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At least 145 records · Page 8

The effect of wall compliance on the Goertler vortex instability

The stability of the flow of a viscous incompressible fluid over a curved compliant wall to longitudinal Goertler vortices is investigated. The compliant wall is modeled by a particularly simple equation relating the induced wall displacement to the pressure in the overlying fluid. Attention is restricted to the large Goertler number regime; this regime being appropriate to the most unstable Goertler mode. The effect of wall compliance on this most unstable mode is investigated.

Denier, J. P.↗

Closed form expressions for crack mouth displacements and stress intensity factors for chevron notched short bar and short rod specimens based on experimental compliance measurements

A set of equations are presented describing certain fracture mechanics parameters for chevron notch bar and rod specimens. They are developed by fitting compliance calibration data reported earlier. The equations present the various parameters in their most useful forms. The data encompass the entire range of the specimen geometries most commonly used. Their use will facilitate the testing and analysis of brittle metals, ceramics, and glasses.

Bubsey, R. T.↗

Compliance control with embedded neural elements

The authors discuss a control approach that embeds the neural elements within a model-based compliant control architecture for robotic tasks that involve contact with unstructured environments. Compliance control experiments have been performed on actual robotics hardware to demonstrate the performance of contact control schemes with neural elements. System parameters were identified under the assumption that environment dynamics have a fixed nonlinear structure. A robotics research arm, placed in contact with a single degree-of-freedom electromechanical environment dynamics emulator, was commanded to move through a desired trajectory. The command was implemented by using a compliant control strategy.

Venkataraman, S. T.↗

Orthostatic intolerance during a 13-day bed rest does not result from increased leg compliance

Increased leg compliance (LC) has been proposed as a mechanism for orthostatic intolerance after spaceflight or bed rest. Using venous occlusion plethysmography with mercury-in-Silastic strain gauge, we evaluated LC before, during, and after a 13-day head-down bed rest in 10 men. LC was measured by the relationship between the increased calf areas at thigh cuff occlusions of 20, 30, 50, 70, and 80 mmHg. Orthostatic tolerance was evaluated by a presyncopal-limited lower body negative pressure test before and after bed rest. The 10 subjects were divided into TOL (n= 5) and INT (n=5) groups for which the orthostatic tolerance was similar and lower after bed rest, respectively. For TOL (INT) before bed rest, calf area increases were 2.2 +/- 0.5 (SE) (1.3 +/- 0.4), 3.5 +/- 0.7 (2.3 +/- 0.5), 5.0 +/- 0.9 (3.5 +/- 0.6), 5.6 +/- 0.9 (4.4 +/- 0.6), and 6.4 +/- 1.1 (4.7 +/- 0.6) sq cm for thigh occlusion pressures of 20, 30, 50, 70, and 80 mmHg, respectively. Neither for INT nor for TOL were these results significantly changed by bed rest. These results suggest that other mechanisms than increased LC have to be taken into account to explain the decreased orthostatic tolerance induced by this 13-day bed rest.

Melchior, Francois M.↗

Compliance measurements of chevron notched four point bend specimen

The experimental stress intensity factors for various chevron notched four point bend specimens are presented. The experimental compliance is verified using the analytical solution for a straight through crack four point bend specimen and the boundary integral equation method for one chevron geometry. Excellent agreement is obtained between the experimental and analytical results. In this report, stress intensity factors, loading displacements and crack mouth opening displacements are reported for different crack lengths and different chevron geometries, under four point bend loading condition.

Calomino, Anthony↗

Major weapon system environmental life-cycle cost estimating for Conservation, Cleanup, Compliance and Pollution Prevention (C3P2)

The Titan 4 Space Launch Vehicle Program is one of many major weapon system programs that have modified acquisition plans and operational procedures to meet new, stringent environmental rules and regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) mandate to reduce the use of ozone depleting chemicals (ODC's) is just one of the regulatory changes that has affected the program. In the last few years, public environmental awareness, coupled with stricter environmental regulations, has created the need for DOD to produce environmental life-cycle cost estimates (ELCCE) for every major weapon system acquisition program. The environmental impact of the weapon system must be assessed and budgeted, considering all costs, from cradle to grave. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has proposed that organizations consider Conservation, Cleanup, Compliance and Pollution Prevention (C(sup 3)P(sup 2)) issues associated with each acquisition program to assess life-cycle impacts and costs. The Air Force selected the Titan 4 system as the pilot program for estimating life-cycle environmental costs. The estimating task required participants to develop an ELCCE methodology, collect data to test the methodology and produce a credible cost estimate within the DOD C(sup 3)P(sup 2) definition. The estimating methodology included using the Program Office weapon system description and work breakdown structure together with operational site and manufacturing plant visits to identify environmental cost drivers. The results of the Titan IV ELCCE process are discussed and expanded to demonstrate how they can be applied to satisfy any life-cycle environmental cost estimating requirement.

