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At least 1,387 records · Page 77
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Crosscutting Airborne Remote Sensing Technologies for Oil and Gas and Earth Science Applications

Airborne imaging spectroscopy has evolved dramatically since the 1980s as a robust remote sensing technique used to generate 2-dimensional maps of surface properties over large spatial areas. Traditional applications for passive airborne imaging spectroscopy include interrogation of surface composition, such as mapping of vegetation diversity and surface geological composition. Two recent applications are particularly relevant to the needs of both the oil and gas as well as government sectors: quantification of surficial hydrocarbon thickness in aquatic environments and mapping atmospheric greenhouse gas components. These techniques provide valuable capabilities for petroleum seepage in addition to detection and quantification of fugitive emissions. New empirical data that provides insight into the source strength of anthropogenic methane will be reviewed, with particular emphasis on the evolving constraints enabled by new methane remote sensing techniques. Contemporary studies attribute high-strength point sources as significantly contributing to the national methane inventory and underscore the need for high performance remote sensing technologies that provide quantitative leak detection. Imaging sensors that map spatial distributions of methane anomalies provide effective techniques to detect, localize, and quantify fugitive leaks. Airborne remote sensing instruments provide the unique combination of high spatial resolution (<1 m) and large coverage required to directly attribute methane emissions to individual emission sources. This capability cannot currently be achieved using spaceborne sensors. In this study, results from recent NASA remote sensing field experiments focused on point-source leak detection, will be highlighted. This includes existing quantitative capabilities for oil and methane using state-of-the-art airborne remote sensing instruments. While these capabilities are of interest to NASA for assessment of environmental impact and global climate change, industry similarly seeks to detect and localize leaks of both oil and methane across operating fields. In some cases, higher sensitivities desired for upstream and downstream applications can only be provided by new airborne remote sensing instruments tailored specifically for a given application. There exists a unique opportunity for alignment of efforts between commercial and government sectors to advance the next generation of instruments to provide more sensitive leak detection capabilities, including those for quantitative source strength determination.

hyperspectral↗
NASA NTRS1979

Directional spectra of ocean waves from microwave backscatter: A physical optics solution with application to the short-pulse and two-frequency measurement techniques

Two simple microwave radar techniques that are potentially capable of providing routine satellite measurements of the directional spectrum of ocean waves were developed. One technique, the short pulse technique, makes use of very short pulses to resolve ocean surface wave contrast features in the range direction; the other technique, the two frequency correlation technique makes use of coherency in the transmitted waveform to detect the large ocean wave contrast modulation as a beat or mixing frequency in the power backscattered at two closely separated microwave frequencies. A frequency domain analysis of the short pulse and two frequency systems shows that the two measurement systems are essentially duals; they each operate on the generalized (three frequency) fourth-order statistical moment of the surface transfer function in different, but symmetrical ways, and they both measure the same directional contrast modulation spectrum. A three dimensional physical optics solution for the fourth-order moment was obtained for backscatter in the near vertical, specular regime, assuming Gaussian surface statistics.

Jackson, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Isolation and Monitoring of Cleanroom-Associated Microbial Contaminates From Geological Collections

Microbial contamination is of particular interest to geological curation as many microorganisms can change mineral composition and produce compounds used as biosignatures used for the detection of life. Microbial cells can change the mineral composition of rocks through organic acid production and direct enzymatic oxidation/reduction of transition metals. Enzymatic oxidation of iron and manganese can occur at a rate several orders of magnitude faster than under abiotic conditions and produce highly reactive nanoparticle- sized oxides that can react and sorb other metals and organic compounds. Many fungi can also produce organic acids that dissolve and chelate mineral matrices chemically reducing and dissolving rock surfaces. Finally, several common soil-associated bacteria and fungi produce secondary metabolites that contain unusual amino acid analogs and non-ribosomal peptides containing both L- and D- chirality used in characterizing carbonaceous chondrites and the detection of extraterrestrial life.

Davis, Richard E.↗
NASA NTRS1952

Preliminary Investigation of Flow Fluctuations During Surge and Blade Row Stall in Axial-flow Compressors / c Merle C. Huppert

A preliminary investigation of the flow fluctuations of surge and blade row stall was conducted with three single-stage axial-flow compressors with hub-tip ratios of 0.9,0.8, and 0.5 and with a multistage axial-flow compressor. Flow fluctuations of large amplitude associated with stall were detected in all compressors investigated. The fluctuations were caused by low flow regions affecting 25 to 40 percent of the annulus area and propagating in the direction of compressor rotation, but at a lower speed. Mild audible surge was obtained with the single-stage compressors with hub-tip ratios of 0.9 and 0.8. No audible surge was detected with the 0.5 hub-tip ratio stage. A severe audible surge was obtained with the multistage axial-flow compressor. The surge point was coincident with the sharp drop in pressure ratio due to stall.

