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NASA NTRS2007

Initial Ares I Bending Filter Design

The Ares-I launch vehicle represents a challenging flex-body structural environment for control system design. Software filtering of the inertial sensor output will be required to ensure control system stability and adequate performance. This paper presents a design methodology employing numerical optimization to develop the Ares-I bending filters. The filter design methodology was based on a numerical constrained optimization approach to maximize stability margins while meeting performance requirements. The resulting bending filter designs achieved stability by adding lag to the first structural frequency and hence phase stabilizing the first Ares-I flex mode. To minimize rigid body performance impacts, a priority was placed via constraints in the optimization algorithm to minimize bandwidth decrease with the addition of the bending filters. The bending filters provided here have been demonstrated to provide a stable first stage control system in both the frequency domain and the MSFC MAVERIC time domain simulation.

Jang, Jiann-Woei↗

NASA NTRS2008

Commercialization of LARC(TradeMark)-SI Polyimide Technology

LARC(TradeMark)-SI, Langley Research Center-Soluble Imide, was developed in 1992. This new polyimide won a 1995 Research and Development 100 Award, with the first patent issuing in 1997 and subsequent issued patents in 1998 and 2000. Currently, this polymer has been successfully licensed by NASA, and has generated revenues in excess of 1.4 million dollars. This might seem insignificant in comparison to industrially developed technology, where the customer is understood, technologies that use a novel assembly of commercial off the shelf (COTS) components, or software patents and "method based" innovations that do not require any material beyond labor, as examples. However, consider that LARC(TradeMark)-SI competes in areas currently dominated by traditional materials at a cost disadvantage ($350/lb) and that the physical-mechanical properties of LARC(TradeMark)-SI are similar to other high performance polymers. Indeed the success of this particular polymer was due to many factors and many lessons learned to the point that the invention was the most important, but least significant part in the commercialization of this material. This brief paper outlines the significant factors that occurred to make this technology available for the public access and application development that led to the licensing success of this material.

Bryant, Robert G.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Aeroservoelastic Testing of a Sidewall Mounted Free Flying Wind-Tunnel Model

A team comprised of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and the NASA Langley Research Center conducted three j wind-tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to demonstrate active control technologies relevant to large, exible vehicles. In the rst of these three tests, a semispan, aeroelastically scaled, wind-tunnel model of a ying wing SensorCraft vehi- cle was mounted to a force balance to demonstrate gust load alleviation. In the second and third tests, the same wing was mated to a new, multi-degree-of-freedom, sidewall mount. This mount allowed the half-span model to translate vertically and pitch at the wing root, allowing better simulation of the full span vehicle's rigid-body modes. Gust Load Alleviation (GLA) and Body Freedom Flutter (BFF) suppression were successfully demonstrated. The rigid body degrees-of-freedom required that the model be own in the wind tunnel using an active control system. This risky mode of testing necessitated that a model arrestment system be integrated into the new mount. The safe and successful completion of these free-flying tests required the development and integration of custom hardware and software. This paper describes the many systems, software, and procedures that were developed as part of this effort.

Scott, Robert C.↗

NASA NTRS2009

DSN Simulator

The DSN Simulator (wherein DSN signifies NASA's Deep Space Network) is an updated version of the software described in DSN Array Simulator (NPO-44506), Software Tech Briefs (Special supplement to NASA Tech Briefs), Vol. 32, No. 9 (September 2008), page 26. To recapitulate: This software is used for computational modeling of proposed DSN facilities comprising arrays of antennas and transmitting and receiving equipment for microwave communication with spacecraft on interplanetary missions. Such modeling is performed to estimate facility performance, evaluate requirements that govern facility design, and evaluate proposed improvements in hardware and/or software. The software includes a Monte Carlo simulation component that enables rapid generation of key mission-set metrics (e.g., numbers of links, data rates, and data volumes), and statistical distributions thereof as functions of time. The prior version of the software could model only one DSN facility at a time and included hard-coded, unconfigurable metrics. The present updated version is capable of modeling the entire DSN and provides for configurable metrics, making it possible to perform loading analyses for alternative future DSN architectures and mission-set scenarios. The present version also features an improved user interface and interfaces for exchange of data with other DSN software and with a DSN mission model database.

