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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.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Formal Methods Tool Qualification

Formal methods tools have been shown to be effective at finding defects in safety-critical digital systems including avionics systems. The publication of DO-178C and the accompanying formal methods supplement DO-333 allows applicants to obtain certification credit for the use of formal methods without providing justification for them as an alternative method. This project conducted an extensive study of existing formal methods tools, identifying obstacles to their qualification and proposing mitigations for those obstacles. Further, it interprets the qualification guidance for existing formal methods tools and provides case study examples for open source tools. This project also investigates the feasibility of verifying formal methods tools by generating proof certificates which capture proof of the formal methods tool's claim, which can be checked by an independent, proof certificate checking tool. Finally, the project investigates the feasibility of qualifying this proof certificate checker, in the DO-330 framework, in lieu of qualifying the model checker itself.

Wagner, Lucas G.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Safety Sufficiency for NextGen: Assessment of Selected Existing Safety Methods, Tools, Processes, and Regulations

NextGen is a complex socio-technical system and, in many ways, it is expected to be more complex than the current system. It is vital to assess the safety impact of the NextGen elements (technologies, systems, and procedures) in a rigorous and systematic way and to ensure that they do not compromise safety. In this study, the NextGen elements in the form of Operational Improvements (OIs), Enablers, Research Activities, Development Activities, and Policy Issues were identified. The overall hazard situation in NextGen was outlined; a high-level hazard analysis was conducted with respect to multiple elements in a representative NextGen OI known as OI-0349 (Automation Support for Separation Management); and the hazards resulting from the highly dynamic complexity involved in an OI-0349 scenario were illustrated. A selected but representative set of the existing safety methods, tools, processes, and regulations was then reviewed and analyzed regarding whether they are sufficient to assess safety in the elements of that OI and ensure that safety will not be compromised and whether they might incur intolerably high costs.

Xu, Xidong↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cylindrical surface profile and diameter measuring tool and method

A tool is shown having a cross beam assembly made of beams joined by a center box structure. The assembly is adapted to be mounted by brackets to the outer end of a cylindrical case. The center box structure has a vertical shaft rotatably mounted therein and extending beneath the assembly. Secured to the vertical shaft is a radius arm which is adapted to rotate with the shaft. On the longer end of the radius arm is a measuring tip which contacts the cylindrical surface to be measured and which provides an electric signal representing the radius of the cylindrical surface from the center of rotation of the radius arm. An electric servomotor rotates the vertical shaft and an electronic resolver provides an electric signal representing the angle of rotation of the shaft. The electric signals are provided to a computer station which has software for its computer to calculate and print out the continuous circumference profile of the cylindrical surface, and give its true diameter and the deviations from the ideal circle.

Currie, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Cylindrical surface profile and diameter measuring tool and method

A tool is shown having a cross beam assembly (15) made of beams (18, 19, 20, 21) joined by a center box structure (23). The assembly (15) is adapted to be mounted by brackets (16) to the outer end of a cylindrical case (11). The center box structure (23) has a vertical shaft (25) rotatably mounted therein and extending beneath the assembly (15). Secured to the vertical shaft (25) is a radius arm (28) which is adapted to rotate with shaft (25). On the longer end of the radius arm (28) is a measuring tip (30) which contacts the cylindrical surface to be measured and which provides an electric signal representing the radius of the cylindrical surface from the center of rotation of the radius arm (28). An electric servomotor (49) rotates the vertical shaft (25) and an electronic resolver (61) provides an electric signal representing the angle of rotation of the shaft (25). The electric signals are provided to a computer station (73) which has software for its computer to calculate and print out the continuous circumference profile of the cylindrical surface, and give its true diameter and the deviations from the ideal circle.

Currie, James R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Self-advancing step-tap tool

Methods and tool for simultaneously forming a bore in a work piece and forming a series of threads in said bore. In an embodiment, the tool has a predetermined axial length, a proximal end, and a distal end, said tool comprising: a shank located at said proximal end; a pilot drill portion located at said distal end; and a mill portion intermediately disposed between said shank and said pilot drill portion. The mill portion is comprised of at least two drill-tap sections of predetermined axial lengths and at least one transition section of predetermined axial length, wherein each of said at least one transition section is sandwiched between a distinct set of two of said at least two drill-tap sections. The at least two drill-tap sections are formed of one or more drill-tap cutting teeth spirally increasing along said at least two drill-tap sections, wherein said tool is self-advanced in said work piece along said formed threads, and wherein said tool simultaneously forms said bore and said series of threads along a substantially similar longitudinal axis.

