Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “synchronization”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,711 records · Page 95
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

A Coordinated Initialization Process for the Distributed Space Exploration Simulation

A viewgraph presentation on the federate initialization process for the Distributed Space Exploration Simulation (DSES) is described. The topics include: 1) Background: DSES; 2) Simulation requirements; 3) Nine Step Initialization; 4) Step 1: Create the Federation; 5) Step 2: Publish and Subscribe; 6) Step 3: Create Object Instances; 7) Step 4: Confirm All Federates Have Joined; 8) Step 5: Achieve initialize Synchronization Point; 9) Step 6: Update Object Instances With Initial Data; 10) Step 7: Wait for Object Reflections; 11) Step 8: Set Up Time Management; 12) Step 9: Achieve startup Synchronization Point; and 13) Conclusions

Crues, Edwin Z.↗
NASA NTRS2007

An Investigation of Synchrony in Transport Networks

The cumulative degree distributions of transport networks, such as air transportation networks and respiratory neuronal networks, follow power laws. The significance of power laws with respect to other network performance measures, such as throughput and synchronization, remains an open question. Evolving methods for the analysis and design of air transportation networks must address network performance in the face of increasing demands and the need to contain and control local network disturbances, such as congestion. Toward this end, we investigate functional relationships that govern the performance of transport networks; for example, the links between the first nontrivial eigenvalue of a network's Laplacian matrix - a quantitative measure of network synchronizability - and other global network parameters. In particular, among networks with a fixed degree distribution and fixed network assortativity (a measure of a network's preference to attach nodes based on a similarity or difference), those with the small eigenvalue are shown to be poor synchronizers, to have much longer shortest paths and to have greater clustering in comparison to those with large. A simulation of a respiratory network adds data to our investigation. This study is a beginning step in developing metrics and design variables for the analysis and active design of air transport networks.

Kincaid, Rex K.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Analysis of Cell Proliferation in Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) Tissue Regeneration during Spaceflight in Foton M-2

Terrestrial organisms exposed to microgravity during spaceflight expe rience musculoskeletal degeneration. It is still not understood if lo nger-term exposures to microgravity induce degeneration in other tiss ues, and if these effects are also observed in neutrally buoyant aqu atic organisms that may be pre-adapted to mechanical unloading. The " Regeneration" experiment conducted collaboratively between Russian an d US scientists for 16 days in the Russian Foton M-2 spaceflight soug ht to test the hypothesis that microgravity alters the proliferation of cells in regenerating tail tissue of the newt Pleurodeles waltl. Our initial results indicate that we successfUlly delivered the proli feration marker 5-bromo-2'-deoxy Uridine (BrdU) during spaceflight, and that it was incorporated in the nuclei of cells in regenerating tis sues. Cells in spaceflight tail regenerates proliferated at a slight ly slower rate and were more undifferentiated than those in ground sy nchronous controls. In addition, the size of regenerating tails from spaceflight was smaller than synchronous controls. However, onboard temperature recordings show that the temperature in spaceflight was a bout 2 C lower than ground synchronous controls, possibly explaining the observed differences. Additional post-facto ground controls at ma tched temperatures will correctly determine the effects of spaceflig ht on regenerative cell proliferation in the newt.

Almeida, E. A. C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Development of the Gecko (Pachydactylus turneri) Animal Model during Foton M-2 to Study Comparative Effects of Microgravity in Terrestrial and Aquatic Organisms

Terrestrial organisms exposed to microgravity during spaceflight experience degeneration in bone, muscle, and possibly other tissues that require gravity-mediated mechanical stimulation for normal regenerative growth. In the Gecko experiment aboard Foton M-2, we flew for the first time, five terrestrial Pachydactylus turneri specimens to develop a model of microgravity effects comparable to the newt Pleurodeles waltl, a well-established model organism for spaceflight. These lower vertebrate species have similar body plans and size, are poikilothermic, have tissue regenerative ability, and are adapted to moderate periods of fasting. Furthermore the gecko (Pachydactylus) can also survive prolonged periods without water. In pre-flight control experiments and after a 16-day Foton M-2 spaceflight without food or water, the geckos were recovered and showed no apparent negative health effects. However, detailed analysis of bone mass and architecture by micro Computed Tomography { pCT), showed that both synchronous control and spaceflight animals lost significant amounts of cancellous bone in the distal femur and humerus relative to basal controls. In addition, cell cycle analysis of 30h post-flight liver tissue reveals a shift of DNA content from G2 and S to G1, both in spaceflight and synchronous controls. Together, these results suggest that housing conditions alone induce rapid catabolism of cancellous bone and reduced normal tissue regeneration. Further use of the gecko Puchydactylus turneri as a spaceflight model requires modification of housing conditions, possibly by including water and food, or changing other factors such as eliminating housing stresses to obtain stable bone structure and tissue regeneration during spaceflight experiments.

