Canada's first fixed-site aircraft noise monitoring system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Standen, N.M.

1982-01-01

The nature of aircraft noise management in Canada as it is presently evolving is discussed. The population of aircraft operating in Canada is similar to most western nations with regard to aircraft type. Canada's airport system includes major airports owned and operated by the federal Department of Transport (Transport Canada), airports owned and operated by provinces, municipalities or local commissions, and privately owned and operated airports, largely catering to general aviation. In addition, there are airports which are owned by Transport Canada, but operated by another agency. The consequence of this arrangement is that the major jet transport traffic ismore » handled by airports which are owned and operated by either Transport Canada or another government agency.« less

75 FR 39036 - Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS): Management Operations Certification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-07

... System (PHAS): Management Operations Certification AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD... Management Corporations) submit management information for evaluation of all major areas of a participant's management operations. The information is used to assess the management performance of PHAs. DATES: Comments...

Using archived ITS data to measure the operational benefits of a system-wide adaptive ramp metering system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

A System-Wide Adaptive Ramp Metering (SWARM) system has been implemented in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, replacing the previous pre-timed ramp-metering system that had been in operation since 1981. SWARM has been deployed on six major corr...

Receptionist and Communication Systems Operation. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Center for Instructional Development and Services.

This program guide identifies primary considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of a receptionist and communication systems operation program. An occupational description and program content are presented. A curriculum framework specifies the exact course title, course number, levels of instruction, major course content,…

A Further Look at Technologies and Capabilities for Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

in current S&R operations in Iraq and Afghanistan due to the infrequency of major combat operations. However, other ABCS sub- systems are vital to S&R...complex environments. In terms of the need for an integrated S&R operational planning and execution C2 system , there continues to be a challenge in ... systems (which speaks to the over-reliance on cell phones as a means of

Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System Increment 3 (JMS Inc 3)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

2016 Major Automated Information System Annual Report Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System Increment 3 (JMS Inc 3) Defense...1725 DSN Phone: DSN Fax: Date Assigned: May 16, 2014 Program Information Program Name Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System...approved program baseline; therefore, no Original Estimate has been established. JMS Inc 3 2016 MAR UNCLASSIFIED 4 Program Description The Joint Space

Influence of a new generation of operations support systems on current spacecraft operations philosophy: The users feedback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Darroy, Jean Michel

1993-01-01

Current trends in the spacecraft mission operations area (spacecraft & mission complexity, project duration, required flexibility are requiring a breakthrough for what concerns philosophy, organization, and support tools. A major evolution is related to space operations 'informationalization', i.e adding to existing operations support & data processing systems a new generation of tools based on advanced information technologies (object-oriented programming, artificial intelligence, data bases, hypertext) that automate, at least partially, operations tasks that used be performed manually (mission & project planning/scheduling, operations procedures elaboration & execution, data analysis & failure diagnosis). All the major facets of this 'informationalization' are addressed at MATRA MARCONI SPACE, operational applications were fielded and generic products are becoming available. These various applications have generated a significant feedback from the users (at ESA, CNES, ARIANESPACE, MATRA MARCONI SPACE), which is now allowing us to precisely measure how the deployment of this new generation of tools, that we called OPSWARE, can 'reengineer' current spacecraft mission operations philosophy, how it can make space operations faster, better, and cheaper. This paper can be considered as an update of the keynote address 'Knowledge-Based Systems for Spacecraft Control' presented during the first 'Ground Data Systems for Spacecraft Control' conference in Darmstadt, June 1990, with a special emphasis on these last two years users feedback.

Automated Turn-Key Systems in the Library: Prospects and Perils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownrigg, Edwin Blake; Bruer, J. Michael

1976-01-01

Problems, issues, and alternatives in designing individual, stand alone systems for servicing selected library operations, with emphasis on problems of integrating these with major automated systems, a new mode of operation called coupling, and strategies for dealing with large amounts of retrospective data. (Author/LS)

Tubing vs. buckets: a cost comparison

Treesearch

Neil K. Huyler

1975-01-01

Equipment investment for tubing-vacuum systems was significantly less than that for bucket systems. Tubing-vacuum systems required about 22 percent less labor input, the major labor input being completed before sap-flow periods. Annual cost of operation was less for tubing-vacuum than the bucket system. Small tubing-vacuum operations showed more profit potential than...

Variable speed generator technology options for wind turbine generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipo, T. A.

1995-01-01

The electrical system options for variable speed operation of a wind turbine generator are treated in this paper. The key operating characteristics of each system are discussed and the major advantages and disadvantages of each are identified

Command and Service Module Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Interbartolo, Michael

2009-01-01

This viewgraph presentation examines Command and Service Module (CSM) Communications. The communication system's capabilities are defined, including CSM-Earth, CSM-Lunar Module and CSM-Extravehicular crewman communications. An overview is provided for S-band communications, including data transmission and receiving rates, operating frequencies and major system components (pre-modulation processors, unified S-band electronics, S-band power amplifier and S-band antennas). Additionally, data transmission rates, operating frequencies and the capabilities of VHF communications are described. Major VHF components, including transmitters and receivers, and the VHF multiplexer and antennas are also highlighted. Finally, communications during pre-launch, ascent, in-flight and entry are discussed. Overall, the CSM communication system was rated highly by flight controllers and crew. The system was mostly autonomous for both crew and flight controllers and no major issues were encountered during flight.

School of Advanced Military Studies Research Catalog AY 1983 - 1984 through 1991 - 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

Battalion Night Attack- Command and Con- trol System, Strengths and Weaknesses, ADA Pierce, Kerry K ., Major, EN, E-Force: How 179 280 Agile Is It?, ADA 179...Sturgeon, Douglas E., Major, MI, Gaining an Pierce, Kerry K ., Major, EN, Kursk: A Study Operational Advantage: The Interdiction of in Operational Art...Synchronization Ability of Division? try Division METL and are the Divisions ADA 225 464 Training to Accomplish Them? ADA 225 483 Major James K . Greer, The

Locating Portable Stations to Support the Operation of Bike Sharing Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-26

Redistributing bikes has been a major challenge for the daily operation of bike sharing system around the world. Existing literature explore solution strategies that rely on pick-up-and-delivery routing as well as user incentivization approaches. The...

Employment Trends in Computer Occupations. Bulletin 2101.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, H. Philip; Rothstein, Debra E.

In 1980 1,455,000 persons worked in computer occupations. Two in five were systems analysts or programmers; one in five was a keypunch operator; one in 20 was a computer service technician; and more than one in three were computer and peripheral equipment operators. Employment was concentrated in major urban centers in four major industry…

Nascom System Development Plan: System Description, Capabilities and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The NASA Communications (Nascom) System Development Plan (NSDP), reissued annually, describes the organization of Nascom, how it obtains communication services, its current systems, its relationship with other NASA centers and International Partner Agencies, some major spaceflight projects which generate significant operational communication support requirements, and major Nascom projects in various stages of development or implementation.

System integration of marketable subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

These monthly reports, covering the period February 1978 through June 1978, describe the progress made in the major areas of the program. The areas covered are: systems integration of marketable subsystems; development, design, and building of site data acquisition subsystems; development and operation of the central data processing system; operation of the MSFC Solar Test Facility; and systems analysis.

Rotating assembly working group summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, S. V.

1984-01-01

The feasibility of a fail safe flywheel system was demonstrated. Three of the major advantages of flywheel systems are: longer operational life, higher electrical efficiency, and higher system energy density. The use of composite material flywheels is important to realize these advantages. Rotor design and dynamics, rotor materials and fabrication, safety, nondestructive testing, and systems operation loads and environment, are outlined.

Achieving Lights-Out Operation of SMAP Using Ground Data System Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Antonio

2013-01-01

The approach used in the SMAP ground data system to provide reliable, automated capabilities to conduct unattended operations has been presented. The impacts of automation on the ground data system architecture were discussed, including the three major automation patterns identified for SMAP and how these patterns address the operations use cases. The architecture and approaches used by SMAP will set the baseline for future JPL Earth Science missions.

A computer-based time study system for timber harvesting operations

Treesearch

Jingxin Wang; Joe McNeel; John Baumgras

2003-01-01

A computer-based time study system was developed for timber harvesting operations. Object-oriented techniques were used to model and design the system. The front-end of the time study system resides on the MS Windows CE and the back-end is supported by MS Access. The system consists of three major components: a handheld system, data transfer interface, and data storage...

Space Station overall management approach for operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paules, G.

1986-01-01

An Operations Management Concept developed by NASA for its Space Station Program is discussed. The operational goals, themes, and design principles established during program development are summarized. The major operations functions are described, including: space systems operations, user support operations, prelaunch/postlanding operations, logistics support operations, market research, and cost/financial management. Strategic, tactical, and execution levels of operational decision-making are defined.

Object-oriented analysis and design of a health care management information system.

PubMed

Krol, M; Reich, D L

1999-04-01

We have created a prototype for a universal object-oriented model of a health care system compatible with the object-oriented approach used in version 3.0 of the HL7 standard for communication messages. A set of three models has been developed: (1) the Object Model describes the hierarchical structure of objects in a system--their identity, relationships, attributes, and operations; (2) the Dynamic Model represents the sequence of operations in time as a collection of state diagrams for object classes in the system; and (3) functional Diagram represents the transformation of data within a system by means of data flow diagrams. Within these models, we have defined major object classes of health care participants and their subclasses, associations, attributes and operators, states, and behavioral scenarios. We have also defined the major processes and subprocesses. The top-down design approach allows use, reuse, and cloning of standard components.

An Undergraduate Course on Operating Systems Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC. Commission on Education.

This report is from Task Force VIII of the COSINE Committee of the Commission on Education of the National Academy of Engineering. The task force was established to formulate subject matter for an elective undergraduate subject on computer operating systems principles for students whose major interest is in the engineering of computer systems and…

Tracking and data relay satellite system configuration and tradeoff study. Volume 4: TDRS system operation and control and telecommunications service system, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Major study areas treated in this volume are: 1) operations and control and 2) the telecommunication service system. The TDRS orbit selection, orbital deployment, ground station visibility, sequence of events from launch to final orbit position, and TDRS control center functions required for stationkeeping, repositioning, attitude control, and antenna pointing are briefly treated as part of the operations and control section. The last topic of this section concerns the operations required for efficiently providing the TDRSS user telecommunication services. The discussion treats functions of the GSFC control and data processing facility, ground station, and TDRS control center. The second major portion of this volume deals with the Telecommunication Service System (TSS) which consists of the ground station, TDRS communication equipment and the user transceiver. A summary of the requirements and objectives for the telecommunication services and a brief summary of the TSS capabilities is followed by communication system analysis, signal design, and equipment design. Finally, descriptions of the three TSS elements are presented.