Pettit, Donald R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Air traffic management evaluation tool

Methods for evaluating and implementing air traffic management tools and approaches for managing and avoiding an air traffic incident before the incident occurs. A first system receives parameters for flight plan configurations (e.g., initial fuel carried, flight route, flight route segments followed, flight altitude for a given flight route segment, aircraft velocity for each flight route segment, flight route ascent rate, flight route descent route, flight departure site, flight departure time, flight arrival time, flight destination site and/or alternate flight destination site), flight plan schedule, expected weather along each flight route segment, aircraft specifics, airspace (altitude) bounds for each flight route segment, navigational aids available. The invention provides flight plan routing and direct routing or wind optimal routing, using great circle navigation and spherical Earth geometry. The invention provides for aircraft dynamics effects, such as wind effects at each altitude, altitude changes, airspeed changes and aircraft turns to provide predictions of aircraft trajectory (and, optionally, aircraft fuel use). A second system provides several aviation applications using the first system. Several classes of potential incidents are analyzed and averted, by appropriate change en route of one or more parameters in the flight plan configuration, as provided by a conflict detection and resolution module and/or traffic flow management modules. These applications include conflict detection and resolution, miles-in trail or minutes-in-trail aircraft separation, flight arrival management, flight re-routing, weather prediction and analysis and interpolation of weather variables based upon sparse measurements. The invention combines these features to provide an aircraft monitoring system and an aircraft user system that interact and negotiate changes with each other.

Sridhar, Banavar↗
NASA NTRS2010

Air traffic management evaluation tool

Method and system for evaluating and implementing air traffic management tools and approaches for managing and avoiding an air traffic incident before the incident occurs. The invention provides flight plan routing and direct routing or wind optimal routing, using great circle navigation and spherical Earth geometry. The invention provides for aircraft dynamics effects, such as wind effects at each altitude, altitude changes, airspeed changes and aircraft turns to provide predictions of aircraft trajectory (and, optionally, aircraft fuel use). A second system provides several aviation applications using the first system. These applications include conflict detection and resolution, miles-in trail or minutes-in-trail aircraft separation, flight arrival management, flight re-routing, weather prediction and analysis and interpolation of weather variables based upon sparse measurements.

Sridhar, Banavar↗
NASA NTRS2010

Tools and Methods for the Registration and Fusion of Remotely Sensed Data

Tools and methods for image registration were reviewed. Methods for the registration of remotely sensed data at NASA were discussed. Image fusion techniques were reviewed. Challenges in registration of remotely sensed data were discussed. Examples of image registration and image fusion were given.

Goshtasby, Arthur Ardeshir↗
NASA NTRS2011

Developmental Testing of Habitability and Human Factors Tools and Methods During Neemo 15

Currently, no established methods exist to collect real-time human factors and habitability data while crewmembers are living aboard the International Space Station (ISS), traveling aboard other space vehicles, or living in remote habitats. Currently, human factors and habitability data regarding space vehicles and habitats are acquired at the end of missions during postflight crew debriefs. These debriefs occur weeks or often longer after events have occurred, which forces a significant reliance on incomplete human memory, which is imperfect. Without a means to collect real-time data, small issues may have a cumulative effect and continue to cause crew frustration and inefficiencies. Without timely and appropriate reporting methodologies, issues may be repeated or lost. TOOL DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION: As part of a directed research project (DRP) aiming to develop and validate tools and methods for collecting near real-time human factors and habitability data, a preliminary set of tools and methods was developed. These tools and methods were evaluated during the NASA Extreme Environments Mission Operations (NEEMO) 15 mission in October 2011. Two versions of a software tool were used to collect observational data from NEEMO crewmembers that also used targeted strategies for using video cameras to collect observations. Space habitability observation reporting tool (SHORT) was created based on a tool previously developed by NASA to capture human factors and habitability issues during spaceflight. SHORT uses a web-based interface that allows users to enter a text description of any observations they wish to report and assign a priority level if changes are needed. In addition to the web-based format, a mobile Apple (iOS) format was implemented, referred to as iSHORT. iSHORT allows users to provide text, audio, photograph, and video data to report observations. iSHORT can be deployed on an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad; for NEEMO 15, the app was provided on an iPad2.

