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At least 145 records · Page 8

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1983

Active control of a flexible beam

Because of inherent low damping and high flexibility, large space structures may require some form of active control of their dynamics. Because of the apparent inability to accurately model the dynamics of these structures, methods for parameter adaptive control are now being developed at Langley. This approach uses a digital computer to process discrete sensor data, identify modal parameters, calculate modal control gains, and then convert the modal forces to real forces. Some of the problems considered are: (1) the possibility that there may be modes to control with limited amounts of hardware, and (2) the required accuracy of identified structural parameters.

Williams, J. P.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Report for simultaneous, multiple independently steered beam study for Airborne Electronically Steerable Phased Array (AESPA) program

Design concepts of an array for the formation of multiple, simultaneous, independently pointed beams for satellite communication links were investigated through tradeoffs of various approaches which were conceived as possible solutions to the problem. After the preferred approach was selected, a more detailed design was configured and is presented as a candidate system that should be given further consideration for development leading to a preliminary design. This array uses an attenuator and a phase shifter with every element. The aperture excitation necessary to form the four beams is calculated and then placed across the array using these devices. Pattern analysis was performed for two beam and four beam cases with numerous patterns being presented. Parameter evaluation shown includes pointing accuracy and beam shape, sidelobe characteristics, gain control, and beam normalization. It was demonstrated that a 4 bit phase shifter and a 6 bit, 30 dB attenuator were sufficient to achieve adequate pattern performances. The phase amplitude steered multibeam array offers the flexibility of 1 to 4 beams with an increase in gain of 6 dB if only one beam is selected.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1990

Precise frequency calibration using television video carriers

The availability of inexpensive and quick precise frequency calibration methods is limited. VLF and GPS do offer precise calibration. However, antenna placement, cost of equipment, and calibration time place many restrictions on the user. The USNO maintained line-10 television Time of Coincidence (TOC) of station WTTG, channel 5, Washington, DC requires a frequency stable video carrier. This video carrier, 77.24 MHz is controlled by the same cesium beam standard controlling the TOC of line-10. Excellent frequency comparisons against this video carrier have been accomplished at 95 miles (153 km). With stable propagation and a three foot wire antenna, a part in 10(exp 9) can be determined in a few minutes. Inexpensive field equipment with a synthesized 1 kHz offset from the video carrier offers parts in 10(exp 11) calibrations in a few minutes using an oscilloscope as a phase comparator.

Burkhardt, Edward E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

LaRC controls activity for LSST

Math models were developed for various types of large flexible structures. These models were used to study the uncontrolled dynamic characteristics of the structures in orbit and to devise control concepts in order to control their orientation and geometrical shape. Reduced order decoupled control of the 100 meter long free free beam were studied. The inplane orientation and shape of the beam was controlled in a decoupled manner with as few actuators as possible. Using two controllers, near each end of the beam, to produce a 0.01 radian pitch change, perfect decoupled control was achieved for the rigid body pitch theta mode and the first flexible mode A sub 1.

Montgomery, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Orientation and shape-control of an orbiting flexible beam under the influence of solar radiation pressure

In this paper, the uncontrolled and controlled dynamics of a thin flexible beam in orbit and in the presence of solar radiation disturbance are analyzed. A beam nominally oriented along (i) the local horizontal and carrying a gimballed rigid dumbbell for gravity stabilization, and (ii) a beam nominally oriented along the local vertical are considered. The uncontrolled dynamics of the beam in the presence of the solar radiation pressure disturbance shows the excitation of the rigid pitch mode. The control laws previously designed for the case where the environmental effects were neglected, are found to be inadequate to control the shape and orientation of very flexible beams that are exposed to solar radiation disturbances. The control laws and the gain parameters are reevaluated for both cases of nominal beam orientations; this results, in general, in increased robustness of the closed-loop system. Methods of obtaining a robust control system in the presence of environmental perturbations are discussed.