Fijany, Amir↗

NASA NTRS2011

Aeroservoelastic Wind-Tunnel Tests of a Free-Flying, Joined-Wing SensorCraft Model for Gust Load Alleviation

A team comprised of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Boeing, and the NASA Langley Research Center conducted three aeroservoelastic wind-tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to demonstrate active control technologies relevant to large, exible vehicles. In the first of these three tests, a full-span, aeroelastically scaled, wind-tunnel model of a joined-wing SensorCraft vehicle was mounted to a force balance to acquire a basic aerodynamic data set. In the second and third tests, the same wind-tunnel model was mated to a new, two-degree-of-freedom, beam mount. This mount allowed the full-span model to translate vertically and pitch. Trimmed flight at -10% static margin and gust load alleviation were successfully demonstrated. The rigid body degrees of freedom required that the model be own in the wind tunnel using an active control system. This risky mode of testing necessitated that a model arrestment system be integrated into the new mount. The safe and successful completion of these free-flying tests required the development and integration of custom hardware and software. This paper describes the many systems, software, and procedures that were developed as part of this effort. The balance and free ying wind-tunnel tests will be summarized. The design of the trim and gust load alleviation control laws along with the associated results will also be discussed.

Scott, Robert C.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Histogrammatic Method for Determining Relative Abundance of Input Gas Pulse

To satisfy the Major Constituents Analysis (MCA) requirements for the Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor (VCAM), this software analyzes the relative abundance ratios for N2, O2, Ar, and CO2 as a function of time and constructs their best-estimate mean. A histogram is first built of all abundance ratios for each of the species vs time. The abundance peaks corresponding to the intended measurement and any obfuscating background are then separated via standard peak-finding techniques in histogram space. A voting scheme is then used to include/exclude this particular time sample in the final average based on its membership to the intended measurement or the background population. This results in a robust and reasonable estimate of the abundance of trace components such as CO2 and Ar even in the presence of obfuscating backgrounds internal to the VCAM device. VCAM can provide a means for monitoring the air within the enclosed environments, such as the ISS (International Space Station), Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), a Lunar Habitat, or another vehicle traveling to Mars. Its miniature pre-concentrator, gas chromatograph (GC), and mass spectrometer can provide unbiased detection of a large number of organic species as well as MCA analysis. VCAM s software can identify the concentration of trace chemicals and whether the chemicals are on a targeted list of hazardous compounds. This innovation s performance and reliability on orbit, along with the ground team s assessment of its raw data and analysis results, will validate its technology for future use and development.

Mandrake, Lukas↗

NASA NTRS2012

Automation and Process Improvement Enables a Small Team to Operate a Low Thrust Mission in Orbit Around the Asteroid Vesta

NASA's Dawn mission to the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres launched September 27, 2007 and arrived at Vesta in July of 2011. This mission uses ion propulsion to achieve the necessary delta-V to reach and maneuver at Vesta and Ceres. This paper will show how the evolution of ground system automation and process improvement allowed a relatively small engineering team to transition from cruise operations to asteroid operations while maintaining robust processes. The cruise to Vesta phase lasted almost 4 years and consisted of activities that were built with software tools, but each tool was open loop and required engineers to review the output to ensure consistency. Additionally, this same time period was characterized by the evolution from manually retrieved and reviewed data products to automatically generated data products and data value checking. Furthermore, the team originally took about three to four weeks to design and build about four weeks of spacecraft activities, with spacecraft contacts only once a week. Operations around the asteroid Vesta increased the tempo dramatically by transitioning from one contact a week to three or four contacts a week, to fourteen contacts a week (every 12 hours). This was accompanied by a similar increase in activity complexity as well as very fast turn around activity design and build cycles. The design process became more automated and the tools became closed loop, allowing the team to build more activities without sacrificing rigor. Additionally, these activities were dependent on the results of flight system performance, so more automation was added to analyze the flight data and provide results in a timely fashion to feed the design cycle. All of this automation and process improvement enabled up the engineers to focus on other aspects of spacecraft operations, including spacecraft health monitoring and anomaly resolution.