Thaxton, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Advanced Curation Development of Tools and Methods for Microparticle Curation

The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at NASA Johnson Space Center is currently developing new tools and methods for the collection, storage, handling and characterization of particles less than 100 microns in diameter, or microparticles. Astromaterials Curation currently maintains four microparticle collections: Cosmic Dust that has been collected in Earth’s stratosphere by ER2 and WB-57 aircraft, Comet 81P/Wild 2 dust returned by NASA’s Stardust spacecraft, interstellar dust that was returned by Stardust, and asteroid Itokawa particles that were returned by the JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)’s Hayabusa spacecraft. NASA Curation is currently preparing for the anticipated return of two new astromaterials collections – asteroid Ryugu regolith to be collected by Hayabusa II spacecraft in 2021 (samples will be provided by JAXA as part of an international agreement), and asteroid Bennu regolith to be collected by the OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security - Regolith Explorer) spacecraft in 2023. In order to maximize the scientific yield from these valuable acquisitions, it will be necessary to develop methods that extend our current microsample handling capabilities. Here we describe recent progress in the development of sample handling techniques that will enhance our microparticle curation capabilities. Further described are: Six-Axis Robot Arms for Particle Manipulation, and Charge-Dissipative Substrates.

Snead, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS2017

Formal Assurance Certifiable Tooling Formal Assurance Certifiable Tooling Strategy Final Report

This is the Final Report of a research project to investigate issues and provide guidance for the qualification of formal methods tools under the DO-330 qualification process. It consisted of three major subtasks spread over two years: 1) an assessment of theoretical soundness issues that may affect qualification for three categories of formal methods tools, 2) a case study simulating the DO-330 qualification of two actual tool sets, and 3) an investigation of risk mitigation strategies that might be applied to chains of such formal methods tools in order to increase confidence in their certification of airborne software.

Bush, Eric↗
NASA NTRS2011

Human factors process failure modes and effects analysis (HF PFMEA) software tool

Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for automatically performing Human Factors Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for a process are provided. At least one task involved in a process is identified, where the task includes at least one human activity. The human activity is described using at least one verb. A human error potentially resulting from the human activity is automatically identified, the human error is related to the verb used in describing the task. A likelihood of occurrence, detection, and correction of the human error is identified. The severity of the effect of the human error is identified. The likelihood of occurrence, and the severity of the risk of potential harm is identified. The risk of potential harm is compared with a risk threshold to identify the appropriateness of corrective measures.

Chandler, Faith T.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Decision Support Methods and Tools

This paper is one of a set of papers, developed simultaneously and presented within a single conference session, that are intended to highlight systems analysis and design capabilities within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC). This paper focuses on the specific capabilities of uncertainty/risk analysis, quantification, propagation, decomposition, and management, robust/reliability design methods, and extensions of these capabilities into decision analysis methods within SACD. These disciplines are discussed together herein under the name of Decision Support Methods and Tools. Several examples are discussed which highlight the application of these methods within current or recent aerospace research at the NASA LaRC. Where applicable, commercially available, or government developed software tools are also discussed

Green, Lawrence L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Method and tool for machining a transverse slot about a bore

A method and apparatus for cutting a transverse slot about a bore of smaller diameter than that of the slot are disclosed. The invention consists of introducing a cutting head facing transversely to the bore, through the bore opening its distance from the mill shaft being progressively extended by the addition of spacers between the head and the shaft until the desired slot depth is obtained. The spacers are held in position by a cable passing from the cutting head through the series of spacers and out along the mill shaft. The mill shaft carrying the cutting head is moved transversely into the object wherein the slot is being cut as the object is being rotated thereabout by the mill table to which it is affixed.

David-Malig, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Formal Analysis of the Remote Agent Before and After Flight

This paper describes two separate efforts that used the SPIN model checker to verify deep space autonomy flight software. The first effort occurred at the beginning of a spiral development process and found five concurrency errors early in the design cycle that the developers acknowledge would not have been found through testing. This effort required a substantial manual modeling effort involving both abstraction and translation from the prototype LISP code to the PROMELA language used by SPIN. This experience and others led to research to address the gap between formal method tools and the development cycle used by software developers. The Java PathFinder tool which directly translates from Java to PROMELA was developed as part of this research, as well as automatic abstraction tools. In 1999 the flight software flew on a space mission, and a deadlock occurred in a sibling subsystem to the one which was the focus of the first verification effort. A second quick-response "cleanroom" verification effort found the concurrency error in a short amount of time. The error was isomorphic to one of the concurrency errors found during the first verification effort. The paper demonstrates that formal methods tools can find concurrency errors that indeed lead to loss of spacecraft functions, even for the complex software required for autonomy. Second, it describes progress in automatic translation and abstraction that eventually will enable formal methods tools to be inserted directly into the aerospace software development cycle.

