; the number of cycles to attain convergence is dependent on the mesh density for high-frequency cross-stream variations. However, the dependence is reasonably small and fast convergence is eventually attained for any given frequency with either the FAS or the CS scheme alone. The paper summarizes numerical computations for which convergence has been attained to within truncation error in a few multigrid cycles for both inviscid and viscous ow simulations on highly stretched meshes.

Thomas, J. L.↗

A Novel 24 GHz One-Shot, Rapid and Portable Microwave Imaging System

Development of microwave and millimeter wave imaging systems has received significant attention in the past decade. Signals at these frequencies penetrate inside of dielectric materials and have relatively small wavelengths. Thus. imaging systems at these frequencies can produce images of the dielectric and geometrical distributions of objects. Although there are many different approaches for imaging at these frequencies. they each have their respective advantageous and limiting features (hardware. reconstruction algorithms). One method involves electronically scanning a given spatial domain while recording the coherent scattered field distribution from an object. Consequently. different reconstruction or imaging techniques may be used to produce an image (dielectric distribution and geometrical features) of the object. The ability to perform this accurate~v and fast can lead to the development of a rapid imaging system that can be used in the same manner as a video camera. This paper describes the design of such a system. operating at 2-1 GHz. using modulated scatterer technique applied to 30 resonant slots in a prescribed measurement domain.

Ghasr, M. T.↗

Development of Position-sensitive Transition-edge Sensor X-ray Detectors

We report on the development of position-sensitive transition-edge sensors (PoST's) for future x-ray astronomy missions such as the International X-ray Observatory (IXO), currently under study by NASA and ESA. PoST's consist of multiple absorbers each with a different thermal coupling to one or more transition-edge sensor (TES). This differential thermal coupling between absorbers and TES's results in different characteristic pulse shapes and allows position discrimination between the different pixels. The development of PoST's is motivated by a desire to achieve maximum focal-plane area with the least number of readout channels and as such. PoST's are ideally suited to provide a focal-plane extension to the Constellation-X microcalorimeter array. We report the first experimental results of our latest one and two channel PoST's, which utilize fast thermalizing electroplated Au/Bi absorbers coupled to low noise Mo/Au TES's - a technology already successfully implemented in our arrays of single pixel TES's. We demonstrate 6 eV energy resolution coupled with spatial sensitivity in the keV energy range. We also report on the development of signal processing algorithms to optimize energy and position sensitivity of our detectors.

Smith, S. J.↗

Implementation of a Mesh refinement algorithm into the quasi-static PIC code QuickPIC

Plasma-based acceleration (PBA) has emerged as a promising candidate for the accelerator technology used to build a future linear collider and/or an advanced light source. In PBA, a trailing or witness particle beam is accelerated in the plasma wave wakefield (WF) created by a laser or particle beam driver. The WF is often nonlinear and involves the crossing of plasma particle trajectories in real space and thus particle-in-cell methods are used. The distance over which the drive beam evolves is several orders of magnitude larger than the wake wavelength. This large disparity in length scales is amenable to the quasi-static approach. Three-dimensional (3D), quasi-static (QS), particle-in-cell (PIC) codes, e.g., QuickPIC, have been shown to provide high fidelity simulation capability with 2-4 orders of magnitude speedup over 3D fully explicit PIC codes. In PBA, the witness beam needs to be matched to the focusing forces of the WF to reduce the emittance growth. In some linear collider designs, the matched spot size of the witness beam can be 2 to 3 orders of magnitude smaller than the spot size (and wavelength) of the wakefield. Such an additional disparity in length scales is ideal for mesh refinement where the WF within the witness beam is described on a finer mesh than the rest of the WF. A mesh refinement scheme is described that has been implemented into the 3D QS PIC code, QuickPIC. Very fine (high) resolution is used in a small spatial region that includes the witness beam and progressively coarser resolutions in the rest of the simulation domain. A fast multigrid Poisson solver has been implemented for the field solve on the refined meshes and a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based Poisson solver is used for the coarse mesh. The code has been parallelized with both MPI and OpenMP, and the parallel scalability has also been improved by using pipelining. A preliminary adaptive mesh refinement technique is described to optimize the computational time for simulations with an evolving witness beam size. Several test problems are used to verify that the mesh refinement algorithm provides accurate results. Additionally, the results are benchmarked against highly resolved simulations exhibiting near-azimuthal symmetry, performed using QPAD—a novel hybrid QS PIC code that uses a PIC description in the coordinates (r, ct – z) and a gridless description in the azimuthal angle, Φ.