RFQ accelerator tuning system

DOEpatents

Bolie, V.W.

1990-07-03

A cooling system is provided for maintaining a preselected operating temperature in a device, which may be an RFQ accelerator, having a variable heat removal requirement, by circulating a cooling fluid through a cooling system remote from the device. Internal sensors in the device enable an estimated error signal to be generated from parameters which are indicative of the heat removal requirement from the device. Sensors are provided at predetermined locations in the cooling system for outputting operational temperature signals. Analog and digital computers define a control signal functionally related to the temperature signals and the estimated error signal, where the control signal is defined effective to return the device to the preselected operating temperature in a stable manner. The cooling system includes a first heat sink responsive to a first portion of the control signal to remove heat from a major portion of the circulating fluid. A second heat sink is responsive to a second portion of the control signal to remove heat from a minor portion of the circulating fluid. The cooled major and minor portions of the circulating fluid are mixed in response to a mixing portion of the control signal, which is effective to proportion the major and minor portions of the circulating fluid to establish a mixed fluid temperature which is effective to define the preselected operating temperature for the remote device. In an RFQ environment the stable temperature control enables the resonant frequency of the device to be maintained at substantially a predetermined value during transient operations. 3 figs.

RFQ accelerator tuning system

DOEpatents

Bolie, Victor W.

1990-01-01

A cooling system is provided for maintaining a preselected operating temperature in a device, which may be an RFQ accelerator, having a variable heat removal requirement, by circulating a cooling fluid through a cooling system remote from the device. Internal sensors in the device enable an estimated error signal to be generated from parameters which are indicative of the heat removal requirement from the device. Sensors are provided at predetermined locations in the cooling system for outputting operational temperature signals. Analog and digital computers define a control signal functionally related to the temperature signals and the estimated error signal, where the control signal is defined effective to return the device to the preselected operating temperature in a stable manner. The cooling system includes a first heat sink responsive to a first portion of the control signal to remove heat from a major portion of the circulating fluid. A second heat sink is responsive to a second portion of the control signal to remove heat from a minor portion of the circulating fluid. The cooled major and minor portions of the circulating fluid are mixed in response to a mixing portion of the control signal, which is effective to proportion the major and minor portions of the circulating fluid to establish a mixed fluid temperature which is effective to define the preselected operating temperature for the remote device. In an RFQ environment the stable temperature control enables the resonant frequency of the device to be maintained at substantially a predetermined value during transient operations.

Space Qualification Issues in Acousto-optic and Electro-optic Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Taylor, Edward W.; Trivedi, Sudhir; Kutcher, Sue; Soos, Jolanta

2007-01-01

Satellite and space-based applications of photonic devices and systems require operational reliability in the harsh environment of space for extended periods of time. This in turn requires every component of the systems and their packaging to meet space qualifications. Acousto- and electro-optical devices form the major components of many current space based optical systems, which is the focus of this paper. The major space qualification issues are related to: mechanical stability, thermal effects and operation of the devices in the naturally occurring space radiation environment. This paper will discuss acousto- and electro-optic materials and devices with respect to their stability against mechanical vibrations, thermal cycling in operating and non-operating conditions and device responses to space ionizing and displacement radiation effects. Selection of suitable materials and packaging to meet space qualification criteria will also be discussed. Finally, a general roadmap for production and testing of acousto- and electro-optic devices will be discussed.

Orbital transfer vehicle concept definition and system analysis study. Volume 4, Appendix A: Space station accommodations. Revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Randall, Roger M.

1987-01-01

Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) processing at the space station is divided into two major categories: OTV processing and assembly operations, and support operations. These categories are further subdivided into major functional areas to allow development of detailed OTV processing procedures and timelines. These procedures and timelines are used to derive the specific space station accommodations necessary to support OTV activities. The overall objective is to limit impact on OTV processing requirements on space station operations, involvement of crew, and associated crew training and skill requirements. The operational concept maximizes use of automated and robotic systems to perform all required OTV servicing and maintenance tasks. Only potentially critical activities would require direct crew involvement or supervision. EVA operations are considered to be strictly contingency back-up to failure of the automated and robotic systems, with the exception of the initial assembly of Space-Based OTV accommodations at the space station, which will require manned involvement.

New York State intelligent transportation system commercial vehicle operations (CVO) : business plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-07-01

The purpose of this Business Plan is to describe the major Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) initiatives and projects in the area of Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) that have recently been or are planned to be undertaken in New York State b...

Quantum thermodynamics of general quantum processes.

PubMed

Binder, Felix; Vinjanampathy, Sai; Modi, Kavan; Goold, John

2015-03-01

Accurately describing work extraction from a quantum system is a central objective for the extension of thermodynamics to individual quantum systems. The concepts of work and heat are surprisingly subtle when generalizations are made to arbitrary quantum states. We formulate an operational thermodynamics suitable for application to an open quantum system undergoing quantum evolution under a general quantum process by which we mean a completely positive and trace-preserving map. We derive an operational first law of thermodynamics for such processes and show consistency with the second law. We show that heat, from the first law, is positive when the input state of the map majorizes the output state. Moreover, the change in entropy is also positive for the same majorization condition. This makes a strong connection between the two operational laws of thermodynamics.

Integrated arterial and freeway operation control strategies for IVHS advanced traffic management systems : research report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-01

The main focus of this study is congestion, primarily that occurring on freeway corridors in metropolitan areas. Lack of coordination in the operation of various components of the system is often a major source of inefficiency, : resulting in greater...

RFQ (radio-frequency quadrupole) accelerator tuning system

DOEpatents

Bolie, V.W.

1988-04-12

A cooling system is provided for maintaining a preselected operating temperature in a device, which may be an RFQ accelerator, having a variable heat removal requirement, by circulating a cooling fluid through a cooling system remote from the device. Internal sensors in the device enable an estimated error signal to be generated from parameters which are indicative of the heat removal requirement from the device. Sensors are provided at predetermined locations in the cooling system for outputting operational temperature signals. Analog and digital computers define a control signal functionally related to the temperature signals and the estimated error signal, where the control signal is defined effective to return the device to the preselected operating temperature in a stable manner. The cooling system includes a first heat sink responsive to a first portion of the control signal to remove heat from a major portion of the circulating fluid. A second heat sink is responsive to a second portion of the control to remove heat from a minor portion of the circulating fluid. The cooled major and minor portions of the circulating fluid are mixed in responsive to a mixing portion of the control signal, which is effective to proportion the major and minor portions of the circulating fluid to establish a mixed fluid temperature which is effective to define the preselected operating temperature for the remote device. 3 figs., 2 tabs.

Operationally Efficient Propulsion System Study (OEPSS) data book. Volume 2: Ground operations problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waldrop, Glen S.

1990-01-01

Operations problems and cost drivers were identified for current propulsion systems and design and technology approaches were identified to increase the operational efficiency and to reduce operations costs for future propulsion systems. To provide readily usable data for the ALS program, the results of the OEPSS study were organized into a series of OEPSS Data Books. This volume presents a detailed description of 25 major problems encountered during launch processing of current expendable and reusable launch vehicles. A concise description of each problem and its operational impact on launch processing is presented, along with potential solutions and technology recommendation.

Measurement and analysis of operating system fault tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, I.; Tang, D.; Iyer, R. K.

1992-01-01

This paper demonstrates a methodology to model and evaluate the fault tolerance characteristics of operational software. The methodology is illustrated through case studies on three different operating systems: the Tandem GUARDIAN fault-tolerant system, the VAX/VMS distributed system, and the IBM/MVS system. Measurements are made on these systems for substantial periods to collect software error and recovery data. In addition to investigating basic dependability characteristics such as major software problems and error distributions, we develop two levels of models to describe error and recovery processes inside an operating system and on multiple instances of an operating system running in a distributed environment. Based on the models, reward analysis is conducted to evaluate the loss of service due to software errors and the effect of the fault-tolerance techniques implemented in the systems. Software error correlation in multicomputer systems is also investigated.

UNIX Micros for Students Majoring in Computer Science and Personal Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Edward A.; Birch, Sandra

1986-01-01

Traces the history of Virginia Tech's requirement that incoming freshmen majoring in computer science each acquire a microcomputer running the UNIX operating system; explores rationale for the decision; explains system's key features; and describes program implementation and research and development efforts to provide personal information…

FIRESCOPE: a new concept in multiagency fire suppression coordination

Treesearch

Richard A. Chase

1980-01-01

FIRESCOPE is a system developed to improve the capability of firefighting agencies in southern California in allocating and managing fire suppression resources. The system provides an effective and efficient solution to operational coordination requirements and problems of the major fire protection agencies serving the southern California urban-wildland complex. Major...

Safety management of complex research operators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, W. J.

1981-01-01

Complex research and technology operations present varied potential hazards which are addressed in a disciplined, independent safety review and approval process. Potential hazards vary from high energy fuels to hydrocarbon fuels, high pressure systems to high voltage systems, toxic chemicals to radioactive materials and high speed rotating machinery to high powered lasers. A Safety Permit System presently covers about 600 potentially hazardous operations. The Safety Management Program described is believed to be a major factor in maintaining an excellent safety record.

Multitasking operating systems for microprocessors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cramer, T.

1981-01-01

Microprocessors, because of their low cost, low power consumption, and small size, have caused an explosion in the number of innovative computer applications. Although there is a great deal of variation in microprocessor applications software, there is relatively little variation in the operating-system-level software from one application to the next. Nonetheless, operating system software, especially when multitasking is involved, can be very time consuming and expensive to develop. The major microprocessor manufacturers have acknowledged the need for operating systems in microprocessor applications and are now supplying real-time multitasking operating system software that is adaptable to a wide variety of usermore » systems. Use of this existing operating system software will decrease the number of redundant operating system development efforts, thus freeing programmers to work on more creative and productive problems. This paper discusses the basic terminology and concepts involved with multitasking operating systems. It is intended to provide a general understanding of the subject, so that the reader will be prepared to evaluate specific operating system software according to his or her needs. 2 references.« less

Associative Processes in Intuitive Judgment

PubMed Central

Morewedge, Carey K.; Kahneman, Daniel

2014-01-01

Dual-system models of reasoning attribute errors of judgment to two failures. The automatic operations of a “System 1” generate a faulty intuition, which the controlled operations of a “System 2” fail to detect and correct. We identify System 1 with the automatic operations of associative memory and draw on research in the priming paradigm to describe how it operates. We explain how three features of associative memory—associative coherence, attribute substitution, and processing fluency—give rise to major biases of intuitive judgment. Our article highlights both the ability of System 1 to create complex and skilled judgments and the role of the system as a source of judgment errors. PMID:20696611

Major system acquisitions process (A-109)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saric, C.

