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At least 1,567 records · Page 87

Space tug automatic docking control study. LOCDOK users manual

A users's manual for the computer programs involved in a study of the space tug docking simulation is presented. The following subjects are considered: (1) subroutine narratives, (2) program elements, (3) system subroutines, and (4) Univac 1108 cross reference listing. The functional and operational requirements for the computer programming are explained.

Source record↗

Space-Plane Spreadsheet Program

Basic Hypersonic Data and Equations (HYPERDATA) spreadsheet computer program provides data gained from three analyses of performance of space plane. Equations used to perform analyses derived from Newton's second law of physics, derivation included. First analysis is parametric study of some basic factors affecting ability of space plane to reach orbit. Second includes calculation of thickness of spherical fuel tank. Third produces ratio between volume of fuel and total mass for each of various aircraft. HYPERDATA intended for use on Macintosh(R) series computers running Microsoft Excel 3.0.

Mackall, Dale↗

Computer based control of the Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer Space Shuttle experiment

Ground software that is being developed for the control of the Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) project is discussed. Special attention is given to two software development projects for SHOOT support: (1) the SHOOT Command and Monitoring System, which will provide a real-time highly interactive interface for the SHOOT principal investigator to control the experiment and to analyze and display its telemetry; and (2) the SHOOT Aft Flight Deck Operating System, which is comprised of several monitoring programs to give the astronaut mission specialist on-orbit visibility into SHOOT systems, and an intelligent-rule-based system that will control a He transfer without ground intervention. Major accomplishments of the SHOOT project to date include two successful interface tests with the Goddard Space Flight Center developed breadboard electronics and prototype software.

Castellano, T. P.↗

Effect of Finite Computational Domain on Turbulence Scaling Law in Both Physical and Spectral Spaces

The well-known translation between the power law of energy spectrum and that of the correlation function or the second order structure function has been widely used in analyzing random data. Here, we show that the translation is valid only in proper scaling regimes. The regimes of valid translation are different for the correlation function and the structure function. Indeed, they do not overlap. Furthermore, in practice, the power laws exist only for a finite range of scales. We show that this finite range makes the translation inexact even in the proper scaling regime. The error depends on the scaling exponent. The current findings are applicable to data analysis in fluid turbulence and other stochastic systems.

Hou, Thomas Y.↗

Computational Transport Modeling of High-Energy Neutrons Found in the Space Environment

The high charge and high energy (HZE) particle radiation environment in space interacts with spacecraft materials and the human body to create a population of neutrons encompassing a broad kinetic energy spectrum. As an HZE ion penetrates matter, there is an increasing chance of fragmentation as penetration depth increases. When an ion fragments, secondary neutrons are released with velocities up to that of the primary ion, giving some neutrons very long penetration ranges. These secondary neutrons have a high relative biological effectiveness, are difficult to effectively shield, and can cause more biological damage than the primary ions in some scenarios. Ground-based irradiation experiments that simulate the space radiation environment must account for this spectrum of neutrons. Using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System (PHITS), it is possible to simulate a neutron environment that is characteristic of that found in spaceflight. Considering neutron dosimetry, the focus lies on the broad spectrum of recoil protons that are produced in biological targets. In a biological target, dose at a certain penetration depth is primarily dependent upon recoil proton tracks. The PHITS code can be used to simulate a broad-energy neutron spectrum traversing biological targets, and it account for the recoil particle population. This project focuses on modeling a neutron beamline irradiation scenario for determining dose at increasing depth in water targets. Energy-deposition events and particle fluence can be simulated by establishing cross-sectional scoring routines at different depths in a target. This type of model is useful for correlating theoretical data with actual beamline radiobiology experiments. Other work exposed human fibroblast cells to a high-energy neutron source to study micronuclei induction in cells at increasing depth behind water shielding. Those findings provide supporting data describing dose vs. depth across a water-equivalent medium. This poster presents PHITS data suggesting an increase in dose, up to roughly 10 cm depth, followed by a continual decrease as neutrons come to a stop in the target.

Cox, Brad↗

Deriving Lifetime Maps in the Time/Frequency Domain of Coherent Structures in the Turbulent Boundary Layer

The lifetimes of coherent structures are derived from data correlated over a 3 sensor array sampling streamwise sidewall pressure at high Reynolds number (> 10(exp 8)). The data were acquired at subsonic, transonic and supersonic speeds aboard a Tupolev Tu-144. The lifetimes are computed from a variant of the correlation length termed the lifelength. Characteristic lifelengths are estimated by fitting a Gaussian distribution to the sensors cross spectra and are shown to compare favorably with Efimtsov s prediction of correlation space scales. Lifelength distributions are computed in the time/frequency domain using an interval correlation technique on the continuous wavelet transform of the original time data. The median values of the lifelength distributions are found to be very close to the frequency averaged result. The interval correlation technique is shown to allow the retrieval and inspection of the original time data of each event in the lifelength distributions, thus providing a means to locate and study the nature of the coherent structure in the turbulent boundary layer. The lifelength data are converted to lifetimes using the convection velocity. The lifetime of events in the time/frequency domain are displayed in Lifetime Maps. The primary purpose of the paper is to validate these new analysis techniques so that they can be used with confidence to further characterize the behavior of coherent structures in the turbulent boundary layer.

Palumbo, Dan↗

Extreme Problem Solving: The New Challenges of Deep Space Exploration

On the International Space Station today, the crew has the near real-time support of a large group of system experts on the ground when dealing with problems on-board. For exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit, however, intermittent and delayed communication with ground will force small crews to take the lead in responding to vehicle anomalies. Enabling a flight crew of roughly four astronauts to perform the job that has traditionally been done by a ground crew of over 80 experts will require a fundamental rethinking of human-systems integration. Through observations of anomaly resolution processes, interviews with system experts and astronauts, and analyses of problem-solving models, we have identified the capabilities that are not currently available on-board but will be needed to enable safe exploration further away from Earth. These include increased data access, just-in-time training tools and technologies, and troubleshooting decision support. Important questions remain on how these technologies can be designed and implemented for increased crew autonomy. We present this critical challenge for deep space exploration to the human-computer interaction research community to reflect on the areas identified by our needs analysis and contemplate how they might be manifested as solutions.

autonomy↗

Improvements in stage checkout

Test methods, equipment, and computer programs for improved quality control in space vehicle stage checkout

CHECKOUT EQUIPMENT↗

Computation-based reliability analysis

A reliability analysis method for computing systems is considered in which the underlying criteria for 'success' are based on the computations the system must perform in the use environment. Beginning with a general model of a 'computer with faults', intermediate concepts of a 'tolerance relation' and an 'environment space' are introduced which account for the computational needs of the user and the probabilistic nature of the use environment. These concepts are then incorporated to obtain a precisely defined class of computation-based reliability measures. Formulation of a particular measure is illustrated and results, applying this measure, are compared with those of a typical structure-based analysis.

Meyer, J. F.↗

A Rapid Aerodynamic Design Procedure Based on Artificial Neural Networks

An aerodynamic design procedure that uses neural networks to model the functional behavior of the objective function in design space has been developed. This method incorporates several improvements to an earlier method that employed a strategy called parameter-based partitioning of the design space in order to reduce the computational costs associated with design optimization. As with the earlier method, the current method uses a sequence of response surfaces to traverse the design space in search of the optimal solution. The new method yields significant reductions in computational costs by using composite response surfaces with better generalization capabilities and by exploiting synergies between the optimization method and the simulation codes used to generate the training data. These reductions in design optimization costs are demonstrated for a turbine airfoil design study where a generic shape is evolved into an optimal airfoil.

Rai, Man Mohan↗