Hammond, Wesley↗

A Back Face Strain Compliance Expression for the Compact Tension Specimen

A numerically generated expression to determine crack length in a compact tension specimen from back face strain compliance is presented. The numerically generated back face strain expression is bounded by two experimentally determined expressions previously published in the literature. Additionally, stress intensity factor and crack mouth opening expressions are determined. These expressions agree well with previously published results.

Riddell, William T.↗

Manipulability, force, and compliance analysis for planar continuum manipulators

Continuum manipulators, inspired by the natural capabilities of elephant trunks and octopus tentacles, may find niche applications in areas like human-robot interaction, multiarm manipulation, and unknown environment exploration. However, their true capabilities will remain largely inaccessible without proper analytical tools to evaluate their unique properties. Ellipsoids have long served as one of the foremost analytical tools available to the robotics researcher, and the purpose of this paper is to first formulate, and then to examine, three types of ellipsoids for continuum robots: manipulability, force, and compliance.

Non-NASA Center↗

Recommendations for Sense and Avoid Policy Compliance

Since unmanned aircraft do not have a human on board, they need to have a sense and avoid capability that provides an "equivalent level of safety" (ELOS) to manned aircraft. The question then becomes - is sense and avoid ELOS for unmanned aircraft adequate to satisfy the requirements of 14 CFR 91.113? Access 5 has proposed a definition of sense and avoid, but the question remains as to whether any sense and avoid system can comply with 14 CFR 91.113 as currently written. The Access 5 definition of sense and avoid ELOS allows for the development of a sense and avoid system for unmanned aircraft that would comply with 14 CFR 91.113. Compliance is based on sensing and avoiding other traffic at an equivalent level of safety for collision avoidance, as manned aircraft. No changes to Part 91 are necessary, with the possible exception of changing "see" to "sense," or obtaining an interpretation from the FAA General Counsel that "sense" is equivalent to "see."

Source record↗

Compliance and Functional Testing of IEEE 1451.1 for NCAP-to-NCAP Communications in a Sensor Network

Distributed control in a networked environment is an irreplaceable feature in systems with remote sensors and actuators. Although distributed control was not originally designed to be networked, usage of off-the-shelf networking technologies has become so prevalent that control systems are desired to have access mechanisms similar to computer networks. However, proprietary transducer interfaces for network communications and distributed control overwhelmingly dominate this industry. Unless the lack of compatibility and interoperability among transducers is resolved, the mature level of access (that computer networking can deliver) will not be achieved in such networked distributed control systems. Standardization of networked transducer interfaces will enable devices from different manufacturers to talk to each other and ensure their plug-and-play capability. One such standard is the suite of IEEE 1451 for sensor network communication and transducer interfaces. The suite not only provides a standard interface for smart transducers, but also outlines the connection of an NCAP (network capable application processor) and transducers (through a transducer interface module TIM). This paper presents the design of the compliance testing of IEEE 1451.1 (referred to as Dot1) compatible NCAP-to-NCAP communications on a link-layer independent medium. The paper also represents the first demonstration of NCAP-to-NCAP communications with Dot1 compatibility: a tester NCAP and an NCAP under test (NUT).