1991-01-01

The Major System examined is a combination of elements (hardware, software, facilities, and services) that function together to produce capabilities required to fulfill a mission need. The system acquisition process is a sequence of activities beginning with documentation of mission need and ending with introduction of major system into operational use or otherwise successful achievement of program objectives. It is concluded that the A-109 process makes sense and provides a systematic, integrated management approach along with appropriate management level involvement and innovative and 'best ideas' from private sector in satisfying mission needs.

Majors' Shift to Natural Gas, The

EIA Publications

2001-01-01

The Majors' Shift to Natural Gas investigates the factors that have guided the United States' major energy producers' growth in U.S. natural gas production relative to oil production. The analysis draws heavily on financial and operating data from the Energy Information Administration's Financial Reporting System (FRS)

A Measure of Maintenance Training/Qualification Readiness and Its Impact on Billet Life Cycle Coast.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-01

MAINTENANCE READINESS ESTIMATION---------------- 24 A. AVIATION TRAINING SUPPORT SYSTEM ---- 25 B. MAINTENANCE MATRIX UTILIZATION-------------- 27 C...nonexistent follow-on training programs. CRef. 13 The operation and maintenance o systems account for a major portion of system life cycle cost. Studies of... systems annual support costs show that manpower consistently consuwme over half of the funds appropriated for operation and maintenance of the system £Ref

OPERATOR BURDEN IN METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Amy M; Love, Lonnie J

2016-01-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging manufacturing process that creates usable machine parts via layer-by-layer joining of a stock material. With this layer-wise approach, high-performance geometries can be created which are impossible with traditional manufacturing methods. Metal AM technology has the potential to significantly reduce the manufacturing burden of developing custom hardware; however, a major consideration in choosing a metal AM system is the required amount of operator involvement (i.e., operator burden) in the manufacturing process. The operator burden not only determines the amount of operator training and specialization required but also the usability of the system in a facility.more » As operators of several metal AM processes, the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Labs is uniquely poised to provide insight into requirements for operator involvement in each of the three major metal AM processes. The paper covers an overview of each of the three metal AM technologies, focusing on the burden on the operator to complete the build cycle, process the part for final use, and reset the AM equipment for future builds.« less

MAS2-8 radar and digital control unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oberg, J. M.; Ulaby, F. T.

1974-01-01

The design of the MAS 2-8 (2 to 8 GHz microwave-active spectrometer), a ground-based sensor system, is presented. A major modification in 1974 to the MAS 2-8, that of a control subsystem to automate the data-taking operation, is the prime focus. The digital control unit automatically changes all system parameters except FM rate and records the return signal on paper tape. The overall system operation and a detailed discussion of the design and operation of the digital control unit are presented.

The Use of an Orthopaedic Rating System in Major League Baseball

PubMed Central

McGahan, Patrick J.; Fronek, Jan; Hoenecke, Heinz R.; Keefe, Daniel

2014-01-01

Background: Although the majority of Major League Baseball teams use an orthopaedic rating system to evaluate draft picks, little has been published on the topic. Hypothesis: Our goal was to assess the attitudes among Major League Baseball physicians regarding 3 common diagnoses in pitching prospects, through the use of an orthopaedic rating system. Our hypothesis was that the assigned orthopaedic grades would vary among physicians, diagnoses, and operative-versus-nonoperative and recent-versus-past treatment. Study Design: Survey. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A survey in the form of 12 clinical vignettes was used to query Major League Baseball physicians regarding ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries, type II superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) tears, and internal impingement. Respondents graded draft picks using an orthopaedic rating system. The vignettes covered both operative and nonoperative and recent and past treatment (successful return to pitching for 1 year). Results: The orthopaedic grades assigned by respondents were as follows (minimal, moderate, severe risk): past UCL reconstruction (73%, 27%, 0%), recent UCL reconstruction (19%, 77%, 4%), past UCL strain (28%, 60%, 12%), recent UCL strain (0%, 48%, 52%), past SLAP repair (52%, 48%, 0%), recent SLAP repair (4%, 64%, 32%), past SLAP nonoperative (28%, 60%, 12%), recent SLAP nonoperative (0%, 36%, 64%), past internal impingement operative (24%, 68%, 8%), recent internal impingement operative (8%, 32%, 60%), past internal impingement nonoperative (24%, 68%, 8%), and recent internal impingement nonoperative (4%, 48%, 44%). Conclusion: Team physicians are optimistic regarding the outcome of UCL reconstruction. In contrast, UCL strains, type II SLAP lesions, and internal impingement carry a guarded prognosis. For all diagnoses, regardless of treatment, the prognosis improved if a player returned to pitching for 1 full season. Clinical Relevance: This study represents a first step toward developing a standardized orthopaedic rating system that will facilitate more accurate player assessment and clearer communication among physicians. PMID:25177423

Cyberspace as a Complex Adaptive System and the Policy and Operational Implications for Cyber Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-22

CYBERSPACE AS A COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEM AND THE POLICY AND OPERTIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CYBER WARFARE A Monograph by Major Albert O. Olagbemiro...serves the US, especially in regards to the protect ion o f the 1S. SUBJECT TERMS omplex Adaptive System, Cyberspace, lnfosphere, Cyber Warfare ber...System and the Policy and Operational Implications for Cyber Warfare Approved by: __________________________________, Monograph Director Jeffrey

Data compression/error correction digital test system. Appendix 2: Theory of operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

An overall block diagram of the DC/EC digital system test is shown. The system is divided into two major units: the transmitter and the receiver. In operation, the transmitter and receiver are connected only by a real or simulated transmission link. The system inputs consist of: (1) standard format TV video, (2) two channels of analog voice, and (3) one serial PCM bit stream.

NASA aviation safety reporting system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The study deals with 165 inadvertent operations on or into inappropriate portions of the aircraft areas at controlled airports. Pilot-initiated and controller-initiated incursions are described and discussed. It was found that a majority of the pilot-initiated occurrences involved operation without a clearance; controller-initiated occurrences usually involved failure to maintain assured separation. The factors associated with these occurrences are analyzed. It appears that a major problem in these occurrences is inadequate coordination among the various system participants. Reasons for this, and some possible solutions to various aspects of the problem, are discussed. A sample of reports from pilots and controllers is presented. These relate to undesired occurrences in air transport, general aviation, and air traffic control operations; to ATC coordination problems; and to a recurrent problem in ASRS reports, parachuting operations. A sample of alert bulletins and responses to them is presented.

NAVY ERP: An Analysis of Change Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

of ‘best practice’ in information systems for operations management . European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 284–293. Veit, B. (2008). Draft... Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction...the Navy could accomplish. Bogdanowicz (2004) notes that the pilots proved ERP can be used to:  Operate and manage major acquisition commands and

EarthSat spring wheat yield system test 1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The results of an operational test of the EarthSat System during the period 1 June - 30 August 1975 over the spring wheat regions of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota are presented. The errors associated with each sub-element of the system during the operational test and the sensitivity of the complete system and each major functional sub-element of the system to the observed errors were evaluated. Evaluations and recommendations for future operational users of the system include: (1) changes in various system sub-elements, (2) changes in the yield model to affect improved accuracy, (3) changes in the number of geobased cells needed to develop an accurate aggregated yield estimate, (4) changes associated with the implementation of future operational satellites and data processing systems, and (5) detailed system documentation.

Expert system development methodology and the transition from prototyping to operations: FIESTA, a case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Happell, Nadine; Miksell, Steve; Carlisle, Candace

1989-01-01

A major barrier in taking expert systems from prototype to operational status involves instilling end user confidence in the operational system. The software of different life cycle models is examined and the advantages and disadvantages of each when applied to expert system development are explored. The Fault Isolation Expert System for Tracking and data relay satellite system Applications (FIESTA) is presented as a case study of development of an expert system. The end user confidence necessary for operational use of this system is accentuated by the fact that it will handle real-time data in a secure environment, allowing little tolerance for errors. How FIESTA is dealing with transition problems as it moves from an off-line standalone prototype to an on-line real-time system is discussed.

Expert system development methodology and the transition from prototyping to operations - Fiesta, a case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Happell, Nadine; Miksell, Steve; Carlisle, Candace

1989-01-01

A major barrier in taking expert systems from prototype to operational status involves instilling end user confidence in the operational system. The software of different life cycle models is examined and the advantages and disadvantages of each when applied to expert system development are explored. The Fault Isolation Expert System for Tracking and data relay satellite system Applications (FIESTA) is presented as a case study of development of an expert system. The end user confidence necessary for operational use of this system is accentuated by the fact that it will handle real-time data in a secure environment, allowing little tolerance for errors. How FIESTA is dealing with transition problems as it moves from an off-line standalone prototype to an on-line real-time system is discussed.

Operator learning effects in teleoperated rendezvous & docking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilde, M.; Harder, J.; Purschke, R.

Teleoperation of spacecraft proximity operations and docking requires delicate timing and coordination of spacecraft maneuvers. Experience has shown that human operators show large performance fluctuations in these areas, which are a major factor to be addressed in operator training. In order to allow the quantification of the impact of these human fluctuations on control system performance and the human perception of this performance, a learning curve study was conducted with teleoperated final approach and docking scenarios. Over a period of ten experiment days, three test participants were tasked with repeatedly completing a set of three training scenarios. The scenarios were designed to contain different combinations of the major elements of any final approach and docking situation, and to feature an increasing difficulty level. The individual difficulty levels for the three operators furthermore differed in the level of operator support functions available in their human-machine interfaces. Operator performance in the test scenarios were evaluated in the fields approach success and precision, docking safety, and approach efficiency by a combination of recorded maneuver data and questionnaires. The results show that operator experience and the associated learning curves increase operator performance substantially, regardless of the support system used. The paper also shows that the fluctuations in operator performance and self-perception are substantial between as well as within experiment days, and must be reckoned with in teleoperation system design and mission planning.

