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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

VIP: A knowledge-based design aid for the engineering of space systems

The Vehicles Implementation Project (VIP), a knowledge-based design aid for the engineering of space systems is described. VIP combines qualitative knowledge in the form of rules, quantitative knowledge in the form of equations, and other mathematical modeling tools. The system allows users rapidly to develop and experiment with models of spacecraft system designs. As information becomes available to the system, appropriate equations are solved symbolically and the results are displayed. Users may browse through the system, observing dependencies and the effects of altering specific parameters. The system can also suggest approaches to the derivation of specific parameter values. In addition to providing a tool for the development of specific designs, VIP aims at increasing the user's understanding of the design process. Users may rapidly examine the sensitivity of a given parameter to others in the system and perform tradeoffs or optimizations of specific parameters. A second major goal of VIP is to integrate the existing corporate knowledge base of models and rules into a central, symbolic form.

Lewis, Steven M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Two New Aircraft Traffic Surveillance Symbology Concepts: Range Filter and Inboard Field-of-View Symbology

The objective of this preliminary experiment was to investigate two head-up surveillance symbology (HUSS) display issues. The first issue was concerned with the benefits of adding a range filter to the current HUSS concept. A range filter limits the amount of traffic symbols displayed head-up by setting a range boundary (e.g., 7-nmi) around the ownship. The second issue was concerned with the need to incorporate HUSS in the inboard field-of-view (IFOV) display of the eXternal Visibility System (XVS) concept. The hypothesis tested was that adding a range filter to the XVS display and HUSS to the IFOV display would enhance the pilot's effectiveness in traffic surveillance tasks. Using a high-resolution graphics flight simulator, each of three pilots flew departure and arrival scenarios under visual meteorological conditions. The pilots' main tasks, while managing flight path, were to detect and assess potential airborne traffic hazards and to maintain overall situation awareness. Upon completing all the runs, each pilot completed a subjective questionnaire. Results showed that having both the HUSS on the IFOV and the range filter on each of the XVS displays enhanced the effectiveness of the XVS surveillance display concept. This configuration had the least head down time and the lowest mental workload. Combining both features gave the best target detection and, the earliest threat recognition performances, and enabled the pilots to create a better strategy for evasive action when it became necessary.

Wong, Douglas T.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Optical See-Through Head Mounted Display Direct Linear Transformation Calibration Robustness in the Presence of User Alignment Noise

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technique by which computer generated signals synthesize impressions that are made to coexist with the surrounding real world as perceived by the user. Human smell, taste, touch and hearing can all be augmented, but most commonly AR refers to the human vision being overlaid with information otherwise not readily available to the user. A correct calibration is important on an application level, ensuring that e.g. data labels are presented at correct locations, but also on a system level to enable display techniques such as stereoscopy to function properly [SOURCE]. Thus, vital to AR, calibration methodology is an important research area. While great achievements already have been made, there are some properties in current calibration methods for augmenting vision which do not translate from its traditional use in automated cameras calibration to its use with a human operator. This paper uses a Monte Carlo simulation of a standard direct linear transformation camera calibration to investigate how user introduced head orientation noise affects the parameter estimation during a calibration procedure of an optical see-through head mounted display.

Axholt, Magnus↗
NASA NTRS1999

Power System Optimization Codes Modified

A major modification of and addition to existing Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) space power system optimization codes was completed. These modifications relate to the global minimum mass search driver programs containing three nested iteration loops comprising iterations on cycle temperature ratio, and three separate pressure ratio iteration loops--one loop for maximizing thermodynamic efficiency, one for minimizing radiator area, and a final loop for minimizing overall power system mass. Using the method of steepest ascent, the code sweeps through the pressure ratio space repeatedly, each time with smaller iteration step sizes, so that the three optimum pressure ratios can be obtained to any desired accuracy for each of the objective functions referred to above (i.e., maximum thermodynamic efficiency, minimum radiator area, and minimum system mass). Two separate options for the power system heat source are available: 1. A nuclear fission reactor can be used. It is provided with a radiation shield 1. (composed of a lithium hydride (LiH) neutron shield and tungsten (W) gamma shield). Suboptions can be used to select the type of reactor (i.e., fast spectrum liquid metal cooled or epithermal high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR)). 2. A solar heat source can be used. This option includes a parabolic concentrator and heat receiver for raising the temperature of the recirculating working fluid. A useful feature of the code modifications is that key cycle parameters are displayed, including the overall system specific mass in kilograms per kilowatt and the system specific power in watts per kilogram, as the results for each temperature ratio are computed. As the minimum mass temperature ratio is encountered, a message is printed out. Several levels of detailed information on cycle state points, subsystem mass results, and radiator temperature profiles are stored for this temperature ratio condition and can be displayed or printed by users.