Figueroa, Jorge↗

A Methodology for Determining Statistical Performance Compliance for Airborne Doppler Radar with Forward-Looking Turbulence Detection Capability

The objective of the research developed and presented in this document was to statistically assess turbulence hazard detection performance employing airborne pulse Doppler radar systems. The FAA certification methodology for forward looking airborne turbulence radars will require estimating the probabilities of missed and false hazard indications under operational conditions. Analytical approaches must be used due to the near impossibility of obtaining sufficient statistics experimentally. This report describes an end-to-end analytical technique for estimating these probabilities for Enhanced Turbulence (E-Turb) Radar systems under noise-limited conditions, for a variety of aircraft types, as defined in FAA TSO-C134. This technique provides for one means, but not the only means, by which an applicant can demonstrate compliance to the FAA directed ATDS Working Group performance requirements. Turbulence hazard algorithms were developed that derived predictive estimates of aircraft hazards from basic radar observables. These algorithms were designed to prevent false turbulence indications while accurately predicting areas of elevated turbulence risks to aircraft, passengers, and crew; and were successfully flight tested on a NASA B757-200 and a Delta Air Lines B737-800. Application of this defined methodology for calculating the probability of missed and false hazard indications taking into account the effect of the various algorithms used, is demonstrated for representative transport aircraft and radar performance characteristics.

Bowles, Roland L.↗

Robotic Arm Manipulator Using Active Control for Sample Acquisition and Transfer, and Passive Mode for Surface Compliance

A robotic arm that consists of three joints with four degrees of freedom (DOF) has been developed. It can carry an end-effector to acquire and transfer samples by using active control and comply with surface topology in a passive mode during a brief surface contact. The three joints are arranged in such a way that one joint of two DOFs is located at the shoulder, one joint of one DOF is located at the elbow, and one joint of one DOF is located at the wrist. Operationally, three DOFs are moved in the same plane, and the remaining one on the shoulder is moved perpendicular to the other three for better compliance with ground surface and more flexibility of sample handling. Three out of four joints are backdriveable, making the mechanism less complex and more cost effective

Liu, Jun↗

Exploration Planetary Surface Structural Systems: Design Requirements and Compliance

The Lunar Surface Systems Project developed system concepts that would be necessary to establish and maintain a permanent human presence on the Lunar surface. A variety of specific system implementations were generated as a part of the scenarios, some level of system definition was completed, and masses estimated for each system. Because the architecture studies generally spawned a large number of system concepts and the studies were executed in a short amount of time, the resulting system definitions had very low design fidelity. This paper describes the development sequence required to field a particular structural system: 1) Define Requirements, 2) Develop the Design and 3) Demonstrate Compliance of the Design to all Requirements. This paper also outlines and describes in detail the information and data that are required to establish structural design requirements and outlines the information that would comprise a planetary surface system Structures Requirements document.

Dorsey, John T.↗

Aircraft Configuration and Flight Crew Compliance with Procedures While Conducting Flight Deck Based Interval Management (FIM) Operations

Flight deck based Interval Management (FIM) applications using ADS-B are being developed to improve both the safety and capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS). FIM is expected to improve the safety and efficiency of the NAS by giving pilots the technology and procedures to precisely achieve an interval behind the preceding aircraft by a specific point. Concurrently but independently, Optimized Profile Descents (OPD) are being developed to help reduce fuel consumption and noise, however, the range of speeds available when flying an OPD results in a decrease in the delivery precision of aircraft to the runway. This requires the addition of a spacing buffer between aircraft, reducing system throughput. FIM addresses this problem by providing pilots with speed guidance to achieve a precise interval behind another aircraft, even while flying optimized descents. The Interval Management with Spacing to Parallel Dependent Runways (IMSPiDR) human-in-the-loop experiment employed 24 commercial pilots to explore the use of FIM equipment to conduct spacing operations behind two aircraft arriving to parallel runways, while flying an OPD during high-density operations. This paper describes the impact of variations in pilot operations; in particular configuring the aircraft, their compliance with FIM operating procedures, and their response to changes of the FIM speed. An example of the displayed FIM speeds used incorrectly by a pilot is also discussed. Finally, this paper examines the relationship between achieving airline operational goals for individual aircraft and the need for ATC to deliver aircraft to the runway with greater precision. The results show that aircraft can fly an OPD and conduct FIM operations to dependent parallel runways, enabling operational goals to be achieved efficiently while maintaining system throughput.