ADVANCEMENT OF THE RHIC BEAM ABORT KICKER SYSTEM.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ZHANG,W.AHRENS,L.MI,J.OERTER,B.SANDBERG,J.WARBURTON,D.

2003-05-12

As one of the most critical system for RHIC operation, the beam abort kicker system has to be highly available, reliable, and stable for the entire operating range. Along with the RHIC commission and operation, consistent efforts have been spend to cope with immediate issues as well as inherited design issues. Major design changes have been implemented to achieve the higher operating voltage, longer high voltage hold-off time, fast retriggering and redundant triggering, and improved system protection, etc. Recent system test has demonstrated for the first time that both blue ring and yellow ring beam abort systems have achieved moremore » than 24 hours hold off time at desired operating voltage. In this paper, we report break down, thyratron reverse arcing, and to build a fast re-trigger system to reduce beam spreading in event of premature discharge.« less

Functional Requirements Document for HALE UAS Operations in the NAS: Step 1. Version 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

The purpose of this Functional Requirements Document (FRD) is to compile the functional requirements needed to achieve the Access 5 Vision of "operating High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) routinely, safely, and reliably in the national airspace system (NAS)" for Step 1. These functional requirements could support the development of a minimum set of policies, procedures and standards by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and various standards organizations. It is envisioned that this comprehensive body of work will enable the FAA to establish and approve regulations to govern safe operation of UAS in the NAS on a routine or daily "file and fly" basis. The approach used to derive the functional requirements found within this FRD was to decompose the operational requirements and objectives identified within the Access 5 Concept of Operations (CONOPS) into the functions needed to routinely and safely operate a HALE UAS in the NAS. As a result, four major functional areas evolved to enable routine and safe UAS operations for an on-demand basis in the NAS. These four major functions are: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, and Avoid Hazards. All of the functional requirements within this document can be directly traceable to one of these four major functions. Some functions, however, are traceable to several, or even all, of these four major functions. These cross-cutting functional requirements support the "Command / Control: function as well as the "Manage Contingencies" function. The requirements associated to these high-level functions and all of their supporting low-level functions are addressed in subsequent sections of this document.

Does NASA's Constellation Architecture Offer Opportunities to Achieve Multiple Additional Goals in Space?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley A.; Lester, Daniel F.

2008-01-01

Every major NASA human spaceflight program in the last four decades has been modified to achieve goals in space not incorporated within the original design goals: the Apollo Applications Program, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station. Several groups in the US have been identifying major future science goals, the science facilities necessary to investigate them, as well as possible roles for augmented versions of elements of NASA's Constellation program. Specifically, teams in the astronomy community have been developing concepts for very capable missions to follow the James Webb Space Telescope that could take advantage of - or require - free-space operations by astronauts and/or robots. Taking as one example, the Single-Aperture Far-InfraRed (SAFIR) telescope with a approx.10+ m aperture proposed for operation in the 2020 timeframe. According to current NASA plans, the Ares V launch vehicle (or a variant) will be available about the same time, as will the capability to transport astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon via the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and associated systems. [As the lunar surface offers no advantages - and major disadvantages - for most major optical systems, the expensive system for landing and operating on the lunar surface is not required.] Although as currently conceived, SAFIR and other astronomical missions will operate at the Sun-Earth L2 location, it appears trivial to travel for servicing to the more accessible Earth-Moon L1,2 locations. Moreover, as the recent Orbital Express and Automated Transfer Vehicle missions have demonstrated, future robotic capabilities should offer capabilities that would (remotely) extend human presence far beyond the vicinity of the Earth. In addition to multiplying the value of NASA's architecture for future human spaceflight to achieve the goals multiple major stakeholders, if humans one day travel beyond the Earth-Moon system - say, to Mars - technologies and capabilities for operating for long periods in free space must be developed. The engineering. management, and operational successes of the Space Station have demonstrated that international collaboration is possible. However, there is a danger that the hard-won lessons of current programs will be lost without continuing development of in-space operations. A program to achieve. for example, major astronomical goals in space using astronauts and robots will sustain international capabilities, produce highly visible achievements, and appeal to an additional broad community of stakeholders not currently involved with missions to the lunar surface.

Does NASA's Constellation Architecture Offer Opportunities to Achieve Multiple Additional Goals in Space?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley; Lester, Daniel F.

2008-01-01

Every major NASA human spaceflight program in the last four decades has been modified to achieve goals in space not incorporated within the original design goals: the Apollo Applications Program, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station. Several groups in the US have been identifying major future science goals, the science facilities necessary to investigate them, as well as possible roles for augmented versions of elements of NASA's Constellation program. Specifically, teams in the astronomy community have been developing concepts for very capable missions to follow the James Webb Space Telescope that could take advantage of - or require - free-space operations by astronauts and/or robots. Taking as one example, the Single-Aperture Far-InfraRed (SAFIR) telescope with a approx. 10+ m aperture proposed for operation in the 2020 timeframe. According to current NASA plans, the Ares V launch vehicle (or a variant) will be available about the same time, as will the capability to transport astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon via the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and associated systems. [As the lunar surface offers no advantages - and major disadvantages - for most major optical systems, the expensive system for landing and operating on the lunar surface is not required.] Although as currently conceived, SAFIR and other astronomical missions will operate at the Sun-Earth L2 location, it appears trivial to travel for servicing to the more accessible Earth-Moon L1,2 locations. Moreover. as the recent Orbital Express and Automated Transfer Vehicle missions have demonstrated, future robotic capabilities should offer capabilities that would (remotely) extend human presence far beyond the vicinity of the Earth. In addition to multiplying the value of NASA's architecture for future human spaceflight to achieve the goals multiple major stakeholders. if humans one day travel beyond the Earth-Moon system - say, to Mars - technologies and capabilities for operating for long periods in free space must be developed. The engineering, management. and operational successes of the Space Station have demonstrated that international collaboratioi is possible. However, there is a danger that the hard-won lessons of cLul+sent programs will be lost without continuing development of in-space operations. A program to achieve. for example. major astronomical goals in space using astronauts and robots will sustain international capabilities. produce highly visible achievements. and appeal to a11 additional broad community of stakeholders not currently involved with missions to the lunar surface.

Transition to the space shuttle operations era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The tasks involved in the Space Shuttle Development Program are discussed. The ten major characteristics of an operational Shuttle are described, as well as the changes occurring in Shuttle processing, on-line operations, operations engineering, and support operations. A summary is given of tasks and goals that are being pursued in the effort to create a cost effective and efficient system.

International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-Orbit Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Ben D.; Erwin, Philip M.; Thoresen, Souzan; Granahan, John; Matty, Chris

2011-01-01

The Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) is an integral part of the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). The MCA is a mass spectrometer-based instrument designed to provide critical monitoring of six major atmospheric constituents; nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. These gases are sampled continuously and automatically in all United States On-Orbit Segment (USOS) modules via the Sample Distribution System (SDS). The MCA is the primary tool for management of atmosphere constituents and is therefore critical for ensuring a habitable ISS environment during both nominal ISS operations and campout EVA preparation in the Airlock. The MCA has been in operation in the US Destiny Laboratory Module for over 10 years, and a second MCA has been delivered to the ISS for Node 3 operation. This paper discusses the performance of the MCA over the two past year, with particular attention to lessons learned regarding the operational life of critical components. Recent data have helped drive design upgrades for a new set of orbit-replaceable units (ORUs) currently in production. Several ORU upgrades are expected to increase expected lifetimes and reliability.

The cement solidification systems at LANL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veazey, G.W.

1990-01-01

There are two major cement solidification systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Both are focused primarily around treating waste from the evaporator at TA-55, the Plutonium Processing Facility. The evaporator receives the liquid waste stream from TA-55's nitric acid-based, aqueous-processing operations and concentrates the majority of the radionuclides in the evaporator bottoms solution. This is sent to the TA-55 cementation system. The evaporator distillate is sent to the TA-50 facility, where the radionuclides are precipitated and then cemented. Both systems treat TRU-level waste, and so are operated according to the criteria for WIPP-destined waste, but they differ in both cementmore » type and mixing method. The TA-55 systems uses Envirostone, a gypsum-based cement and in-drum prop mixing; the TA-50 systems uses Portland cement and drum tumbling for mixing.« less

Description of the control system design for the SSF PMAD DC testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baez, Anastacio N.; Kimnach, Greg L.

1991-01-01

The Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC Testbed Control System for Space Station Freedom was developed using a top down approach based on classical control system and conventional terrestrial power utilities design techniques. The design methodology includes the development of a testbed operating concept. This operating concept describes the operation of the testbed under all possible scenarios. A unique set of operating states was identified and a description of each state, along with state transitions, was generated. Each state is represented by a unique set of attributes and constraints, and its description reflects the degree of system security within which the power system is operating. Using the testbed operating states description, a functional design for the control system was developed. This functional design consists of a functional outline, a text description, and a logical flowchart for all the major control system functions. Described here are the control system design techniques, various control system functions, and the status of the design and implementation.

International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-Orbit Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Ben D.; Erwin, Phillip M.; Cougar, Tamara; Ulrich, BettyLynn

2017-01-01

The Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) is a mass spectrometer based system that measures the major atmospheric constituents on the International Space Station. A number of limited-life components require periodic change-out, including the ORU 02 analyzer and the ORU 08 Verification Gas Assembly. The most recent ORU 02 and ORU 08 assemblies in the LAB MCA are operating nominally. For ORU 02, the ion source filaments and ion pump lifetime continue to be key determinants of MCA performance. Finally, the Node 3 MCA is being brought to an operational configuration.

Transport systems research vehicle color display system operations manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Easley, Wesley C.; Johnson, Larry E.

1989-01-01

A recent upgrade of the Transport Systems Research Vehicle operated by the Advanced Transport Operating Systems Program Office at the NASA Langley Research Center has resulted in an all-glass panel in the research flight deck. Eight ARINC-D size CRT color displays make up the panel. A major goal of the display upgrade effort was ease of operation and maintenance of the hardware while maintaining versatility needed for flight research. Software is the key to this required versatility and will be the area demanding the most detailed technical design expertise. This document is is intended to serve as a single source of quick reference information needed for routine operation and system level maintenance. Detailed maintenance and modification of the display system will require specific design documentation and must be accomplished by individuals with specialized knowledge and experience.

Tower-Related Major System Development Programs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-03-01

This report is devoted to the present and near future states of the tower cab environment, addresses those MSDP systems which may have an impact on the current tower cab environment, systems and/or operations. The systems included are: Discrete Addre...