Juhasz, Albert J.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Using EMIS to Identify Top Opportunities for Commercial Building Efficiency

Energy Management and Information Systems (EMIS) comprise a broad family of tools and services to manage commercial building energy use. These technologies offer a mix of capabilities to store, display, and analyze energy use and system data, and in some cases, provide control. EMIS technologies enable 10–20 percent site energy savings in best practice implementations. Energy Information System (EIS) and Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD) systems are two key technologies in the EMIS family. Energy Information Systems are broadly defined as the web-based software, data acquisition hardware, and communication systems used to analyze and display building energy performance. At a minimum, an EIS provides daily, hourly or sub-hourly interval meter data at the whole-building level, with graphical and analytical capability. Fault Detection and Diagnosis systems automatically identify heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system or equipment-level performances issues, and in some cases are able to isolate the root causes of the problem. They use computer algorithms to continuously analyze system-level operational data to detect faults and diagnose their causes. Many FDD tools integrate the trend log data from a Building Automation System (BAS) but otherwise are stand-alone software packages; other types of FDD tools are implemented as “on-board” equipment-embedded diagnostics. (This document focuses on the former.) Analysis approaches adopted in FDD technologies span a variety of techniques from rule-based methods to process history-based approaches. FDD tools automate investigations that can be conducted via manual data inspection by someone with expert knowledge, thereby expanding accessibility and breath of analysis opportunity, and also reducing complexity.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2017

Comparison of Mutual Awareness in Analog vs. Digital Control Rooms

Control rooms in nuclear power plants are complex, collaborative working environments rife with potential for human error. As control rooms evolve from analog to digital interface environments, crew communication strategies must change as well. Operators in the analog control room operate the plant and communicate with each other with the help of control boards with large control panels, meters, and switches. Reactor operators could choose a particular set of controls on the particular control board which corresponds to the part of the system of interest. Visual display units (VDU), which became a fixture in the control rooms with the shift to digital human-machine interfaces (HMI), bring benefits for safety and flexibility combining information from various sources. With the increase in automation and the use of digital HMIs operators received their personal sitting workstations where they are able to navigate and operate the plant. The amount of information increased as well as the complexity of monitoring and analyzing the system states. Also computerized systems cause operators to get absorbed by their personal screens and reduce interaction between the crew members. Therefore, the collaboration and coordination of task demands requires vigilance and mutual awareness. The level of automation has an influence on the level of mutual awareness experienced by operators in the control rooms. Teams function to carry out highly interdependent tasks, requiring synthesis and sharing of information to achieve common goals. Improving the performance of the team necessitates the operators to focus on the system, the surrounding environment, and situational awareness about the system states. Collaboration of team members is critical when employing the digital operating systems as the acute awareness of the overall progress of the group and individual activities of the operators drives the team to the desired end-states of the plant operations. Out-of-the loop (OOTL) performance problems can be referred to as the lack of supervisory control, system monitoring, and information processing in the digital HMIs. Under some circumstances Senior Reactor Operators (SRO) struggle to follow the actions of other Reactor Operators (RO) because with the new digital interfaces SROs lose track of how the procedures are carried out by ROs, which results in the loss of three way communication. Mutual awareness plays a significant role in keeping the SROs in the loop of plant operations. This paper will investigate, through literature review and expert interviews, the impact and human errors attributed to the increasing complexity of new digital main control rooms. Comparison of the new digital interfaces with the analog interfaces in nuclear power plants has the potential to shed light on increasing mutual awareness and three way communications between the SROs and ROs. Further, identification of the human errors and human actions can provide beneficial information, suggesting significant and critical improvements that can be implemented in the main control rooms to increase safety and reliability of new technology. Additionally, insights on mutual awareness for analog vs. digital control rooms can serve to improve human reliability.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Space Shuttle critical function audit