Almeida, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Update on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), a NASA MIDEX mission, will survey the entire sky in four bands from 3.3 to 23 microns with a sensitivity 1000 times greater than the IRAS survey. The WISE survey will extend the Two Micron All Sky Survey into the thermal infrared and will provide an important catalog for the James Webb Space Telescope. Using 1024(sup 2) HgCdTe and Si:As arrays at 3.3, 4.7, 12 and 23 microns, WISE will find the most luminous galaxies in the universe, the closest stars to the Sun, and it will detect most of the main belt asteroids larger than 3 km. The single WISE instrument consists of a 40 cm diamond-turned aluminum afocal telescope, a two-stage solid hydrogen cryostat, a scan mirror mechanism, and reimaging optics giving 5 resolution (full-width-half-maximum). The use of dichroics and beamsplitters allows four color images of a 47' x47' field of view to be taken every 8.8 seconds, synchronized with the orbital motion to provide total sky coverage with overlap between revolutions. WISE will be placed into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit on a Delta 7320-10 launch vehicle. The WISE survey approach is simple and efficient. The three-axis-stabilized spacecraft rotates at a constant rate while the scan mirror freezes the telescope line of sight during each exposure. WISE has completed its mission Preliminary Design Review and its NASA Confirmation Review, and the project is awaiting confirmation from NASA to proceed to the Critical Design phase. Much of the payload hardware is now complete, and assembly of the payload will occur over the next year. WISE is scheduled to launch in late 2009; the project web site can be found at www.wise.ssl.berkeley.edu.

aster↗
NASA NTRS2007

Air Coupled Acoustic Thermography (ACAT) Inspection Technique

The scope of this effort is to determine the viability of a new heating technique using a noncontact acoustic excitation source. Because of low coupling between air and the structure, a synchronous detection method is employed. Any reduction in the out of plane stiffness improves the acoustic coupling efficiency and as a result, defective areas have an increase in temperature relative to the surrounding area. Hence a new measurement system, based on air-coupled acoustic energy and synchronous detection is presented. An analytical model of a clamped circular plate is given, experimentally tested, and verified. Repeatability confirms the technique with a measurement uncertainty of plus or minus 6.2 percent. The range of frequencies used was 800-2,000 Hertz. Acoustic excitation and consequent thermal detection of flaws in a helicopter blade is examined and results indicate that air coupled acoustic excitation enables the detection of core damage in sandwich honeycomb structures.

Zalameda, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1998

Spacecraft Reed-Solomon downlink module

Apparatus and method for providing downlink frames to be transmitted from a spacecraft to a ground station. Each downlink frame includes a synchronization pattern and a transfer frame. The apparatus may comprise a monolithic Reed-Solomon downlink (RSDL) encoding chip coupled to data buffers for storing transfer frames. The RSKL chip includes a timing device, a bus interface, a timing and control unit, a synchronization pattern unit, and a Reed-Solomon encoding unit, and a bus arbiter.

Luong, Huy H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Interferometric system for precision imaging of vibrating structures

An optical profiler is modified in a way which allows it to image a MEMS device at various points during the movement of the MEMS device. The light source is synchronized with a desired movement of the MEMS device. The light source produces pulse at each synchronization period. During each pulse, an interferometric measurement is carried out. So long as the pulse is short enough such that the device does not move significantly, a detection of the position of the device can be accurately obtained.