Deploying advanced public transportation systems in Birmingham

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-08-01

Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) technologies have been deployed by many urban transit systems in order to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve service quality. The majority of : these deployments, however, have been i...

THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AS A SYSTEM--A PROPOSED GENERALIZED PROCEDURE FOR ANALYSIS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

REISMAN, ARNOLD; TAFT, MARTIN I.

A UNIFIED APPROACH TO THE ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF THE FUNCTIONS AND OPERATIONS IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS PRESENTED. SYSTEMS ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES USED IN OTHER AREAS SUCH AS CRAFT, PERT, CERBS, AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH ARE SUGGESTED AS POTENTIALLY ADAPTABLE FOR USE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF A SCHOOL IS TO ALLOCATE AVAILABLE…

Inventory Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Known as MRO for Maintenance, Repair and Operating supplies, Tropicana Products, Inc.'s automated inventory management system is an adaptation of the Shuttle Inventory Management System (SIMS) developed by NASA to assure adequate supply of every item used in support of the Space Shuttle. The Tropicana version monitors inventory control, purchasing receiving and departmental costs for eight major areas of the company's operation.

Political and legal implications of developing and operating a satellite power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hazelrigg, G. A., Jr.

1977-01-01

A number of political and legal implications of developing and operating a satellite power system (SPS) are identified and studied in this report. These include the vulnerability of SPS to actions of adversaries, communications impacts, the legality of an SPS in orbit including on-orbit military protection, alleviation of political concerns about deployment and operation of SPS, programmatic planning for SPS and the interaction of SPS with federal regulatory agencies and major departments. In comparing SPS to terrestrial power stations, it is seen that the political problems are neither clearly larger nor clearly smaller--they are clearly different and they are international in nature. If SPS is to become a reality these problems must be dealt with. Five major issues are identified. These must be resolved in order to obtain international acceptance of SPS. However, this study has found no insurmountable obstacles that would clearly prohibit the deployment, operation and protection of an SPS fleet.

Operator Performance Support System (OPSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conklin, Marlen Z.

1993-01-01

In the complex and fast reaction world of military operations, present technologies, combined with tactical situations, have flooded the operator with assorted information that he is expected to process instantly. As technologies progress, this flow of data and information have both guided and overwhelmed the operator. However, the technologies that have confounded many operators today can be used to assist him -- thus the Operator Performance Support Team. In this paper we propose an operator support station that incorporates the elements of Video and Image Databases, productivity Software, Interactive Computer Based Training, Hypertext/Hypermedia Databases, Expert Programs, and Human Factors Engineering. The Operator Performance Support System will provide the operator with an integrating on-line information/knowledge system that will guide expert or novice to correct systems operations. Although the OPSS is being developed for the Navy, the performance of the workforce in today's competitive industry is of major concern. The concepts presented in this paper which address ASW systems software design issues are also directly applicable to industry. the OPSS will propose practical applications in how to more closely align the relationships between technical knowledge and equipment operator performance.

Control system design for the large space systems technology reference platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmunds, R. S.

1982-01-01

Structural models and classical frequency domain control system designs were developed for the large space systems technology (LSST) reference platform which consists of a central bus structure, solar panels, and platform arms on which a variety of experiments may be mounted. It is shown that operation of multiple independently articulated payloads on a single platform presents major problems when subarc second pointing stability is required. Experiment compatibility will be an important operational consideration for systems of this type.

Space Station Information Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pittman, Clarence W.

1988-01-01

The utility of the Space Station is improved, the ability to manage and integrate its development and operation enhanced, and the cost and risk of developing the software for it is minimized by three major information systems. The Space Station Information System (SSIS) provides for the transparent collection and dissemination of operational information to all users and operators. The Technical and Management Information System (TMIS) provides all the developers with timely and consistent program information and a project management 'window' to assess the project status. The Software Support Environment (SSE) provides automated tools and standards to be used by all software developers. Together, these three systems are vital to the successful execution of the program.

Operation of the Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The major operational areas of the COSMIC center are described. Quantitative data on the software submittals, program verification, and evaluation are presented. The dissemination activities are summarized. Customer services and marketing activities of the center for the calendar year are described. Those activities devoted to the maintenance and support of selected programs are described. A Customer Information system, the COSMIC Abstract Recording System Project, and the COSMIC Microfiche Project are summarized. Operational cost data are summarized.

Pilot workload, performance and aircraft control automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, S. G.; Sheridan, T. B.

1984-01-01

Conceptual and practical issues associated with the design, operation, and performance of advanced systems and the impact of such systems on the human operators are reviewed. The development of highly automated systems is driven by the availability of new technology and the requirement that operators safely and economically perform more and more activities in increasingly difficult and hostile environments. It is noted that the operators workload may become a major area of concern in future design considerations. Little research was done to determine how automation and workload relate to each other, although it is assumed that the abstract, supervisory, or management roles that are performed by operators of highly automated systems will impose increased mental workload. The relationship between performance and workload is discussed in relation to highly complex and automated environments.

Online Oxide Contamination Measurement and Purification Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, D. E.; Godfroy, T. J.; Webster, K. L.; Garber, A. E.; Polzin, K. A.; Childers, D. J.

2011-01-01

Liquid metal sodium-potassium (NaK) has advantageous thermodynamic properties indicating its use as a fission reactor coolant for a surface (lunar, martian) power system. A major area of concern for fission reactor cooling systems is system corrosion due to oxygen contaminants at the high operating temperatures experienced. A small-scale, approximately 4-L capacity, simulated fission reactor cooling system employing NaK as a coolant was fabricated and tested with the goal of demonstrating a noninvasive oxygen detection and purification system. In order to generate prototypical conditions in the simulated cooling system, several system components were designed, fabricated, and tested. These major components were a fully-sealed, magnetically-coupled mechanical NaK pump, a graphite element heated reservoir, a plugging indicator system, and a cold trap. All system components were successfully demonstrated at a maximum system flow rate of approximately 150 cc/s at temperatures up to 550 C. Coolant purification was accomplished using a cold trap before and after plugging operations which showed a relative reduction in oxygen content.

Space Transportation System Availability Relationships to Life Cycle Cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, Russel E.; Donahue, Benjamin B.; Chen, Timothy T.

2009-01-01

Future space transportation architectures and designs must be affordable. Consequently, their Life Cycle Cost (LCC) must be controlled. For the LCC to be controlled, it is necessary to identify all the requirements and elements of the architecture at the beginning of the concept phase. Controlling LCC requires the establishment of the major operational cost drivers. Two of these major cost drivers are reliability and maintainability, in other words, the system's availability (responsiveness). Potential reasons that may drive the inherent availability requirement are the need to control the number of unique parts and the spare parts required to support the transportation system's operation. For more typical space transportation systems used to place satellites in space, the productivity of the system will drive the launch cost. This system productivity is the resultant output of the system availability. Availability is equal to the mean uptime divided by the sum of the mean uptime plus the mean downtime. Since many operational factors cannot be projected early in the definition phase, the focus will be on inherent availability which is equal to the mean time between a failure (MTBF) divided by the MTBF plus the mean time to repair (MTTR) the system. The MTBF is a function of reliability or the expected frequency of failures. When the system experiences failures the result is added operational flow time, parts consumption, and increased labor with an impact to responsiveness resulting in increased LCC. The other function of availability is the MTTR, or maintainability. In other words, how accessible is the failed hardware that requires replacement and what operational functions are required before and after change-out to make the system operable. This paper will describe how the MTTR can be equated to additional labor, additional operational flow time, and additional structural access capability, all of which drive up the LCC. A methodology will be presented that provides the decision makers with the understanding necessary to place constraints on the design definition. This methodology for the major drivers will determine the inherent availability, safety, reliability, maintainability, and the life cycle cost of the fielded system. This methodology will focus on the achievement of an affordable, responsive space transportation system. It is the intent of this paper to not only provide the visibility of the relationships of these major attribute drivers (variables) to each other and the resultant system inherent availability, but also to provide the capability to bound the variables, thus providing the insight required to control the system's engineering solution. An example of this visibility is the need to provide integration of similar discipline functions to allow control of the total parts count of the space transportation system. Also, selecting a reliability requirement will place a constraint on parts count to achieve a given inherent availability requirement, or require accepting a larger parts count with the resulting higher individual part reliability requirements. This paper will provide an understanding of the relationship of mean repair time (mean downtime) to maintainability (accessibility for repair), and both mean time between failure (reliability of hardware) and the system inherent availability.

Requirements management for Gemini Observatory: a small organization with big development projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Close, Madeline; Serio, Andrew; Cordova, Martin; Hardie, Kayla

2016-08-01

Gemini Observatory is an astronomical observatory operating two premier 8m-class telescopes, one in each hemisphere. As an operational facility, a majority of Gemini's resources are spent on operations however the observatory undertakes major development projects as well. Current projects include new facility science instruments, an operational paradigm shift to full remote operations, and new operations tools for planning, configuration and change control. Three years ago, Gemini determined that a specialized requirements management tool was needed. Over the next year, the Gemini Systems Engineering Group investigated several tools, selected one for a trial period and configured it for use. Configuration activities including definition of systems engineering processes, development of a requirements framework, and assignment of project roles to tool roles. Test projects were implemented in the tool. At the conclusion of the trial, the group determined that the Gemini could meet its requirements management needs without use of a specialized requirements management tool, and the group identified a number of lessons learned which are described in the last major section of this paper. These lessons learned include how to conduct an organizational needs analysis prior to pursuing a tool; caveats concerning tool criteria and the selection process; the prerequisites and sequence of activities necessary to achieve an optimum configuration of the tool; the need for adequate staff resources and staff training; and a special note regarding organizations in transition and archiving of requirements.

Thalamic inhibition: diverse sources, diverse scales

PubMed Central

Halassa, Michael M.; Acsády, László

2016-01-01

The thalamus is the major source of cortical inputs shaping sensation, action and cognition. Thalamic circuits are targeted by two major inhibitory systems: the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) and extra-thalamic inhibitory (ETI) inputs. A unifying framework of how these systems operate is currently lacking. Here, we propose that TRN circuits are specialized to exert thalamic control at different spatiotemporal scales. Local inhibition of thalamic spike rates prevails during attentional selection whereas global inhibition more likely during sleep. In contrast, the ETI (arising from basal ganglia, zona incerta, anterior pretectum and pontine reticular formation) provides temporally-precise and focal inhibition, impacting spike timing. Together, these inhibitory systems allow graded control of thalamic output, enabling thalamocortical operations to dynamically match ongoing behavioral demands. PMID:27589879

USERS GUIDE FOR THE CONVERSION OF NAVY PAINT SPRAY BOOTH PARTICULATE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS FROM WET TO DRY OPERATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report is a guide or convrting U.S. Navy paint spray booth particulate emission control systems from wet to dry operation. The use of water curtains for air pollution control of paint spray booths is considered a major source of water and solid waste pol-lution from industria...