ENGINES, TURBO-JET↗
NASA NTRS2011

MESSENGER Searches for Less Abundant or Weakly Emitting Species in Mercury's Exosphere

Mercury's exosphere is composed of material that originates at the planet's surface, whether that material is native or delivered by the solar wind and micrometeoroids. Many exospheric species have been detected by remote sensing, including H and He by Mariner 10, Na, K, and Ca by ground-based observations, and H, Na, Ca, Mg, and Ca+ by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. Other exospheric species, including Fe, AI, Si, 0, S, Mn, CI, Ti, OH, and their ions, are expected to be present on the basis of MESSENGER surface measurements and models of Mercury's surface chemistry. Here we report on searches for these species made with the Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) channel of the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS). No obvious signatures of the listed species have yet been observed in Mercury's exosphere by the UVVS as of this writing. It is possible that detections are elusive because the optimum regions of the exosphere have not been sampled. The Sun-avoidance constraints on MESSENGER place tight limits on instrument boresight directions, and some regions are probed infrequently. If there are strong spatial gradients in the distribution of weakly emitting species, a high-resolution sampling of specific regions may be required to detect them. Summing spectra over time will also aid in the ability to detect weaker emission. Observations to date nonetheless permit strong upper limits to be placed on the abundances of many undetected species, in some cases as functions of time and space. As those limits are lowered with time, the absence of detections can provide insight into surface composition and the potential source mechanisms of exospheric material.

Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hidden Markov models for fault detection in dynamic systems

The invention is a system failure monitoring method and apparatus which learns the symptom-fault mapping directly from training data. The invention first estimates the state of the system at discrete intervals in time. A feature vector x of dimension k is estimated from sets of successive windows of sensor data. A pattern recognition component then models the instantaneous estimate of the posterior class probability given the features, p(w(sub i) perpendicular to x), 1 less than or equal to i is less than or equal to m. Finally, a hidden Markov model is used to take advantage of temporal context and estimate class probabilities conditioned on recent past history. In this hierarchical pattern of information flow, the time series data is transformed and mapped into a categorical representation (the fault classes) and integrated over time to enable robust decision-making.

Smyth, Padhraic J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Hidden Markov models for fault detection in dynamic systems

The invention is a system failure monitoring method and apparatus which learns the symptom-fault mapping directly from training data. The invention first estimates the state of the system at discrete intervals in time. A feature vector x of dimension k is estimated from sets of successive windows of sensor data. A pattern recognition component then models the instantaneous estimate of the posterior class probability given the features, p(w(sub i) (vertical bar)/x), 1 less than or equal to i isless than or equal to m. Finally, a hidden Markov model is used to take advantage of temporal context and estimate class probabilities conditioned on recent past history. In this hierarchical pattern of information flow, the time series data is transformed and mapped into a categorical representation (the fault classes) and integrated over time to enable robust decision-making.

Smyth, Padhraic J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The interplanetary modulation and transport of Jovian electrons

Based on simultaneous measurements by Pioneer 11 of the 3-6 MeV Jovian electron flux, interplanetary magnetic field magnitude, and solar wind speed, the interplanetary transport of energetic particles is studied. It is found that corotating interaction regions (CIR's) greatly inhibit electron transport across the average field direction. Cross-field transport is also influenced by the degree of compression of the solar wind since CIR's are areas of compressed solar wind plasma. The propagation of Jovian electrons is studied by a model that includes the effects of CIR's. The model tests whether or not the three-dimensional convection-diffusion theory adequately describes the cross-field transport of electrons. The model is also valid for Jovian electron observations from earth-orbiting satellites. The model may be further applied to 1 AU from the sun where it is found that the cross-field diffusion of electrons explains why Jovian electrons are detected at the earth even during periods when the interplanetary magnetic field does not connect the earth directly to Jupiter.

Conlon, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Observability of high altitude atmospheric scattering layers

The observability of high altitude aerosol and atmospheric scattering layers by a satellite-mounted optical detector was considered. In particular the detectability of a 50 km layer with a wide-angle receiver was investigated. It was found that a layer possessing an optical depth greater than approximately 0.0002 at 3000 A (i.e. strong enough to affect BUV measurements of ozone) should be detectable with such an instrument provided that the system can be constructed so as to be sensitive to a signal of only 0.0001 of the sunlight directly incident on the instrument. However it was concluded that a narrow field-of-view satellite-mounted telescope used to scan the earth's horizon has a more general applicability for the detection of high altitude aerosol layers.