Havelund, Klaus↗
NASA NTRS2019

Using Science Operations Tools and Methods from NASA for Remote Presence Ocean Exploration on Earth: E/V Nautilus Cruise NA108

NASA Ames' Exploration Ground Data Systems (xGDS) supports rapid scientific decision making by synchronizing information in time and space, including video and still images, scientific instrument data, and science and operations notes in geographic and temporal context. We have deployed xGDS at multiple NASA field analog missions over the past decade.In the last two years, we have participated in SUBSEA, a multi-institution collaborative project. SUBSEA used the research ship E/V Nautilus along with its two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), Hercules and Argus, to explore deep ocean volcanic vents as an analog for ocean worlds (e.g. Enceladus). This work allowed us to compare the existing oceanographic operations methods and technologies used for ocean exploration with corresponding tools and approaches developed and used at NASA. In the first year of SUBSEA we observed existing remote science operations from the Inner Space Center (ISC). In the second year, we deployed xGDS at ISC to complement existing capabilities with xGDS tools designed to support remote Nautilus science operations from the ISC. During operations, video, ROV position and instrument telemetry were streamed from the ship to the ISC. As the science team watched dive operations, they could annotate the data with observations that were relevant to their work domain. Later, the team members could review the data at their own pace to collaboratively develop a dive plan for the next day, which had to be delivered on a fixed daily schedule.The opportunity to compare operations under different conditions enabled us to make several key observations about conducting remote science and planning operations efficiently: (i) Reviewing data collaboratively and interactively with temporal and spatial context was critical for the remote science team's ability to plan dive operations on the Nautilus. (ii) Science team members were actively engaged with the remote dive operations because they could interact with the collected data and visualize it as they desired. (iii) Being able to replay past events at accelerated speeds, and jump to points in time and spaced based on search results, provided efficient access to critical points of interest in a massive volume of data, so the remote science team could deliver plans on time. SUBSEA (Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog) is a multi-institution collaboration supported by NASA, NOAA's Office of Exploration Research (OER), the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). ISC is GSO's telepresence operations facility.

Lees, David S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Integrated National and Regional Agricultural Planning with AgMIP Tools and Methods

AgMIP, through its unique integration of multi-modeling approaches with stakeholder engagement, has advanced co-development of decision support tools and adaptation strategies in the face of climate change and other shocks (especially COVID-19). This has helped generate actionable information for adaptation planning processes in developing countries. Local-to-national stakeholders and decision-makers appreciate the research-informed stakeholder dialogue as very helpful in identifying research and policy gaps. These motivate concise recommendations for productivity-enhancing, environmentally sound technologies, and inclusive development approaches. Furthermore, these stakeholder dialogues help bridge the gaps between policy, research, and adaptation strategies, especially for low-input smallholder farming systems.

Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement↗
NASA NTRS2003

Propel: Tools and Methods for Practical Source Code Model Checking

The work reported here is an overview and snapshot of a project to develop practical model checking tools for in-the-loop verification of NASA s mission-critical, multithreaded programs in Java and C++. Our strategy is to develop and evaluate both a design concept that enables the application of model checking technology to C++ and Java, and a model checking toolset for C++ and Java. The design concept and the associated model checking toolset is called Propel. It builds upon the Java PathFinder (JPF) tool, an explicit state model checker for Java applications developed by the Automated Software Engineering group at NASA Ames Research Center. The design concept that we are developing is Design for Verification (D4V). This is an adaption of existing best design practices that has the desired side-effect of enhancing verifiability by improving modularity and decreasing accidental complexity. D4V, we believe, enhances the applicability of a variety of V&V approaches; we are developing the concept in the context of model checking. The model checking toolset, Propel, is based on extending JPF to handle C++. Our principal tasks in developing the toolset are to build a translator from C++ to Java, productize JPF, and evaluate the toolset in the context of D4V. Through all these tasks we are testing Propel capabilities on customer applications.

Mansouri-Samani, Massoud↗