Krishna, R.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Interferometer Control of Optical Tweezers

This paper discusses progress in using spatial light modulators and interferometry to control the beam profile of an optical tweezers. The approach being developed is to use a spatial light modulator (SLM) to control the phase profile of the tweezers beam and to use a combination of the SLM and interferometry to control the intensity profile. The objective is to perform fine and calculable control of the moments and forces on a tip or tool to be used to manipulate and interrogate nanostructures. The performance of the SLM in generating multiple and independently controllable tweezers beams is also reported. Concurrent supporting research projects are mentioned and include tweezers beam scattering and neural-net processing of the interference patterns for control of the tweezers beams.

Decker, Arthur J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Modal control of the planar motion of a long flexible beam in orbit

Attitude control techniques for the pointing and stabilization of very large, inherently flexible spacecraft systems are investigated. The attitude dynamics and control of a long, homogeneous flexible beam whose center of mass is assumed to follow a circular orbit is analyzed. In this study, first order effects of gravity-gradient are included, whereas external perturbations and related orbital station keeping maneuvers are neglected. A mathematical model which describes the system deflections within the orbital plane has been developed by treating the beam as having a maximum of three discretized mass particles connected by massless, elastic structural elements. The uncontrolled dynamics of this system are simulated and, in addition, the effects of the control devices are considered. The concept of distributed modal control, which provides a means for controlling a system mode independently of all other modes, is examined. The effect of varying the number of modes in the model as well as the number and location of the control devices are also considered.

Sellappan, R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Decoupling control of a long flexible beam in orbit

The paper presents a method of control for large flexible systems using state variable feedback, with a long flexible beam given as an example. These feedback gains are selected: (1) based on the decoupling of the original coordinates and to obtain proper damping and (2) by applying the linear regulator problem to the individual modal coordinates separately. It is shown that the linear control law thus obtained are then evaluated by numerical integration of the non-linear system equations. Also included are results showing the effects (control spillover) on the uncontrolled modes when the number of controllers is less than the number of modes, and the effects of inaccurate knowledge of the control influence coefficients which lead to errors in the calculated feedback gains.

Reddy, A. S. S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Active control of buckling of flexible beams

The feasibility of using the rapidly growing technology of the shape memory alloys actuators in actively controlling the buckling of large flexible structures is investigated. The need for such buckling control systems is becoming inevitable as the design trends of large space structures have resulted in the use of structural members that are long, slender, and very flexible. In addition, as these truss members are subjected mainly to longitudinal loading they become susceptible to structural instabilities due to buckling. Proper control of such instabilities is essential to the effective performance of the structures as stable platforms for communication and observation. Mathematical models are presented that simulate the dynamic characteristics of the shape memory actuator, the compressive structural members, and the associated active control system. A closed-loop computer-controlled system is designed, based on the developed mathematical models, and implemented to control the buckling of simple beams. The performance of the computer-controlled system is evaluated experimentally and compared with the theoretical predictions to validate the developed models. The obtained results emphasize the importance of buckling control and suggest the potential of the shape memory actuators as attractive means for controlling structural deformation in a simple and reliable way.

Baz, A.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Dynamics and Control of Articulated Anisotropic Timoshenko Beams

The paper illustrates the use of continuum models in control design for stabilizing flexible structures. A 6-DOF anisotropic Timoshenko beam with discrete nodes where lumped masses or actuators are located provides a sufficiently rich model to be of interest for mathematical theory as well as practical application. We develop concepts and tools to help answer engineering questions without having to resort to ad hoc heuristic ("physical") arguments or faith. In this sense the paper is more mathematically oriented than engineering papers and vice versa at the same time. For instance we make precise time-domain solutions using the theory of semigroups of operators rather than formal "inverse Laplace transforms." We show that the modes arise as eigenvalues of the generator of the semigroup, which are then related to the eigenvalues of the stiffness operator. With the feedback control, the modes are no longer orthogonal and the question naturally arises as to whether there is still a modal expansion. Here we prove that the eigenfunctions yield a biorthogonal Riesz basis and indicate the corresponding expansion. We prove mathematically that the number of eigenvalues is nonfinite, based on the theory of zeros of entire functions. We make precise the notion of asymptotic modes and indicate how to calculate them. Although limited by space, we do consider the root locus problem and show for instance that the damping at first increases as the control gain increases but starts to decrease at a critical value, and goes to zero as the gain increases without bound. The undamped oscillatory modes remain oscillatory and the rigid-body modes go over into deadbeat modes. The Timoshenko model dynamics are translated into a canonical wave equation in a Hilbert space. The solution is shown to require the use of an "energy" norm which is no more than the total energy: potential plus kinetic. We show that, under an appropriate extension of the notion of controllability, rate feedback with a collocated sensor can stabilize the structure in the sense that all modes are damped and the energy decays to zero. An example, non-numeric, is worked out in some detail illustrating the concepts and theory developed.