Cunnold, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Open Circuit Resonant Sensors for Composite Damage Detection and Diagnosis

Under the Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) program work was begun to investigate the feasibility of sensor systems for detecting and diagnosing damage to aircraft composite structures and materials. Specific interest for this study was in damage initiated by environmental storm hazards and the direct effect of lightning strikes on the material structures of a composite aircraft in flight. A series of open circuit resonant sensors was designed, fabricated, characterized, and determined to be a potentially viable means for damage detection and diagnosis of composite materials. The results of this research and development effort are documented in this report.

Mielnik, John J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Comparative Soot Diagnostics: 1 Year Report

The motivation for the Comparative Soot Diagnostics (CSD) experiment lies in the broad practical importance of understanding combustion generated particulate. Depending upon the circumstances, particulate matter can affect the durability and performance of combustion equipment, can be a pollutant, can be used to detect fires and, in the form of soot, can be the dominant source of radiant energy from flames. Bright sooty fires are desirable for efficient energy extraction in furnaces and power equipment. In contrast, soot-enhanced radiation is undesirable in many propulsion systems (e.g. jet engines). The non-buoyant structure of most flames of practical interest (turbulent) makes understanding of soot processes in low gravity flames important to our ability to predict fire behavior on earth. These studies also have direct applications to fire safety in human-crew spacecraft, since smoke is the indicator used for automated detection in current spacecraft. In addition, recent tests conducted on MIR showed that a candle in a truly quiescent spacecraft environment can burn for tens of minutes. Consequently, this test and many earlier tests have demonstrated that fires in spacecraft can be considered a credible risk. In anticipation of this risk, NASA has included fire detectors on Skylab, smoke detectors on the Space Shuttle (STS), and smoke detectors in the design for the International Space Station (ISS). In the CSD experiment, these smoke detectors were tested using, quasi-steady, low-gravity, particulate generating materials. Samples of the particulate were also obtained from these low-gravity sources. This experiment provides the first such measurements aimed toward understanding of soot processes here on earth and for the testing and design of advanced spacecraft smoke detection systems. This paper describes the operation and preliminary results of the CSD experiment which was was conducted in the Middeck Glovebox Facility (MGBX) on USMP-3. The objectives of CSD are to examine the particulate emission from a variety of pyrolyzing and combusting sources and to quantify the performance of several particulate-sensing diagnostic techniques. This paper presents the results of the microgravity portion of the CSD experiment. The results include the temporal response of the detectors and average sizes of the primary and aggregate particles captured on the thermophoretic probes. Complete assessment of the microgravity data and its combination with the normal-gravity data are still in process.

Urban, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Directional solidification and annealing of Mn55Al45 alloys

The use of directional solidification to produce aligned or magnetic microstructures for the MnAl alloy and the effect of annealing on the bulk magnetic properties of the alloy are investigated. The phase composition, cylindrically shaped magnetization, and room-temperature magnetization of the samples are analyzed. The microstructure of a directionally solidified Al-Mn alloy is characterized by a two-phase structure consisting of randomly-oriented Al-rich fibers of about 40 at. pct Al dispersed in a textureless matrix of about 50 at. pct Al; the matrix phase contains at least 50 wt pct of the metastable and ferrimagnetic tau-phase, and the Al-rich fibers as a precipitated Cr5Al8-type Al-Mn phase. Significant macrosegregation for the thermally stable growth-up orientation is detected. The data reveal that the annealing enhances the cell-like microstructure observed transverse of the solidification direction and increases remanent magnetization and intrinsic coercivity.

Pirich, Ronald G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Ion acoustic waves in the solar wind

Plasma wave measurements on the Helios 1 and 2 spacecraft have revealed the occurrence of electric field turbulence in the solar wind at frequencies between the electron and ion plasma frequencies. Wavelength measurements with the Imp 6 spacecraft now provide strong evidence that these waves are shortwavelength ion acoustic waves which are Doppler-shifted upward in frequency by the motion of the solar wind. Comparison of the Helios results with measurements from the earth-orbiting Imp 6 and 8 spacecraft shows that the ion acoustic wave turbulence detected in interplanetary space has characteristics essentially identical to those of bursts of electrostatic turbulence generated by protons streaming into the solar wind from the earth's bow shock. In a few cases, enhanced ion acoustic wave intensities have been observed in direct association with abrupt increases in the anisotropy of the solar wind electron distribution. This relationship strongly suggests that the ion acoustic waves detected by Helios far from the earth are produced by an electron heat flux instability, as was suggested by Forslund. Possible related mechanisms which could explain the generation of ion acoustic waves by protons streaming into the solar wind from the earth's bow shock are also considered.