Microprocessor control of a wind turbine generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gnecco, A. J.; Whitehead, G. T.

1978-01-01

A microprocessor based system was used to control the unattended operation of a wind turbine generator. The turbine and its microcomputer system are fully described with special emphasis on the wide variety of tasks performed by the microprocessor for the safe and efficient operation of the turbine. The flexibility, cost and reliability of the microprocessor were major factors in its selection.

Space station System Engineering and Integration (SE and I). Volume 2: Study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

A summary of significant study results that are products of the Phase B conceptual design task are contained. Major elements are addressed. Study results applicable to each major element or area of design are summarized and included where appropriate. Areas addressed include: system engineering and integration; customer accommodations; test and program verification; product assurance; conceptual design; operations and planning; technical and management information system (TMIS); and advanced development.

Electrical power systems for Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, W. E.

1984-01-01

Major challenges in power system development are described. Evolutionary growth, operational lifetime, and other design requirements are discussed. A pictorial view of weight-optimized power system applications shows which systems are best for missions of various lengths and required power level. Following definition of the major elements of the electrical power system, an overview of element options and a brief technology assessment are presented. Selected trade-study results show end-to-end system efficiencies, required photovoltaic power capability as a function of energy storage system efficiency, and comparisons with other systems such as a solar dynamic power system.

Travtek Evaluation Safety Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-02-01

One of the major evaluation goals of the TravTek operational test was to assess the safety impact of the TravTek system as implemented in Orlando, Florida during the 1 -year deployment phase. Also, the results of the TravTek operational test, with re...

47 CFR 32.5999 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., network operations expenses, and depreciation and amortization expenses. Accounts in this group (except... group summary account, and subsidiary record category (if required). (2) The expense section of this system of accounts shall be comprised of four major expense groups—Plant Specific Operations, Plant...

Learning from Trending, Precursor Analysis, and System Failures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Youngblood, R. W.; Duffey, R. B.

2015-11-01

Models of reliability growth relate current system unreliability to currently accumulated experience. But “experience” comes in different forms. Looking back after a major accident, one is sometimes able to identify previous events or measurable performance trends that were, in some sense, signaling the potential for that major accident: potential that could have been recognized and acted upon, but was not recognized until the accident occurred. This could be a previously unrecognized cause of accidents, or underestimation of the likelihood that a recognized potential cause would actually operate. Despite improvements in the state of practice of modeling of risk and reliability,more » operational experience still has a great deal to teach us, and work has been going on in several industries to try to do a better job of learning from experience before major accidents occur. It is not enough to say that we should review operating experience; there is too much “experience” for such general advice to be considered practical. The paper discusses the following: 1. The challenge of deciding what to focus on in analysis of operating experience. 2. Comparing what different models of learning and reliability growth imply about trending and precursor analysis.« less

Implementation experiences of NASTRAN on CDC CYBER 74 SCOPE 3.4 operating system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Go, J. C.; Hill, R. G.

1973-01-01

The implementation of the NASTRAN system on the CDC CYBER 74 SCOPE 3.4 Operating System is described. The flexibility of the NASTRAN system made it possible to accomplish the change with no major problems. Various sizes of benchmark and test problems, ranging from two hours to less than one minute CP time were run on the CDC CYBER SCOPE 3.3, Univac EXEC-8, and CDC CYBER SCOPE 3.4. The NASTRAN installation deck is provided.

Using Mach threads to control DSN operational sequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urista, Juan

1993-01-01

The Link Monitor and Control Operator Assistant prototype (LMCOA) is a state-of-the-art, semiautomated monitor and control system based on an object-oriented design. The purpose of the LMCOA prototyping effort is to both investigate new technology (such as artificial intelligence) to support automation and to evaluate advances in information systems toward developing systems that take advantage of the technology. The emergence of object-oriented design methodology has enabled a major change in how software is designed and developed. This paper describes how the object-oriented approach was used to design and implement the LMCOA and the results of operational testing. The LMCOA is implemented on a NeXT workstation using the Mach operating system and the Objective-C programming language.

Investigation on experimental techniques to detect, locate and quantify gear noise in helicopter transmissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flanagan, P. M.; Atherton, W. J.

1985-01-01

A robotic system to automate the detection, location, and quantification of gear noise using acoustic intensity measurement techniques has been successfully developed. Major system components fabricated under this grant include an instrumentation robot arm, a robot digital control unit and system software. A commercial, desktop computer, spectrum analyzer and two microphone probe complete the equipment required for the Robotic Acoustic Intensity Measurement System (RAIMS). Large-scale acoustic studies of gear noise in helicopter transmissions cannot be performed accurately and reliably using presently available instrumentation and techniques. Operator safety is a major concern in certain gear noise studies due to the operating environment. The man-hours needed to document a noise field in situ is another shortcoming of present techniques. RAIMS was designed to reduce the labor and hazard in collecting data and to improve the accuracy and repeatability of characterizing the acoustic field by automating the measurement process. Using RAIMS a system operator can remotely control the instrumentation robot to scan surface areas and volumes generating acoustic intensity information using the two microphone technique. Acoustic intensity studies requiring hours of scan time can be performed automatically without operator assistance. During a scan sequence, the acoustic intensity probe is positioned by the robot and acoustic intensity data is collected, processed, and stored.

Financial and operational ratios for bond-insured hospitals.

PubMed

McCue, Michael J; McCluer, R Forrest

2008-01-01

Few, if any, researchers have analyzed the performance indicators of companies that offer bond insurance to hospitals and healthcare systems. The authors of this study analyzed the key financial and operational indicators of independent hospitals and hospitals within large multihospital systems that are insured by the 5 major bond insurance companies. The authors examined 87 insured bond issues; the results of this study show that some insurers cover healthcare facilities that have strong operational traits and others focus on financial factors.

An adaptive array antenna for mobile satellite communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milne, Robert

1990-01-01

The design of an adaptive array antenna for land vehicle operation and its performance in an operational satellite system is described. Linear and circularly polarized antenna designs are presented. The acquisition and tracking operation of a satellite is described and the effect on the communications signal is discussed. A number of system requirements are examined that have a major impact on the antenna design. The results of environmental, power handling, and RFI testing are presented and potential problems are identified.

Failure Prevention of Hydraulic System Based on Oil Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, M.; Lathkar, G. S.; Basu, S. K.

2012-07-01

Oil contamination is the major source of failure and wear of hydraulic system components. As per literature survey, approximately 70 % of hydraulic system failures are caused by oil contamination. Hence, to operate the hydraulic system reliably, the hydraulic oil should be of perfect condition. This requires a proper `Contamination Management System' which involves monitoring of various parameters like oil viscosity, oil temperature, contamination level etc. A study has been carried out on vehicle mounted hydraulically operated system used for articulation of heavy article, after making the platform levelled with outrigger cylinders. It is observed that by proper monitoring of contamination level, there is considerably increase in reliability, economy in operation and long service life. This also prevents the frequent failure of hydraulic system.

Deep Space Network (DSN), Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) computer-human interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellman, Alvin; Carlton, Magdi

1993-01-01

The Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) of the DSN is responsible for scheduling the resources of DSN, and monitoring all multi-mission spacecraft tracking activities in real-time. Operations performs this job with computer systems at JPL connected to over 100 computers at Goldstone, Australia and Spain. The old computer system became obsolete, and the first version of the new system was installed in 1991. Significant improvements for the computer-human interfaces became the dominant theme for the replacement project. Major issues required innovating problem solving. Among these issues were: How to present several thousand data elements on displays without overloading the operator? What is the best graphical representation of DSN end-to-end data flow? How to operate the system without memorizing mnemonics of hundreds of operator directives? Which computing environment will meet the competing performance requirements? This paper presents the technical challenges, engineering solutions, and results of the NOCC computer-human interface design.

Real-time operating system for selected Intel processors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pool, W. R.

1980-01-01

The rationale for system development is given along with reasons for not using vendor supplied operating systems. Although many system design and performance goals were dictated by problems with vendor supplied systems, other goals surfaced as a result of a design for a custom system able to span multiple projects. System development and management problems and areas that required redesign or major code changes for system implementation are examined as well as the relative successes of the initial projects. A generic description of the actual project is provided and the ongoing support requirements and future plans are discussed.

A Concept of Operations for an Integrated Vehicle Health Assurance System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Ross, Richard W.; Berger, David E.; Lekki, John D.; Mah, Robert W.; Perey, Danie F.; Schuet, Stefan R.; Simon, Donald L.; Smith, Stephen W.

2013-01-01

This document describes a Concept of Operations (ConOps) for an Integrated Vehicle Health Assurance System (IVHAS). This ConOps is associated with the Maintain Vehicle Safety (MVS) between Major Inspections Technical Challenge in the Vehicle Systems Safety Technologies (VSST) Project within NASA s Aviation Safety Program. In particular, this document seeks to describe an integrated system concept for vehicle health assurance that integrates ground-based inspection and repair information with in-flight measurement data for airframe, propulsion, and avionics subsystems. The MVS Technical Challenge intends to maintain vehicle safety between major inspections by developing and demonstrating new integrated health management and failure prevention technologies to assure the integrity of vehicle systems between major inspection intervals and maintain vehicle state awareness during flight. The approach provided by this ConOps is intended to help optimize technology selection and development, as well as allow the initial integration and demonstration of these subsystem technologies over the 5 year span of the VSST program, and serve as a guideline for developing IVHAS technologies under the Aviation Safety Program within the next 5 to 15 years. A long-term vision of IVHAS is provided to describe a basic roadmap for more intelligent and autonomous vehicle systems.

Major incidents in Kenya: the case for emergency services development and training.