Gutierrez, Roman C.↗
NASA NTRS2005

High-speed electromechanical shutter for imaging spectrographs

The present invention presents a high-speed electromechanical shutter which has at least two rotary beam choppers that are synchronized using a phase-locked loop electronic control to reduce the duty cycle. These choppers have blade means that can comprise discs or drums, each having about 60 (+/-15) slots which are from about 0.3 to about 0.8 mm wide and about 5 to about 20 mm long (radially) which are evenly distributed through out 360?, and a third rotary chopper which is optically aligned has a small number of slots, such as for example, 1 to 10 slots which are about 1 to about 2 mm wide and about 5 to about 20 mm long (radially). Further the blade means include phase slots that allow the blade means to be phase locked using a closed loop control circuit. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the system also has a leaf shutter. Thus the invention preferably achieves a gate width of less than about 100 microseconds, using motors that operate at 3000 to 10,000 rpm, and with a phase jitter of less than about 1.5 microseconds, and further using an aperture with more than about 75% optical transmission with a clear aperture of about 0.8 mm?10 mm. The system can be synchronized to external sources at 0 6 kHz lasers, data acquisition systems, and cameras.

Nguyen, Quang-Viet↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fiber optic voice/data network

An asynchronous, high-speed, fiber optic local area network originally developed for tactical environments with additional benefits for other environments such as spacecraft, and the like. The network supports ordinary data packet traffic simultaneously with synchronous T1 voice traffic over a common token ring channel; however, the techniques and apparatus of this invention can be applied to any deterministic class of packet data networks, including multitier backbones, that must transport stream data (e.g., video, SAR, sensors) as well as data. A voice interface module parses, buffers, and resynchronizes the voice data to the packet network employing elastic buffers on both the sending and receiving ends. Voice call setup and switching functions are performed external to the network with ordinary PABX equipment. Clock information is passed across network boundaries in a token passing ring by preceeding the token with an idle period of non-transmission which allows the token to be used to re-establish a clock synchronized to the data. Provision is made to monitor and compensate the elastic receiving buffers so as to prevent them from overflowing or going empty.

Bergman, Larry A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Implementation of Satellite Formation Flight Algorithms Using SPHERES Aboard the International Space Station

The MIT's Space Systems Laboratory developed the Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) as a risk-tolerant spaceborne facility to develop and mature control, estimation, and autonomy algorithms for distributed satellite systems for applications such as satellite formation flight. Tests performed study interferometric mission-type formation flight maneuvers in deep space. These tests consist of having the satellites trace a coordinated trajectory under tight control that would allow simulated apertures to constructively interfere observed light and measure the resulting increase in angular resolution. This paper focuses on formation initialization (establishment of a formation using limited field of view relative sensors), formation coordination (synchronization of the different satellite s motion) and fuel-balancing among the different satellites.

Mandy, Christophe P.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Long Term Mean Local Time of the Ascending Node Prediction

Significant error has been observed in the long term prediction of the Mean Local Time of the Ascending Node on the Aqua spacecraft. This error of approximately 90 seconds over a two year prediction is a complication in planning and timing of maneuvers for all members of the Earth Observing System Afternoon Constellation, which use Aqua's MLTAN as the reference for their inclination maneuvers. It was determined that the source of the prediction error was the lack of a solid Earth tide model in the operational force models. The Love Model of the solid Earth tide potential was used to derive analytic corrections to the inclination and right ascension of the ascending node of Aqua's Sun-synchronous orbit. Additionally, it was determined that the resonance between the Sun and orbit plane of the Sun-synchronous orbit is the primary driver of this error. The analytic corrections have been added to the operational force models for the Aqua spacecraft reducing the two-year 90-second error to less than 7 seconds.

McKinley, David P.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Motion Parameters Determination of the SC and Phobos in the Project Phobos-Grunt

The SC "Phobos-Grunt" flight is planned to 2009 in Russia with the purpose to deliver to the Earth the soil samples of the Mars satellite Phobos. The mission will pass under the following scheme [1-4]: the SC flight from the Earth to the Mars, the SC transit on the Mars satellite orbit, the motion round the Mars on the observation orbit and on the quasi-synchronous one [5], landing on Phobos, taking of a ground and start in the direction to the Earth. The implementation of complicated dynamical operations in the Phobos vicinity is foreseen by the project. The SC will be in a disturbance sphere of gravitational fields from the Sun, the Mars and the Phobos. The SC orbit determination is carried out on a totality of trajectory measurements executed from ground tracking stations and measurements of autonomous systems onboard space vehicle relatively the Phobos. As ground measurements the radio engineering measurements of range and range rate are used. There are possible as onboard optical observations of the Phobos by a television system and ranges from the SC up to the Phobos surface by laser locator. As soon as the Phobos orbit accuracy is insufficient for a solution of a problem of landing its orbit determination will be carried out together with determination of the SC orbit. Therefore the algorithms for joint improving of initial conditions of the SC and the Phobos are necessary to determine parameters of the SC relative the Phobos motion within a single dynamical motion model. After putting on the martial satellite orbit, on the Phobos observation orbit, on the quasi-synchronous orbit in the Phobos vicinity the equipment guidance and the following process of the SC orbit determination relatively Phobos requires a priori knowledge of the Phobos orbit parameters with sufficiently high precision. These parameters should be obtained beforehand using both all modern observations and historical ones.