A large fault-tolerance model of the main propulsion system of the US space shuttle has been developed. This model is being used to identify single components and pairs of components that will cause loss of shuttle critical functions. In addition, this model is the basis for risk quantification of the shuttle. The process used to develop and analyze the model is digraph matrix analysis (DMA). The DMA modeling and analysis process is accessed via a graphics-based computer user interface. This interface provides coupled display of the integrated system schematics, the digraph models, the component database, and the results of the fault tolerance and risk analyses.

Sacks, Ivan J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Safely Conducting Airport Surface Trajectory-Based Operations

A piloted simulation study was conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) to evaluate the ability to safely conduct surface trajectory-based operations (STBO) by assessing the impact of providing traffic intent information, conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) system capability, and the display of STBO guidance to the flight crew on both head-down and head-up displays (HUD). Nominal and off-nominal conflict scenarios were conducted using 12 airline crews operating in a simulated Memphis International Airport terminal environment. The flight crews met their required time-of-arrival at route end within 10 seconds on 98 percent of the trials, well within the acceptable performance bounds of 15 seconds. Traffic intent information was found to be useful in determining the intent of conflict traffic, with graphical presentation preferred. The CD&R system was only minimally effective during STBO because the prevailing visibility was sufficient for visual detection of incurring traffic. Overall, the pilots indicated STBO increased general situation awareness but also negatively impacted workload, reduced the ability to watch for other traffic, and increased head-down time.

Jones, Denise R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Aiding Vertical Guidance Understanding

A two-part study was conducted to evaluate modern flight deck automation and interfaces. In the first part, a survey was performed to validate the existence of automation surprises with current pilots. Results indicated that pilots were often surprised by the behavior of the automation. There were several surprises that were reported more frequently than others. An experimental study was then performed to evaluate (1) the reduction of automation surprises through training specifically for the vertical guidance logic, and (2) a new display that describes the flight guidance in terms of aircraft behaviors instead of control modes. The study was performed in a simulator that was used to run a complete flight with actual airline pilots. Three groups were used to evaluate the guidance display and training. In the training, condition, participants went through a training program for vertical guidance before flying the simulation. In the display condition, participants ran through the same training program and then flew the experimental scenario with the new Guidance-Flight Mode Annunciator (G-FMA). Results showed improved pilot performance when given training specifically for the vertical guidance logic and greater improvements when given the training and the new G-FMA. Using actual behavior of the avionics to design pilot training and FMA is feasible, and when the automated vertical guidance mode of the Flight Management System is engaged, the display of the guidance mode and targets yields improved pilot performance.

Feary, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2005

Flying SATS Higher Volume Operations: Training, Lessons Learned, and Pilots' Experiences

Developments in aviation, including new surveillance technologies and quicker, more economical small aircraft, have been identified as driving factors in a potential expansion of the use of non-towered, non-radar airports. The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) project has developed the Higher Volume Operations (HVO) concept that enables pilots to safely arrive and depart these airports in instrument conditions at an increased rate as compared to today's procedures. This is achieved by transferring some traffic management tasks to centralized, ground-based automation, while assigning others to participating pilots aided by on-board tools. This paper describes strategies and lessons learned while training pilots to fly these innovative operations. Pilot approaches to using the experimental displays and dynamic altering systems during training are discussed. Potential operational benefits as well as pit-falls and frustrations expressed by subjects while learning to fly these new procedures are presented. Generally, pilots were comfortable with the procedures and the training process, and expressed interest in its near-term implementation.