PubMed

Wachira, Benjamin W; Smith, Wayne

2013-04-01

Kenya's major incidents profile is dominated by droughts, floods, fires, terrorism, poisoning, collapsed buildings, accidents in the transport sector and disease/epidemics. With no integrated emergency services and a lack of resources, many incidents in Kenya escalate to such an extent that they become major incidents. Lack of specific training of emergency services personnel to respond to major incidents, poor coordination of major incident management activities, and a lack of standard operational procedures and emergency operation plans have all been shown to expose victims to increased morbidity and mortality. This report provides a review of some of the major incidents in Kenya for the period 2000-2012, with the hope of highlighting the importance of developing an integrated and well-trained Ambulance and Fire and Rescue service appropriate for the local health care system.

Trust-Based Design of Human-Guided Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

Management Interdepartmental Program in Operations Research 17 May, 2007 Approved by: Laura Major Forest The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory...2. Information Analysis: predicting based on data, integrating and managing information, augmenting human operator perception and cognition. 3...allocation of automation by designers and managers . How an operator decides between manual and automatic control of a system is a necessary

On-Orbit Checkout and Activation of the ISS Oxygen Generation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagdigian, Robert M.; Prokhorov, Kimberlee S.

2007-01-01

NASA has developed and; deployed an Oxygen Generation System (OGS) into the Destiny Module of the International Space Station (ISS). The major. assembly; included in this system is the Oxygen Generator Assembly. (OGA) which was developed under NASA contract by Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International (HSSSI), Inc. This paper summarizes the installation of the system into the Destiny Module, its initial checkout and periodic preventative maintenance activities, and its operational activation. Trade studies and analyses that were conducted with the goal of mitigating on-orbit operational risks are also discussed.

The reliability analysis of a separated, dual fail operational redundant strapdown IMU. [inertial measurement unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motyka, P.

1983-01-01

A methodology for quantitatively analyzing the reliability of redundant avionics systems, in general, and the dual, separated Redundant Strapdown Inertial Measurement Unit (RSDIMU), in particular, is presented. The RSDIMU is described and a candidate failure detection and isolation system presented. A Markov reliability model is employed. The operational states of the system are defined and the single-step state transition diagrams discussed. Graphical results, showing the impact of major system parameters on the reliability of the RSDIMU system, are presented and discussed.

Human operator performance of remotely controlled tasks: Teleoperator research conducted at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shields, N., Jr.; Piccione, F.; Kirkpatrick, M., III; Malone, T. B.

1982-01-01

The combination of human and machine capabilities into an integrated engineering system which is complex and interactive interdisciplinary undertaking is discussed. Human controlled remote systems referred to as teleoperators, are reviewed. The human factors requirements for remotely manned systems are identified. The data were developed in three principal teleoperator laboratories and the visual, manipulator and mobility laboratories are described. Three major sections are identified: (1) remote system components, (2) human operator considerations; and (3) teleoperator system simulation and concept verification.

Costing Complex Products, Operations & Support

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-19

last version of the Harrier II family introduced in the UK. As such it is similar to the U.S. Marine Corps’ AV-8B in basic structure , systems , and...ABSTRACT Complex products and systems (CoPS) are major capital goods in which customers play a central role from design through to disposal, such as...Complex products and systems (CoPS) are major capital goods in which customers play a central role from design through to disposal, such as large defense

Research in space commercialization, technology transfer and communications, vol. 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunn, D. A.; Agnew, C. E.

1983-01-01

Spectrum management, models for evaluating communications systems, and implications of communications regulations for NASA are considered as major parts of communications policy. Marketing LANDSAT products in developing countries, a political systems analysis of LANDSAT, and private financing and operation of the space operations center (space station) are discussed. Investment requirements, risks, government support, and other primary business and management considerations are examined.

User Guide for Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Operations on the National Ranges

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION, PT. MUGU NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION, CHINA LAKE NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, PATUXENT...with IFR Instrument Flight Rules MRTFB Major Range and Test Facility Base NAS National Airspace System NM nautical mile NTIA National...sectional charts, Instrument Flight Rules ( IFR ) enroute charts, and terminal area charts. The floor and ceiling, operating hours, and controlling

Automation of surface observations program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Short, Steve E.

1988-01-01

At present, surface weather observing methods are still largely manual and labor intensive. Through the nationwide implementation of Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS), this situation can be improved. Two ASOS capability levels are planned. The first is a basic-level system which will automatically observe the weather parameters essential for aviation operations and will operate either with or without supplemental contributions by an observer. The second is a more fully automated, stand-alone system which will observe and report the full range of weather parameters and will operate primarily in the unattended mode. Approximately 250 systems are planned by the end of the decade. When deployed, these systems will generate the standard hourly and special long-line transmitted weather observations, as well as provide continuous weather information direct to airport users. Specific ASOS configurations will vary depending upon whether the operation is unattended, minimally attended, or fully attended. The major functions of ASOS are data collection, data processing, product distribution, and system control. The program phases of development, demonstration, production system acquisition, and operational implementation are described.

Financing the FAA : comparisons of existing and alternative systems to provide funding for the development and operations of the National Airspace System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-30

This paper examines selected alternative methods of financing the National : Airspace System (NAS), and presents information on the consequences to major : system users of alternative financing mechanisms. The paper examines : alternatives that have ...

I-40 trucking operations and safety analyses and strategic planning initiatives.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-01

Interstate 40 composes a major link of this system. This highway is a major eastwest : freeway that spans a length of 2,559 miles. Interstate 40 originates near I- : 15 in Barstow, California and then passes through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, : Okla...

14 CFR 125.287 - Initial and recurrent pilot testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., instrument approach facilities and procedures; (5) Air traffic control procedures, including IFR procedures... certificate holder; (2) For each type of airplane to be flown by the pilot, the airplane powerplant, major components and systems, major appliances, performance and operating limitations, standard and emergency...

MagneMotion urban maglev : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-11-01

The MagneMotion Urban Maglev System, called M3, is designed as an alternative to all conventional guided transportation systems. Advantages include major reductions in travel time, operating cost, capital cost, noise, and energy consumption. Small ve...

The European space suit, a design for productivity and crew safety.

PubMed

Skoog, A I; Berthier, S; Ollivier, Y

1991-01-01

In order to fulfill the two major mission objectives, i.e. support planned and unplanned external servicing of the COLUMBUS FFL and support the HERMES vehicle for safety critical operations and emergencies, the European Space Suit System baseline configuration incorporates a number of design features, which shall enhance the productivity and the crew safety of EVA astronauts. The work in EVA is today--and will be for several years--a manual work. Consequently, to improve productivity, the first challenge is to design a suit enclosure which minimizes movement restrictions and crew fatigue. It is covered by the "ergonomic" aspect of the suit design. Furthermore, it is also necessary to help the EVA crewmember in his work, by giving him the right information at the right time. Many solutions exist in this field of Man-Machine Interface, from a very simple system, based on cuff check lists, up to advanced systems, including Head-Up Displays. The design concept for improved productivity encompasses following features: easy donning/doffing thru rear entry, suit ergonomy optimisation, display of operational information in alpha-numerical and graphical form, and voice processing for operations and safety critical information. Concerning crew safety the major design features are: a lower R-factor for emergency EVA operations thru increased suit pressure, zero prebreath conditions for normal operations, visual and voice processing of all safety critical functions, and an autonomous life support system to permit unrestricted operations around HERMES and the CFFL. The paper analyses crew safety and productivity criteria and describes how these features are being built into the design of the European Space Suit System.

Audit of Clinical Coding of Major Head and Neck Operations

PubMed Central

Mitra, Indu; Malik, Tass; Homer, Jarrod J; Loughran, Sean

2009-01-01

INTRODUCTION Within the NHS, operations are coded using the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) classification system. These codes, together with diagnostic codes, are used to generate Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) codes, which correlate to a payment bracket. The aim of this study was to determine whether allocated procedure codes for major head and neck operations were correct and reflective of the work undertaken. HRG codes generated were assessed to determine accuracy of remuneration. PATIENTS AND METHODS The coding of consecutive major head and neck operations undertaken in a tertiary referral centre over a retrospective 3-month period were assessed. Procedure codes were initially ascribed by professional hospital coders. Operations were then recoded by the surgical trainee in liaison with the head of clinical coding. The initial and revised procedure codes were compared and used to generate HRG codes, to determine whether the payment banding had altered. RESULTS A total of 34 cases were reviewed. The number of procedure codes generated initially by the clinical coders was 99, whereas the revised codes generated 146. Of the original codes, 47 of 99 (47.4%) were incorrect. In 19 of the 34 cases reviewed (55.9%), the HRG code remained unchanged, thus resulting in the correct payment. Six cases were never coded, equating to £15,300 loss of payment. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the inadequacy of this system to reward hospitals for the work carried out within the NHS in a fair and consistent manner. The current coding system was found to be complicated, ambiguous and inaccurate, resulting in loss of remuneration. PMID:19220944

Activity Fund Accounting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cool, David W.

1983-01-01

Addresses the need of school districts in many states to decide on an appropriate mingling of centralization and decentralization in the operation of activity funds. Argues for analysis of activity fund operation through a breakdown into such major components as policy, the accounting system, and reporting and auditing. (JBM)

Laboratory services series: a programmed maintenance system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tuxbury, D.C.; Srite, B.E.

1980-01-01

The diverse facilities, operations and equipment at a major national research and development laboratory require a systematic, analytical approach to operating equipment maintenance. A computer-scheduled preventive maintenance program is described including program development, equipment identification, maintenance and inspection instructions, scheduling, personnel, and equipment history.

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

14 CFR 101.29 - Information requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...—High-Power Rocket requires a certificate of waiver or authorization, the person planning the operation... certificate of waiver or authorization the person planning the operation must provide the information below... characteristics for the entire flight profile, (4) A description of all major rocket systems, including structural...

An operational centre for managing major chemical industrial accidents.

PubMed

Kiranoudis, C T; Kourniotis, S P; Christolis, M; Markatos, N C; Zografos, K G; Giannouli, I M; Androutsopoulos, K N; Ziomas, I; Kosmidis, E; Simeonidis, P; Poupkou, N

2002-01-28

The most important characteristic of major chemical accidents, from a societal perspective, is their tendency to produce off-site effects. The extent and severity of the accident may significantly affect the population and the environment of the adjacent areas. Following an accident event, effort should be made to limit such effects. Management decisions should be based on rational and quantitative information based on the site specific circumstances and the possible consequences. To produce such information we have developed an operational centre for managing large-scale industrial accidents. Its architecture involves an integrated framework of geographical information system (GIS) and RDBMS technology systems equipped with interactive communication capabilities. The operational centre was developed for Windows 98 platforms, for the region of Thriasion Pedion of West Attica, where the concentration of industrial activity and storage of toxic chemical is immense within areas of high population density. An appropriate case study is given in order to illuminate the use and necessity of the operational centre.