Akim, E. L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Reusable and Extensible High Level Data Distributions

This paper presents a reusable design of a data distribution framework for data parallel high performance applications. We are implementing the design in the context of the Chapel high productivity programming language. Distributions in Chapel are a means to express locality in systems composed of large numbers of processor and memory components connected by a network. Since distributions have a great effect on,the performance of applications, it is important that the distribution strategy can be chosen by a user. At the same time, high productivity concerns require that the user is shielded from error-prone, tedious details such as communication and synchronization. We propose an approach to distributions that enables the user to refine a language-provided distribution type and adjust it to optimize the performance of the application. Additionally, we conceal from the user low-level communication and synchronization details to increase productivity. To emphasize the generality of our distribution machinery, we present its abstract design in the form of a design pattern, which is independent of a concrete implementation. To illustrate the applicability of our distribution framework design, we outline the implementation of data distributions in terms of the Chapel language.

patterns↗
NASA NTRS2008

High Velocity Linear Induction Launcher with Exit-Edge Compensation for Testing of Aerospace Components

Advances in ultra high speed linear induction electromagnetic launchers over the past decade have focused on magnetic compensation of the exit and entry-edge transient flux wave to produce efficient and compact linear electric machinery. The paper discusses two approaches to edge compensation in long-stator induction catapults with typical end speeds of 150 to 1,500 m/s. In classical linear induction machines, the exit-edge effect is manifest as two auxiliary traveling waves that produce a magnetic drag on the projectile and a loss of magnetic flux over the main surface of the machine. In the new design for the Stator Compensated Induction Machine (SCIM) high velocity launcher, the exit-edge effect is nulled by a dual wavelength machine or alternately the airgap flux is peaked at a location prior to the exit edge. A four (4) stage LIM catapult is presently being constructed for 180 m/s end speed operation using double-sided longitudinal flux machines. Advanced exit and entry edge compensation is being used to maximize system efficiency, and minimize stray heating of the reaction armature. Each stage will output approximately 60 kN of force and produce over 500 G s of acceleration on the armature. The advantage of this design is there is no ablation to the projectile and no sliding contacts, allowing repeated firing of the launcher without maintenance of any sort. The paper shows results of a parametric study for 500 m/s and 1,500 m/s linear induction launchers incorporating two of the latest compensation techniques for an air-core stator primary and an iron-core primary winding. Typical thrust densities for these machines are in the range of 150 kN/sq.m. to 225 kN/sq.m. and these compete favorably with permanent magnet linear synchronous machines. The operational advantages of the high speed SCIM launcher are shown by eliminating the need for pole-angle position sensors as would be required by synchronous systems. The stator power factor is also improved.