Shay, Rick↗

UAS Integration Into the NAS: An Examination of Baseline Compliance in the Current Airspace System

As a result of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are expected to be integrated into the National Airspace System (NAS) by 2015. Several human factors challenges need to be addressed before UAS can safely and routinely fly in the NAS with manned aircraft. Perhaps the most significant challenge is for the UAS to be non-disruptive to the air traffic management system. Another human factors challenge is how to provide UAS pilots with intuitive traffic information in order to support situation awareness (SA) of their airspace environment as well as a see-and-avoid capability comparable to manned aircraft so that a UAS pilot could safely maneuver the aircraft to maintain separation and collision avoidance if necessary. A simulation experiment was conducted to examine baseline compliance of UAS operations in the current airspace system. Researchers also examined the effects of introducing a Cockpit Situation Display (CSD) into a UAS Ground Control Station (GCS) on UAS pilot performance, workload and situation awareness while flying in a positively controlled sector. Pilots were tasked with conducting a highway patrol police mission with a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAS in L.A. Center airspace with two mission objectives: 1) to reroute the UAS when issued new instructions from their commander, and 2) to communicate with Air Traffic Control (ATC) to negotiate flight plan changes and respond to vectoring and altitude change instructions. Objective aircraft separation data, workload ratings, SA data, and subjective ratings regarding UAS operations in the NAS were collected. Results indicate that UAS pilots were able to comply appropriately with ATC instructions. In addition, the introduction of the CSD improved pilot SA and reduced workload associated with UAS and ATC interactions.

Fern, Lisa↗

Sample Acquisition and Analytical Chemistry Challenges to Verifying Compliance to Aviators Breathing Oxygen (ABO) Purity Specification

NASA has been developing and testing two different types of oxygen separation systems. One type of oxygen separation system uses pressure swing technology, the other type uses a solid electrolyte electrochemical oxygen separation cell. Both development systems have been subjected to long term testing, and performance testing under a variety of environmental and operational conditions. Testing these two systems revealed that measuring the product purity of oxygen, and determining if an oxygen separation device meets Aviator's Breathing Oxygen (ABO) specifications is a subtle and sometimes difficult analytical chemistry job. Verifying product purity of cryogenically produced oxygen presents a different set of analytical chemistry challenges. This presentation will describe some of the sample acquisition and analytical chemistry challenges presented by verifying oxygen produced by an oxygen separator - and verifying oxygen produced by cryogenic separation processes. The primary contaminant that causes gas samples to fail to meet ABO requirements is water. The maximum amount of water vapor allowed is 7 ppmv. The principal challenge of verifying oxygen produced by an oxygen separator is that it is produced relatively slowly, and at comparatively low temperatures. A short term failure that occurs for just a few minutes in the course of a 1 week run could cause an entire tank to be rejected. Continuous monitoring of oxygen purity and water vapor could identify problems as soon as they occur. Long term oxygen separator tests were instrumented with an oxygen analyzer and with an hygrometer: a GE Moisture Monitor Series 35. This hygrometer uses an aluminum oxide sensor. The user's manual does not report this, but long term exposure to pure oxygen causes the aluminum oxide sensor head to bias dry. Oxygen product that exceeded the 7 ppm specification was improperly accepted, because the sensor had biased. The bias is permanent - exposure to air does not cause the sensor to return to its original response - but the bias can be accounted for by recalibrating the sensor. After this issue was found, continuous measurements of water vapor in the oxygen product were made using an FTIR. The FTIR cell is relatively large, so response time is slow - but moisture measurements were repeatable and accurate. Verifying ABO compliance for oxygen produced by commercial cryogenic processes has a different set of sample acquisition and analytical chemistry challenges. Customers want analytical chemists to conserve as much as possible. Hygrometers are not exposed to hours of continuous flow of oxygen, so they don't bias, but small amounts of contamination in valves can cause a "fail". K bottles are periodically cleaned and recertified - after cleaning residual moisture can cause a "fail". Operators let bottle pressure drop to room pressure, introduce outside air into the bottle, and the subsequent fill will "fail". Outside storage of K‐bottles has allowed enough in‐leakage, so contents will "fail".

Graf, John↗

Effects of Long Duration Spaceflight on Venous and Arterial Compliance: Bed Rest

The primary objective was to determine whether a high sodium diet during bed rest induced alterations in vascular compliance and was related to the incidence of VIIP. Ocular structural and functional measures and vascular ultrasound of the head and neck were acquired in bed rest subjects completing 10-14 days in 6deg head-down tilt.

Ribeiro, L. Christine↗