ground system automation↗

NASA NTRS2013

Aeroservoelastic Testing of Free Flying Wind Tunnel Models Part 1: A Sidewall Supported Semispan Model Tested for Gust Load Alleviation and Flutter Suppression

of a two part document. Part 2 is titled: "Aeroservoelastic Testing of Free Flying Wind Tunnel Models, Part 2: A Centerline Supported Fullspan Model Tested for Gust Load Alleviation." A team comprised of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and the NASA Langley Research Center conducted three aeroservoelastic wind tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to demonstrate active control technologies relevant to large, flexible vehicles. In the first of these three tests, a semispan, aeroelastically scaled, wind tunnel model of a flying wing SensorCraft vehicle was mounted to a force balance to demonstrate gust load alleviation. In the second and third tests, the same wing was mated to a new, multi-degree of freedom, sidewall mount. This mount allowed the half-span model to translate vertically and pitch at the wing root, allowing better simulation of the full span vehicle's rigid body modes. Gust load alleviation (GLA) and Body freedom flutter (BFF) suppression were successfully demonstrated. The rigid body degrees-of-freedom required that the model be flown in the wind tunnel using an active control system. This risky mode of testing necessitated that a model arrestment system be integrated into the new mount. The safe and successful completion of these free flying tests required the development and integration of custom hardware and software. This paper describes the many systems, software, and procedures that were developed as part of this effort.

Scott, Robert C.↗

NASA NTRS2014

UAS-Systems Integration, Validation, and Diagnostics Simulation Capability

As part of the Phase 1 efforts of NASA's UAS-in-the-NAS Project a task was initiated to explore the merits of developing a system simulation capability for UAS to address airworthiness certification requirements. The core of the capability would be a software representation of an unmanned vehicle, including all of the relevant avionics and flight control system components. The specific system elements could be replaced with hardware representations to provide Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWITL) test and evaluation capability. The UAS Systems Integration and Validation Laboratory (UAS-SIVL) was created to provide a UAS-systems integration, validation, and diagnostics hardware-in-the-loop simulation capability. This paper discusses how SIVL provides a robust and flexible simulation framework that permits the study of failure modes, effects, propagation paths, criticality, and mitigation strategies to help develop safety, reliability, and design data that can assist with the development of certification standards, means of compliance, and design best practices for civil UAS.

Buttrill, Catherine W.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Aeroservoelastic Testing of Free Flying Wind Tunnel Models Part 2: A Centerline Supported Fullspan Model Tested for Gust Load Alleviation

This is part 2 of a two part document. Part 1 is titled: "Aeroservoelastic Testing of Free Flying Wind Tunnel Models Part 1: A Sidewall Supported Semispan Model Tested for Gust Load Alleviation and Flutter Suppression." A team comprised of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Boeing, and the NASA Langley Research Center conducted three aeroservoelastic wind tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to demonstrate active control technologies relevant to large, flexible vehicles. In the first of these three tests, a full-span, aeroelastically scaled, wind tunnel model of a joined wing SensorCraft vehicle was mounted to a force balance to acquire a basic aerodynamic data set. In the second and third tests, the same wind tunnel model was mated to a new, two degree of freedom, beam mount. This mount allowed the full-span model to translate vertically and pitch. Trimmed flight at10 percent static margin and gust load alleviation were successfully demonstrated. The rigid body degrees of freedom required that the model be flown in the wind tunnel using an active control system. This risky mode of testing necessitated that a model arrestment system be integrated into the new mount. The safe and successful completion of these free-flying tests required the development and integration of custom hardware and software. This paper describes the many systems, software, and procedures that were developed as part of this effort. The balance and free flying wind tunnel tests will be summarized. The design of the trim and gust load alleviation control laws along with the associated results will also be discussed.