Balakrishnan, A. V.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sub-THz passive detector performance evaluation with RadiaBeam photoinjector

Wakefield accelerators, based on THz and mm-wave structures, promise to reach the highest energies in record small footprints. However, operation at such frequencies is associated with strong generation of dipole modes that can destroy the beams, which requires controlling the electron beam position at the micron scale. The existing conventional techniques for electron beam position monitoring are not applicable for sub-THz structures due to the space constraints. Here, on the other hand, if dipole modes amplitudes can be measured precisely at different planes, one can derive beam position relative to the central axis. For such a technique a reliable and cost-effective sensor capable of operating in high repletion rate regime is required. In this paper we review the experimental evaluation of a passive sensor candidate for such applications using RadiaBeam 4.5 MeV photoinjector.

Accelerator↗

NASA NTRS2016

Amorphous Carbon-Boron Nitride Nanotube Hybrids

A method for joining or repairing boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). In joining BNNTs, the nanotube structure is modified with amorphous carbon deposited by controlled electron beam irradiation to form well bonded hybrid a-C/BNNT structures. In repairing BNNTs, the damaged site of the nanotube structure is modified with amorphous carbon deposited by controlled electron beam irradiation to form well bonded hybrid a-C/BNNT structures at the damage site.

Kim, Jae Woo↗

NASA NTRS1993

Adaptive array antenna for satellite cellular and direct broadcast communications

Adaptive phased-array antennas provide cost-effective implementation of large, light weight apertures with high directivity and precise beamshape control. Adaptive self-calibration allows for relaxation of all mechanical tolerances across the aperture and electrical component tolerances, providing high performance with a low-cost, lightweight array, even in the presence of large physical distortions. Beam-shape is programmable and adaptable to changes in technical and operational requirements. Adaptive digital beam-forming eliminates uplink contention by allowing a single electronically steerable antenna to service a large number of receivers with beams which adaptively focus on one source while eliminating interference from others. A large, adaptively calibrated and fully programmable aperture can also provide precise beam shape control for power-efficient direct broadcast from space. Advanced adaptive digital beamforming technologies are described for: (1) electronic compensation of aperture distortion, (2) multiple receiver adaptive space-time processing, and (3) downlink beam-shape control. Cost considerations for space-based array applications are also discussed.

Horton, Charles R.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Digital Beamforming Scatterometer

This paper discusses scatterometer measurements collected with multi-mode Digital Beamforming Synthetic Aperture Radar (DBSAR) during the SMAP-VEX 2008 campaign. The 2008 SMAP Validation Experiment was conducted to address a number of specific questions related to the soil moisture retrieval algorithms. SMAP-VEX 2008 consisted on a series of aircraft-based.flights conducted on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware in the fall of 2008. Several other instruments participated in the campaign including the Passive Active L-Band System (PALS), the Marshall Airborne Polarimetric Imaging Radiometer (MAPIR), and the Global Positioning System Reflectometer (GPSR). This campaign was the first SMAP Validation Experiment. DBSAR is a multimode radar system developed at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center that combines state-of-the-art radar technologies, on-board processing, and advances in signal processing techniques in order to enable new remote sensing capabilities applicable to Earth science and planetary applications [l]. The instrument can be configured to operate in scatterometer, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), or altimeter mode. The system builds upon the L-band Imaging Scatterometer (LIS) developed as part of the RadSTAR program. The radar is a phased array system designed to fly on the NASA P3 aircraft. The instrument consists of a programmable waveform generator, eight transmit/receive (T/R) channels, a microstrip antenna, and a reconfigurable data acquisition and processor system. Each transmit channel incorporates a digital attenuator, and digital phase shifter that enables amplitude and phase modulation on transmit. The attenuators, phase shifters, and calibration switches are digitally controlled by the radar control card (RCC) on a pulse by pulse basis. The antenna is a corporate fed microstrip patch-array centered at 1.26 GHz with a 20 MHz bandwidth. Although only one feed is used with the present configuration, a provision was made for separate corporate feeds for vertical and horizontal polarization. System upgrades to dual polarization are currently under way. The DBSAR processor is a reconfigurable data acquisition and processor system capable of real-time, high-speed data processing. DBSAR uses an FPGA-based architecture to implement digitally down-conversion, in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) demodulation, and subsequent radar specific algorithms. The core of the processor board consists of an analog-to-digital (AID) section, three Altera Stratix field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), an ARM microcontroller, several memory devices, and an Ethernet interface. The processor also interfaces with a navigation board consisting of a GPS and a MEMS gyro. The processor has been configured to operate in scatterometer, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and altimeter modes. All the modes are based on digital beamforming which is a digital process that generates the far-field beam patterns at various scan angles from voltages sampled in the antenna array. This technique allows steering the received beam and controlling its beam-width and side-lobe. Several beamforming techniques can be implemented each characterized by unique strengths and weaknesses, and each applicable to different measurement scenarios. In Scatterometer mode, the radar is capable to.generate a wide beam or scan a narrow beam on transmit, and to steer the received beam on processing while controlling its beamwidth and side-lobe level. Table I lists some important radar characteristics