Conway, Sheila↗
DOE OSTI2017

Nonlinear Color–Metallicity Relations of Globular Clusters. VII. Nonlinear Absorption-line Index versus Metallicity Relations and Bimodal Index Distributions of NGC 5128 Globular Clusters

Spectroscopy on the globular cluster (GC) system of NGC 5128 revealed bimodality in absorption-line index distributions of its old GCs. GC division is a widely observed and studied phenomenon whose interpretation has depicted host galaxy formation and evolution such that it harbors two distinct metallicity groups. Such a conventional view of GC bimodality has mainly been based on photometry. The recent GC photometric data, however, presented an alternative perspective in which the nonlinear metallicity-to-color transformation is responsible for color bimodality of GC systems. Here we apply the same line of analysis to the spectral indices and examine the absorption-line index versus metallicity relations for the NGC 5128 GC system. NGC 5128 GCs display nonlinearity in the metallicity-index planes, most prominently for the Balmer lines and by a non-negligible degree for the metallicity-sensitive magnesium line. We demonstrate that the observed spectroscopic division of NGC 5128 GCs can be caused by the nonlinear nature of the metallicity-to-index conversions and thus one does not need to resort to two separate GC subgroups. Our analysis incorporating this nonlinearity provides a new perspective on the structure of NGC 5128's GC system, and a further piece to the global picture of the formation of GC systems and their host galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Responder Technology Alert Monthly (Oct-Nov 2014)

As part of technology foraging for the Responder Technology Alliance, established by the Department of Homeland Science and Technologies First Responders Group, this report summarizes technologies that are relevant in the area of “wearables,” with the potential for use by first responders. The content was collected over the previous month(s) and reproduced from a general Internet search using the term wearables. Additional information is available at the websites provided. This report is not meant to be an exhaustive list nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, it is meant to provide useful information about current developments in the areas wearable technology. The content is organized by technology function including: Sensors – Devices that detect physiological, particle, and chemical activity; Displays – Heads-up and body-worn visual displays; Power – Wearable power systems including chargers, batteries, self-powering or harvesting technologies, and power supplies; Integrated Communications – Voice and data communications systems utilizing Bluetooth, wireless, hands-free, ergonomically optimized systems, noise-filtering digital speakers or microphones, etc.; Exoskeletons – Whole or partial body suit that enhances mobility and physical performance; Wearable Computers – Body-worn data processing devices; General – Miscellaneous technologies as well as emerging trends or recent advances in the field of wearables.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
NASA NTRS1988

Design and testing of a high power spacecraft thermal management system

The design and test results are presented of an ammonia hybrid capillary pumped loop thermal control system which could be used for heat acquisition and transport on future large space platforms and attached payloads, such as those associated with the NASA Space Station. The High Power Spacecraft Thermal Management System (HPSTM) can operate as either a passive, capillary pumped two phase thermal control system, or, when additional pressure head is required, as a mechanically pumped loop. Testing has shown that in the capillary mode, the HPSTM evaporators can acquire a total heat load of between 600 W and 24 kW, transported over 10 meters, at a maximum heat flux density of 4.3 W/sq cm. With the mechanical pump circulating the ammonia, a heat acquisition potential of 52 kW was demonstrated for 15 minutes without an evaporator failure. These results represent a significant improvement over the maximum transport capability previously displayed in other capillary systems. The HPSTM system still retains the proven capillary capabilities of heat load sharing and flow control between evaporator plates, rapid power cycling, and nonuniform heating in both the capillary and hybrid operating modes.

Mccabe, Michael E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Three approaches to reliability analysis

It is noted that current reliability analysis tools differ not only in their solution techniques, but also in their approach to model abstraction. The analyst must be satisfied with the constraints that are intrinsic to any combination of solution technique and model abstraction. To get a better idea of the nature of these constraints, three reliability analysis tools (HARP, ASSIST/SURE, and CAME) were used to model portions of the Integrated Airframe/Propulsion Control System architecture. When presented with the example problem, all three tools failed to produce correct results. In all cases, either the tool or the model had to be modified. It is suggested that most of the difficulty is rooted in the large model size and long computational times which are characteristic of Markov model solutions.