Scott, Robert C.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Upgrading Custom Simulink Library Components for Use in Newer Versions of Matlab

The Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is a control system for monitoring and launching manned launch vehicles. Simulations of ground support equipment (GSE) and the launch vehicle systems are required throughout the life cycle of SCCS to test software, hardware, and procedures to train the launch team. The simulations of the GSE at the launch site in conjunction with off-line processing locations are developed using Simulink, a piece of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software. The simulations that are built are then converted into code and ran in a simulation engine called Trick, a Government off-the-shelf (GOTS) piece of software developed by NASA. In the world of hardware and software, it is not uncommon to see the products that are utilized be upgraded and patched or eventually fade away into an obsolete status. In the case of SCCS simulation software, Matlab, a MathWorks product, has released a number of stable versions of Simulink since the deployment of the software on the Development Work Stations in the Linux environment (DWLs). The upgraded versions of Simulink has introduced a number of new tools and resources that, if utilized fully and correctly, will save time and resources during the overall development of the GSE simulation and its correlating documentation. Unfortunately, simply importing the already built simulations into the new Matlab environment will not suffice as it will produce results that may not be expected as they were in the version that is currently being utilized. Thus, an upgrade execution plan was developed and executed to fully upgrade the simulation environment to one of the latest versions of Matlab.

Matlab Simulation↗

NASA NTRS2015

Formal Methods in Air Traffic Management: The Case of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

As the technological and operational capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) continue to grow, so too does the need to introduce these systems into civil airspace. Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System is a NASA research project that addresses the integration of civil UAS into non-segregated airspace operations. One of the major challenges of this integration is the lack of an onboard pilot to comply with the legal requirement that pilots see and avoid other aircraft. The need to provide an equivalent to this requirement for UAS has motivated the development of a detect and avoid (DAA) capability to provide the appropriate situational awareness and maneuver guidance in avoiding and remaining well clear of traffic aircraft. Formal methods has played a fundamental role in the development of this capability. This talk reports on the formal methods work conducted under NASA's Safe Autonomous System Operations project in support of the development of DAA for UAS. This work includes specification of low-level and high-level functional requirements, formal verification of algorithms, and rigorous validation of software implementations. The talk also discusses technical challenges in formal methods research in the context of the development and safety analysis of advanced air traffic management concepts.

Munoz, Cesar A.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Marshall Space Flight Center Ground Systems Development and Integration

Ground Systems Development and Integration performs a variety of tasks in support of the Mission Operations Laboratory (MOL) and other Center and Agency projects. These tasks include various systems engineering processes such as performing system requirements development, system architecture design, integration, verification and validation, software development, and sustaining engineering of mission operations systems that has evolved the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) into a leader in remote operations for current and future NASA space projects. The group is also responsible for developing and managing telemetry and command configuration and calibration databases. Personnel are responsible for maintaining and enhancing their disciplinary skills in the areas of project management, software engineering, software development, software process improvement, telecommunications, networking, and systems management. Domain expertise in the ground systems area is also maintained and includes detailed proficiency in the areas of real-time telemetry systems, command systems, voice, video, data networks, and mission planning systems.

Wade, Gina↗

NASA NTRS2016

Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System: A Formal Methods Perspective

As the technological and operational capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have grown, so too have international efforts to integrate UAS into civil airspace. However, one of the major concerns that must be addressed in realizing this integration is that of safety. For example, UAS lack an on-board pilot to comply with the legal requirement that pilots see and avoid other aircraft. This requirement has motivated the development of a detect and avoid (DAA) capability for UAS that provides situational awareness and maneuver guidance to UAS operators to aid them in avoiding and remaining well clear of other aircraft in the airspace. The NASA Langley Research Center Formal Methods group has played a fundamental role in the development of this capability. This article gives a selected survey of the formal methods work conducted in support of the development of a DAA concept for UAS. This work includes specification of low-level and high-level functional requirements, formal verification of algorithms, and rigorous validation of software implementations.