Kuznetsov, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2007

Iapetus' Geophysics: Rotation Rate, Shape, and Equatorial Ridge

Iapetus has preserved evidence that constrains the modeling of its geophysical history from the time of its accretion until now. The evidence is (a) its present 79.33-day rotation or spin rate, (b) its shape that corresponds to the equilibrium figure for a hydrostatic body rotating with a period of approximately 16 h, and (c) its high, equatorial ridge, which is unique in the Solar System. This paper reports the results of an investigation into the coupling between Iapetus' thermal and orbital evolution for a wide range of conditions including the spatial distributions with time of composition, porosity, short-lived radioactive isotopes (SLRI), and temperature. The thermal model uses conductive heat transfer with temperature-dependent conductivity. Only models with a thick lithosphere and an interior viscosity in the range of about the water ice melting point can explain the observed shape. Short-lived radioactive isotopes provide the heat needed to decrease porosity in Iapetus? early history. This increases thermal conductivity and allows the development of the strong lithosphere that is required to preserve the 16-h rotational shape and the high vertical relief of the topography. Long-lived radioactive isotopes and SLRI raise internal temperatures high enough that significant tidal dissipation can start, and despin Iapetus to synchronous rotation. This occurred several hundred million years after Iapetus formed. The models also constrain the time when Iapetus formed because the successful models are critically dependent upon having just the right amount of heat added by SLRI decay in this early period. The amount of heat available from short-lived radioactivity is not a free parameter but is fixed by the time when Iapetus accreted, by the canonical concentration of Al-26, and, to a lesser extent, by the concentration of Fe-60. The needed amount of heat is available only if Iapetus accreted between 2.5 and 5.0Myr after the formation of the calcium aluminum inclusions as found in meteorites. Models with these features allow us to explain Iapetus? present synchronous rotation, its fossil 16-h shape, and the context within which the equatorial ridge arose.

geophysics↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and Status

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is an international satellite mission to unify and advance global precipitation measurements from a constellation of dedicated and operational microwave sensors. The GPM concept centers on the deployment of a Core Spacecraft in a non-Sun-synchronous orbit at 65' inclination carrying a dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) and a multi-frequency passive microwave radiometer (GMI) with high-frequency capabilities to serve as a precipitation physics observatory and calibration standard for the constellation radiometers. The baseline GPM constellation is envisioned to comprise conical-scanning microwave imagers (e.g., GMI, SSMIS, AMSR, MIS, MADRAS, GPM-Brazil) augmented with cross-track microwave temperaturelhumidity sounders (e.g., MHS, ATMS) over land. In addition to the Core Satellite, the GPM Mission will contribute a second GMI to be flown in a low-inclination (approx.40deg) non-Sun-synchronous orbit to improve near real-time monitoring of hurricanes. GPM is a science mission with integrated applications goals aimed at (1) advancing the knowledge of the global waterlenergy cycle variability and freshwater availability and (2) improving weather, climate, and hydrological prediction capabilities through more accurate and frequent measurements of global precipitation. The GPM Mission is currently a partnership between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with opportunities for additional partners in satellite constellation and ground validation activities. Within the framework of the inter-governmental Group ob Earth Observations (GEO) and Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), GPM has been identified as a cornerstone for the Precipitation Constellation (PC) being developed under the auspices of Committee of Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). The GPM Core Observatory is scheduled for launch in 201 3, followed by the launch of the GPM Low- Inclination Observatory in 2014. An overview of the GPM mission status, instrument capabilities, ground validation plans, and anticipated scientific and societal benefits will be presented.

Hou, Arthur↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and Status

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is an international satellite mission to unify and advance global precipitation measurements from a constellation of dedicated and operational microwave sensors. The GPM concept centers on the deployment of a Core Spacecraft in a non-Sun-synchronous orbit at 65 degrees inclination carrying a dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) and a multi-frequency passive microwave radiometer (GMI) with high-frequency capabilities to serve as a precipitation physics observatory and calibration standard for the constellation radiometers. The baseline GPM constellation is envisioned to comprise conical-scanning microwave imagers (e.g., GMI, SSMIS, AMSR, MIS, MADRAS, GPM-Brazil) augmented with cross-track microwave temperature/humidity sounders (e.g., MHS, ATMS) over land. In addition to the Core Satellite, the GPM Mission will contribute a second GMI to be flown in a low-inclination (approximately 40 deg.) non-Sun-synchronous orbit to improve near real-time monitoring of hurricanes. GPM is a science mission with integrated applications goals aimed at (1) advancing the knowledge of the global water/energy cycle variability and freshwater availability and (2) improving weather, climate, and hydrological prediction capabilities through more accurate and frequent measurements of global precipitation. The GPM Mission is currently a partnership between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with opportunities for additional partners in satellite constellation and ground validation activities. Within the framework of the inter-governmental Group ob Earth Observations (GEO) and Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), GPM has been identified as a cornerstone for the Precipitation Constellation (PC) being developed under the auspices of Committee of Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). The GPM Core Observatory is scheduled for launch in 2013, followed by the launch of the GPM Low-Inclination Observatory in 2014. An overview of the GPM mission status, instrument capabilities, ground validation plans, and anticipated scientific and societal benefits will be presented.

Hou, Arthur↗