Mesh networks↗
NASA NTRS2016

IDEAS and App Development Internship in Hardware and Software Design

In this report, I will discuss the tasks and projects I have completed while working as an electrical engineering intern during the spring semester of 2016 at NASA Kennedy Space Center. In the field of software development, I completed tasks for the G-O Caching Mobile App and the Asbestos Management Information System (AMIS) Web App. The G-O Caching Mobile App was written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on the Cordova framework, while the AMIS Web App is written in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and C# on the AngularJS framework. My goals and objectives on these two projects were to produce an app with an eye-catching and intuitive User Interface (UI), which will attract more employees to participate; to produce a fully-tested, fully functional app which supports workforce engagement and exploration; to produce a fully-tested, fully functional web app that assists technicians working in asbestos management. I also worked in hardware development on the Integrated Display and Environmental Awareness System (IDEAS) wearable technology project. My tasks on this project were focused in PCB design and camera integration. My goals and objectives for this project were to successfully integrate fully functioning custom hardware extenders on the wearable technology headset to minimize the size of hardware on the smart glasses headset for maximum user comfort; to successfully integrate fully functioning camera onto the headset. By the end of this semester, I was able to successfully develop four extender boards to minimize hardware on the headset, and assisted in integrating a fully-functioning camera into the system.

CSS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Geographic Information Systems as an Opportunity for Public Engagement in Environmental Data Analysis for Nuclear Waste Management - 17505

For half a century, scientists across government agencies, industry, academia and other research organizations have been using geographic information system (GIS) tools to display data collected for a wide variety of programs. Recent technology advances have made it possible for the public to also use GIS tools to display data. Meanwhile, around the world, volunteers are increasingly participating in citizen science activities that involve collecting environmental observations and measurements. Considering themes of broad interest to which citizen science and GIS tools could be applied, integrated nuclear waste management represents a potential opportunity for public engagement in environmental data analysis. In the United States, the Department of Energy's (DOE's) goal is to develop solutions for the long-term, sustainable management of the nation's spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) from commercial electricity generation, as well as national defense activities. The DOE has been exploring options for an integrated waste management system to transport, store, and dispose of SNF and HLW. To support its efforts, DOE has been exploring ways to seek broad input from the public. Literature was reviewed to assess recent advances in GIS technology and citizen science that could contribute to public engagement in waste management planning. Results identified a variety of promising tools and applications that are readily accessible online, including QGIS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Real Time Geo-spatial Data Viewer (RETIGO). For example, interested members of the public could illustrate air quality, water quality, and other environmental data in GIS plots to visually represent local conditions over time. This paper highlights potential opportunities for those interested in citizen science and GIS tools as part of exploring options for public engagement in planning for an integrated waste management system. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1992

Category identification of changed land-use polygons in an integrated image processing/geographic information system

A framework is proposed for analyzing ancillary data and developing procedures for incorporating ancillary data to aid interactive identification of land-use categories in land-use updates. The procedures were developed for use within an integrated image processsing/geographic information systems (GIS) that permits simultaneous display of digital image data with the vector land-use data to be updated. With such systems and procedures, automated techniques are integrated with visual-based manual interpretation to exploit the capabilities of both. The procedural framework developed was applied as part of a case study to update a portion of the land-use layer in a regional scale GIS. About 75 percent of the area in the study site that experienced a change in land use was correctly labeled into 19 categories using the combination of automated and visual interpretation procedures developed in the study.

Westmoreland, Sally↗
NASA NTRS1997

Experimental Studies of Intent Information on Cockpit Traffic Displays

Intent information provides knowledge of another aircraft's current and future trajectory states. Prototype traffic displays were designed for four different levels of intent: No Intent, Rate, Commanded State, and Flight Management System (FMS)-Path. The TCAS Display was used as a baseline and represents the No Intent Level. The Rate, Commanded State, and FMS-Path Displays show increasing levels of intent information using TCAS-like symbology in addition to incorporating a conflict probe and profile view display. An experiment was run on the MIT Part Task Flight Simulator in which eight airline pilots flew five traffic scenarios with each of the four displays. Results show that pilots had fewer separation violations and maneuvered earlier with the three intent displays. Separation violations were reduced when pilots maneuvered earlier. A second experiment was run to compare performance between displaying intent information directly and incorporating it into a conflict probe. A different set of eight airline pilots flew four traffic scenarios with the TCAS and Commanded State Displays with and without the conflict probe. Conflict probes with two minute and long range look-ahead times were tested. Displaying conflict bands or showing intent information directly both led to fewer separation violations and earlier avoidance maneuvers than the base TCAS Display. Performance was similar between the two minute and long range look-ahead conflict probes. Pilots preferred all intent displays over the TCAS Display.

Barhydt, Richard↗