Munoz, Cesar A.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Efficient Implementation of Artificial Neural Networks for Sensor Data Analysis Based on a Genetic Algorithm

The reliability of many industrial processes depends on the sensor system. However, these sensors can be affected by noise, perturbations and failures. Hence, sensor monitoring and diagnosis are fundamental to guarantee the quality of an industrial process. Nowadays, artificial neural networks (ANN) are widely used in sensor signal processing and diagnosis. However, those ANNs usually require many artificial neurons, being difficult to implement in software and hardware due to their high computational costs. This paper presents an optimized implementation of artificial neurons in ANNs for sensor data analysis using a Genetic Algorithm (GA). The objective of GA is to find an adequate segmentation to reduce the activation function approximation error. One of the advantages of the proposed approach is that the cost function used in GA considers the effect of factors such as the ANN architecture or the number of bits used in arithmetic operations. The proposed ANN implementation technique aims to get the best possible approximation for a specific ANN architecture, making easier its implementation in software and hardware. Simulation and experimental results using FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) prove the advantages of the proposed approach for implementing sensor data analysis systems based on ANNs.

D estefani, André↗

DOE OSTI2023

Circular queue management with split indexes

Methods and apparatus for managing circular queues are disclosed. A pointer designates an index position of a particular queue element and contains an additional pointer state, whereby two pointer values (split indexes) can designate the same index position. Front and rear pointers are respectively managed by dequeue and enqueue logic. The front pointer state and rear pointer state distinguish full and empty queue states when both pointers designate the same index position. Asynchronous dequeue and enqueue operations are supported, no lock is required, and no queue entry is wasted. Hardware and software embodiments for numerous applications are disclosed.

Miniskar, Narasinga Rao↗

DOE OSTI2024

Autonomous Energy Systems: Building Reliable, Resilient, and Secure Electrified Communities

Technological changes across energy systems are forcing utilities and operators to reconsider their methods for managing power delivery, but few operators have adopted advanced controls and operational software. Their challenge is that every system has peculiar requirements, and the available solutions are relatively new, untested, and difficult to integrate into an operational environment. Through extensive collaboration with utilities and cooperatives, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has realized the need for autonomous and optimized management of energy resources, leading to the development of Autonomous Energy Systems, a packaged set of controls that is ready to be integrated into existing control rooms.

automation↗

DOE OSTI2025

Secure Route: Roadway Risk Mapping for Transportation Planners

The secure transport of sensitive materials across U.S. road networks pose unique challenges for local, state, and federal agencies. Threats range from random events (e.g., accidents, medical emergencies, mechanical failures) to opportunistic or organized tactical assaults. Although the probability of such attacks is very low, the consequences of material loss to foreign states or terrorists can be catastrophic, qualifying these scenarios as “grey swan” events—low-probability, high-impact occurrences that are predictable but difficult to quantify. Traditional risk assessments struggle in these contexts, necessitating a shift toward subjective risk perception to inform planning. Risk perception in transport planning is shaped by various factors, including knowledge of adversarial capabilities, vehicle defenses, manifest details, and geographic features along the route. Geographic features such as bridges, tunnels, roadside elevation, and gaps in cellular coverage introduce vulnerabilities, while mitigative features include safe havens, police stations, and medical services. Temporal variables such as congestion, accidents, and weather further complicate route planning. Despite their importance, existing routing tools like Google Maps and commercial software do not explicitly account for geographic risk features, requiring planners to rely on personal familiarity with routes—a time-intensive, non-scalable approach. This work addresses these gaps by: (1) developing datasets that catalog geographic risk features along U.S. roadways, (2) eliciting risk perceptions from experienced transportation security experts, and (3) linking these perceptions to roadway conditions and geographic data. We implement these capabilities within Secure Route a novel mapping tool for classifying route segment risks associated with roadway conditions. This system provides transportation planners with an intuitive interface to assess and contextualize risk along potential routes, improving decision-making for secure transport. We present current progress in this effort and identify next steps.

Stewart, Robert [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000281867559)↗