Linear collider↗

Detecting Short Circuits: Post Accident Electric Vehicle Battery Safety Check

Fast and accurate detection of soft short circuits (SCs) in the battery packs of damaged electric vehicles is needed by first responders and mechanics to mitigate the potential risk from battery fires that may occur hours, days, or weeks after an accident. Here, this paper presents an SC-detection algorithm for potentially damaged lithium-ion batteries that works quickly and without a priori knowledge of the battery-pack chemistry, capacity, state of charge, or state of health. The proposed universal SC-detection algorithm is designed to be implemented on an inexpensive handheld device that can connect to and monitor the voltages of all cells in a pack. Transient filtering and linear-quadratic state observation provide estimates of normalized SC current for every cell in the pack. Cells with SC-current estimates outside a sigma-based threshold are detected. Simulations, experiments, and electric vehicle (EV) crash data are used to verify the speed, sensitivity, and accuracy of the method, demonstrating 96% accurate detection of 0.0027 C SCs in under 1 h for 5S cell groups in the lab and no false positives for crashed Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Tesla vehicles without SCs.

25 - ENERGY STORAGE↗

Fast direct numerical solution of the nonhomogeneous Cauchy-Riemann equations

A fast direct (noniterative) 'Cauchy-Riemann Solver' is developed for solving the finite-difference equations representing systems of first-order elliptic partial differential equations in the form of the nonhomogeneous Cauchy-Riemann equations. The method is second-order accurate and requires approximately the same computer time as a fast cyclic-reduction Poisson solver. The accuracy and efficiency of the direct solver are demonstrated in an application to solving an example problem in aerodynamics: subsonic inviscid flow over a biconvex airfoil. The analytical small-perturbation solution contains singularities, which are captured well by the computational technique. The algorithm is expected to be useful in nonlinear subsonic and transonic aerodynamics.

Lomax, H.↗

Analytical theory for artificial satellites

A theory for generating segmented ephemerides is discussed as a means for fast generation and simple retrieval of nominal orbit data. Over a succession of finite intervals of time, the orbit is represented by a best approximation expressed by Chebyshev polynomials. Storage of coefficients tables for Chebyshev polynomials is seen as a method to reduce data and decrease transmission costs. A general algorithm was constructed and computer programs were designed. The possibility of storing an ephemeris for a few days in the on-board computer, or in microprocessors attached to the data collectors is suggested.

Deprit, A.↗

Extracting ocean surface information from altimeter returns - The deconvolution method

An evaluation of the deconvolution method for estimating ocean surface parameters from ocean altimeter waveforms is presented. It is shown that this method presents a fast, accurate way of determining the ocean surface parameters from noisy altimeter data. Three parameters may be estimated by using this method, including the altimeter-height error, the ocean-surface standard deviation, and the ocean-surface skewness. By means of a Monte Carlo experiment, an 'optimum' deconvolution algorithm and the accuracies with which the above parameters may be estimated using this algorithm are determined. Then the influence of instrument effects, such as errors in calibration and pointing-angle estimation, on the estimated parameters is examined. Finally, the deconvolution algorithm is used to estimate height and ocean-surface parameters from Seasat data.

Rodriguez, Ernesto↗

On-Board Generation of Three-Dimensional Constrained Entry Trajectories

A methodology for very fast design of 3DOF entry trajectories subject to all common inequality and equality constraints is developed. The approach make novel use of the well known quasi-equilibrium glide phenomenon in lifting entry as a center piece for conveniently enforcing the inequality constraints which are otherwise difficulty to handle. The algorithm is able to generate a complete feasible 3DOF entry trajectory, given the entry conditions, values of constraint parameters, and final conditions in about 2 seconds on a PC. Numerical simulations with the X-33 vehicle model for various entry missions to land at Kennedy Space Center will be presented.

Shen, Zuojun↗

Capacity and Throughput of Urban Air Mobility Vertiports with a First-Come, First-Served Vertiport Scheduling Algorithm

In this paper, a first-come, first-served vertiport scheduling algorithm for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) was exercised to assess and compare the capacity and throughput of various vertiport configurations. The scheduler models each vertiport by the number of vertipads and parking spaces, and manages reservations on timelines for those vertiport resources, at a level of fidelity suitable for fast-time and system-level analyses of UAM concepts and other airspace studies. The paper defines the theoretical model that can be used to estimate the capacity of various vertiport configurations. The theoretical model provides an understanding of the conditions that can lead to either a parking space-limited or a vertipad-limited vertiport. Examples of potential throughput for some vertiport configurations are provided using both a queueing approach as well as a simulated UAM demand scenario. The study demonstrated that a first-come, first-served scheduling approach can have inefficiencies in the use of the vertiport resources. The inefficiencies can increase as the number of resources increases. Nonetheless, 80% or better peak throughput to capacity ratio was observed for most vertiport configurations.

UAM↗