Rincon, Rafael F.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Active control of buckling of flexible beams

Mathematical models are presented that simulate the dynamic characteristics of shape memory alloy actuators made of nickel-titanium alloy (Nitinol) controlling the buckling of compressive structural members. A closed-loop computer-controlled system has been designed, based on the proposed mathematical models, and has been implemented to control the buckling of simple beams. The performance of the computer-controlled system is evaluated experimentally and compared with the theoretical predictions to validate the developed models. The results emphasized the importance of buckling control and suggest the potential of shape memory alloy actuators as attractive means for controlling structural deformation in a simple and reliable way.

Baz, A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Decoupling and observation theory applied to control of a long flexible beam in orbit

Techniques which use decoupling theory and state variable feedback to control the pitch attitude and the flexible mode amplitudes of a long, thin beam are discussed. An observer based on the steady state Kalman filter was incorporated into the control design procedure in order to estimate the values of the modal state variables required for the feedback control law.

Hamer, H. A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Electron Beam Exposure of Thermal Control Paints on Carbon-Carbon and Carbon-Polyimide Composites

Carbon-carbon and carbon-polyimide composites are being considered for use as radiator face sheets or fins for space radiator applications. Several traditional white thermal control paints are being considered for the surface of the composite face sheets or fins. One threat to radiator performance is high energy electrons. The durability of the thermal control paints applied to the carbon-carbon and carbon-polyimide composites was evaluated after extended exposure to 4.5 MeV electrons. Electron exposure was conducted under argon utilizing a Mylar(TradeMark) bag enclosure. Solar absorptance and infrared emittance was evaluated before and after exposure to identify optical properties degradation. Adhesion of the paints to the carbon-carbon and carbon-polyimide composite substrates was also of interest. Adhesion was evaluated on pristine and electron beam exposed coupons using a variation of the ASTM D-3359 tape test. Results of the optical properties evaluation and the adhesion tape tests are summarized.

Jaworske, Donald A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Dynamics and control of orbiting flexible beams and platforms under the influence of solar radiation and thermal effects

Expressions for thermal deflections of uniform thin beams and plates exposed to solar heating are obtained as a function of the properties of the material and the solar incidence angle. The major effect of the solar radiation pressure interacting with the thermally deformed structure is found to give rise to disturbance moments on the structure. The thermal deformations of the structures are assumed to be within 0.1 percent of the characteristic length of the structure. With the assumed thermal deformations, the resulting uncontrolled transient responses of these geosynchronous orbiting structures to the solar radiation pressure induced disturbances are simulated. The resulting rigid modal oscillations are found to be an order of magnitude larger than for those cases previously considered in which only the solar radiation pressure effect on vibrating structures was treated. Modifications of control laws and/or the feedback gain values are considered in order to improve the transient response characteristics under the thermally induced disturbances.

Krishna, R.↗