Gurnett, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Debris Impact Detection Instrument for Crewed Modules

When micrometeoroid or debris impacts occur on a space habitat, crew members need to be quickly informed of the likely extent of damage, and be directed to the impact location for possible repairs. This is especially important because the outer walls of pressurized volumes are often not easily accessible, blocked by racks or cabinets. The goal of the Habitat Particle Impact Monitoring System (HIMS) is to develop a fully automated, end-to-end particle impact detection system for crewed space exploration modules. The HIMS uses multiple passive, thin film piezo-polymer vibration sensors to detect impacts on a surface, and computer processing of the acoustical signals to characterize the impacts. Development and demonstration of the HIMS is proceeding in concert with NASA's Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Project. The HDU Project is designed to develop and test various technologies, configurations, and operational concepts for exploration habitats. This paper describes the HIMS development, initial testing, and HDU integration efforts. Initial tests of the system on the HDU were conducted at NASA s 2010 and 2011 Desert Research and Technologies Studies (Desert-RATS or D-RATS). The HDU lab module, as seen from above, has an open circular floorplan divided into eight wedge-shaped Segments. The side wall of the module -- the surface used for this technology demonstration -- is a hard fiberglass composite covered with a layer of sprayed-on foam insulation. Four sensor locations were assigned near the corners of a rectangular pattern on the wall of one segment of the HDU lab module. The flat, self-adhesive sensors were applied to the module during its initial outfitting. To study the influence of the wall s construction (thickness and materials), three sets of four sensors were installed at different layer depths: on the interior of the module s wall, on the exterior of the same wall, and on the exterior of the foam insulation. The signal produced when a vibration passes through a sensor is first sent through a pre-amplifier. The amplified signal then is sent to the data acquisition and data processing systems. The vibration data from the sensors are then processed and reduced to a form suitable for presentation to the crew.

Opiela, J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Classification image analysis: estimation and statistical inference for two-alternative forced-choice experiments

We consider estimation and statistical hypothesis testing on classification images obtained from the two-alternative forced-choice experimental paradigm. We begin with a probabilistic model of task performance for simple forced-choice detection and discrimination tasks. Particular attention is paid to general linear filter models because these models lead to a direct interpretation of the classification image as an estimate of the filter weights. We then describe an estimation procedure for obtaining classification images from observer data. A number of statistical tests are presented for testing various hypotheses from classification images based on some more compact set of features derived from them. As an example of how the methods we describe can be used, we present a case study investigating detection of a Gaussian bump profile.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1973

Development of an H2O atmosphere around Comet Kohoutek /1973f/ and its possible detection.

Although chemically stable 'parent molecules' for the observed radicals in comets, have been suspected for more than thirty years none of them has yet been observed spectroscopically. The newly discovered great comet Kohoutek may provide an excellent opportunity for directly observing a 'parent molecule' (namely, H2O) for the first time. The continuous development of a H2O atmosphere around the nucleus as the comet approaches the sun is discussed together with the detection of this atmosphere, using ground-based instruments and instruments carried in aircraft, balloons, and rockets.

Ip, W.-H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Micro-machined planar field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer as a gas chromatographic detector

A planar high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (PFAIMS) with a micro-machined drift tube was characterized as a detector for capillary gas chromatography. The performance of the PFAIMS was compared directly to that of a flame ionization detector (FID) for the separation of a ketone mixture from butanone to decanone. Effluent from the column was continuously sampled by the detector and mobility scans could be obtained throughout the chromatographic analysis providing chemical inforrmation in mobility scans orthogonal to retention time. Limits of detection were approximately I ng for measurement of positive ions and were comparable or slightly better than those for the FID. Direct comparison of calibration curves for the FAIMS and the FID was possible over four orders of magnitude with a semi-log plot. The concentration dependence of the PFAIMS mobility scans showed the dependence between ion intensity and ion clustering, evident in other mobility spectrometers and atmospheric pressure ionization technologies. Ions were identified using mass spectrometry as the protonated monomer and the proton bound dimer of the ketones. Residence time for column effluent in the PFAIMS was calculated as approximately 1 ms and a 36% increase in extra-column broadening versus the FID occurred with the PFAIMS.

NASA Discipline Life Sciences Technologies↗
NASA NTRS1978

Modeling of a latent fault detector in a digital system

Methods of modeling the detection time or latency period of a hardware fault in a digital system are proposed that explain how a computer detects faults in a computational mode. The objectives were to study how software reacts to a fault, to account for as many variables as possible affecting detection and to forecast a given program's detecting ability prior to computation. A series of experiments were conducted on a small emulated microprocessor with fault injection capability. Results indicate that the detecting capability of a program largely depends on the instruction subset used during computation and the frequency of its use and has little direct dependence on such variables as fault mode, number set, degree of branching and program length. A model is discussed which employs an analog with balls in an urn to explain the rate of which subsequent repetitions of an instruction or instruction set detect a given fault.

Nagel, P. M.↗