International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-orbit Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Ben D.; Erwin, Phillip M.; Wiedemann, Rachel; Matty, Chris

2016-01-01

The Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) is a mass spectrometer based system that measures the major atmospheric constituents on the International Space Station. A number of limited-life components require periodic change-out, including the ORU 02 analyzer and the ORU 08 Verification Gas Assembly. The most recent ORU 02 and ORU 08 assemblies are operating nominally. For ORU 02, the ion source filaments and ion pump lifetime continue to be key determinants of MCA performance. Additionally, testing is underway to evaluate the capacity of the MCA to analyze ammonia. Finally, plans are being made to bring the second MCA on ISS to an operational configuration.

Core Community Specifications for Electron Microprobe Operating Systems: Software, Quality Control, and Data Management Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fournelle, John; Carpenter, Paul

2006-01-01

Modem electron microprobe systems have become increasingly sophisticated. These systems utilize either UNIX or PC computer systems for measurement, automation, and data reduction. These systems have undergone major improvements in processing, storage, display, and communications, due to increased capabilities of hardware and software. Instrument specifications are typically utilized at the time of purchase and concentrate on hardware performance. The microanalysis community includes analysts, researchers, software developers, and manufacturers, who could benefit from exchange of ideas and the ultimate development of core community specifications (CCS) for hardware and software components of microprobe instrumentation and operating systems.

A pilot scale electrical infrared dry-peeling system for tomatoes: design and performance evaluation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A pilot scale infrared dry-peeling system for tomatoes was designed and constructed. The system consisted of three major sections including the IR heating, vacuum, and pinch roller sections. The peeling performance of the system was examined under different operational conditions using tomatoes with...

NASDA knowledge-based network planning system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamaya, K.; Fujiwara, M.; Kosugi, S.; Yambe, M.; Ohmori, M.

1993-01-01

One of the SODS (space operation and data system) sub-systems, NP (network planning) was the first expert system used by NASDA (national space development agency of Japan) for tracking and control of satellite. The major responsibilities of the NP system are: first, the allocation of network and satellite control resources and, second, the generation of the network operation plan data (NOP) used in automated control of the stations and control center facilities. Up to now, the first task of network resource scheduling was done by network operators. NP system automatically generates schedules using its knowledge base, which contains information on satellite orbits, station availability, which computer is dedicated to which satellite, and how many stations must be available for a particular satellite pass or a certain time period. The NP system is introduced.

Does the NASA Constellation Architecture Offer Opportunities to Achieve Multiple Additional Goals in Space?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley; Lester, Daniel

2008-01-01

Every major NASA human spaceflight program in the last four decades has been modified to achieve goals in space not incorporated within the original design goals: the Apollo Applications Program, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station. Several groups in the U.S. have been identifying major future science goals, the science facilities necessary to investigate them, as well as possible roles for augmented versions of elements of NASA's Constellation program. Specifically, teams in the astronomy community have been developing concepts for very capable missions to follow the James Webb Space Telescope that could take advantage of - or require - free-space operations by astronauts and/or robots. Taking as one example, the Single-Aperture Far-InfraRed (SAFIR) telescope with a 10+ m aperture proposed for operation in the 2020 timeframe. According to current NASA plans, the Ares V launch vehicle (or a variant) will be available about the same time, as will the capability to transport astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon via the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and associated systems. [As the lunar surface offers no advantages - and major disadvantages - for most major optical systems, the expensive system for landing and operating on the lunar surface is not required.] Although as currently conceived, SAFIR and other astronomical missions will operate at the Sun-Earth L2 location, it appears trivial to travel for servicing to the more accessible Earth-Moon L1,2 locations. Moreover, as the recent Orbital Express and Automated Transfer Vehicle Missions have demonstrated, future robotic capabilities should offer capabilities that would (remotely) extend human presence far beyond the vicinity of the Earth.

Development of an economic framework to evaluate resilience in recovering from major port disruptions : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-03

Ports play a critical role in a nations economic system. The impact of a major port disruption can reverberate across the entire economy through regional and national supply-chains. This study develops an operational framework to evaluate the effe...

Comparisons of interdisciplinary ballast water treatment systems and operational experiences from ships.

PubMed

Bakalar, Goran

2016-01-01

There are high functioning and low functioning ballast water treatment systems on board ships. In this study, five systems were analysed so as to methodically examine the operational difficulties for ship crew members while giving important consideration to sustainable environment practices. Multi-criteria analysis, a questionnaire, survey and interviews were used as the research method so as to ascertain and corroborate existing problems on board ships, and the reliability of the systems was calculated. The co-insistency, maintenance and the efficiency of the systems, were shown as being the major problem as there are no systems for tracking ship ballast operations from land. The treatment system that used oxidants was, through multi criteria analysis, evaluated as being the best and was ranked first. However, the survey results showed that the ship's crew had serious problems with this system which difficult to solve during the ship's operations with cargo. The deoxygenation system was the most appropriate according to ballast water treatment criteria in the port or at sea. The treatment system which used electrolysis with oxidant was better in terms of efficacy and the treatment system electrolysis with ultra violet light was better in terms of the criterion environment pollution footprint. During further research, it was shown that 7 % of the surveyed crew members had major problems with operating ballast water treatment systems, including the system which was ranked first through multi criteria analysis. They by-passed these systems while continuing to ballast or de-ballast. It was calculated that of the total time needed for the ballast water treatment system operation, 9 % of this time was used for repairs or maintenance of the systems. Some examples are changing a used UV bulb, cleaning the filter or controlling the amount of oxidant which would be discharged into the sea. A conclusion was made and solution was suggested. The study results emphasised taking action in the interest of protecting the natural world, with particular attention being given to environmental protection to support human life.

Final Test and Evaluation Results from the Solar Two Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BRADSHAW, ROBERT W.; DAWSON, DANIEL B.; DE LA ROSA, WILFREDO

Solar Two was a collaborative, cost-shared project between 11 U. S. industry and utility partners and the U. S. Department of Energy to validate molten-salt power tower technology. The Solar Two plant, located east of Barstow, CA, comprised 1926 heliostats, a receiver, a thermal storage system, a steam generation system, and steam-turbine power block. Molten nitrate salt was used as the heat transfer fluid and storage media. The steam generator powered a 10-MWe (megawatt electric), conventional Rankine cycle turbine. Solar Two operated from June 1996 to April 1999. The major objective of the test and evaluation phase of the projectmore » was to validate the technical characteristics of a molten salt power tower. This report describes the significant results from the test and evaluation activities, the operating experience of each major system, and overall plant performance. Tests were conducted to measure the power output (MW) of the each major system, the efficiencies of the heliostat, receiver, thermal storage, and electric power generation systems and the daily energy collected, daily thermal-to-electric conversion, and daily parasitic energy consumption. Also included are detailed test and evaluation reports.« less

MOS 2.0: Modeling the Next Revolutionary Mission Operations System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delp, Christopher L.; Bindschadler, Duane; Wollaeger, Ryan; Carrion, Carlos; McCullar, Michelle; Jackson, Maddalena; Sarrel, Marc; Anderson, Louise; Lam, Doris

2011-01-01

Designed and implemented in the 1980's, the Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System (AMMOS) was a breakthrough for deep-space NASA missions, enabling significant reductions in the cost and risk of implementing ground systems. By designing a framework for use across multiple missions and adaptability to specific mission needs, AMMOS developers created a set of applications that have operated dozens of deep-space robotic missions over the past 30 years. We seek to leverage advances in technology and practice of architecting and systems engineering, using model-based approaches to update the AMMOS. We therefore revisit fundamental aspects of the AMMOS, resulting in a major update to the Mission Operations System (MOS): MOS 2.0. This update will ensure that the MOS can support an increasing range of mission types, (such as orbiters, landers, rovers, penetrators and balloons), and that the operations systems for deep-space robotic missions can reap the benefits of an iterative multi-mission framework.12 This paper reports on the first phase of this major update. Here we describe the methods and formal semantics used to address MOS 2.0 architecture and some early results. Early benefits of this approach include improved stakeholder input and buy-in, the ability to articulate and focus effort on key, system-wide principles, and efficiency gains obtained by use of well-architected design patterns and the use of models to improve the quality of documentation and decrease the effort required to produce and maintain it. We find that such methods facilitate reasoning, simulation, analysis on the system design in terms of design impacts, generation of products (e.g., project-review and software-delivery products), and use of formal process descriptions to enable goal-based operations. This initial phase yields a forward-looking and principled MOS 2.0 architectural vision, which considers both the mission-specific context and long-term system sustainability.

48 CFR 970.35 - Research and development contracting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Research and development contracting. 970.35 Section 970.35 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Major System Acquisition 970.35 Research and...

48 CFR 970.35 - Research and development contracting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Research and development contracting. 970.35 Section 970.35 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Major System Acquisition 970.35 Research and...

48 CFR 970.35 - Research and development contracting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Research and development contracting. 970.35 Section 970.35 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Major System Acquisition 970.35 Research and...

48 CFR 970.35 - Research and development contracting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Research and development contracting. 970.35 Section 970.35 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Major System Acquisition 970.35 Research and...

A near-real-time full-parallax holographic display for remote operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iavecchia, Helene P.; Huff, Lloyd; Marzwell, Neville I.

1991-01-01

A near real-time, full parallax holographic display system was developed that has the potential to provide a 3-D display for remote handling operations in hazardous environments. The major components of the system consist of a stack of three spatial light modulators which serves as the object source of the hologram; a near real-time holographic recording material (such as thermoplastic and photopolymer); and an optical system for relaying SLM images to the holographic recording material and to the observer for viewing.

Remote media vision-based computer input device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arabnia, Hamid R.; Chen, Ching-Yi

1991-11-01

In this paper, we introduce a vision-based computer input device which has been built at the University of Georgia. The user of this system gives commands to the computer without touching any physical device. The system receives input through a CCD camera; it is PC- based and is built on top of the DOS operating system. The major components of the input device are: a monitor, an image capturing board, a CCD camera, and some software (developed by use). These are interfaced with a standard PC running under the DOS operating system.

Engineering concepts for inflatable Mars surface greenhouses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hublitz, I.; Henninger, D. L.; Drake, B. G.; Eckart, P.

2004-01-01

A major challenge of designing a bioregenerative life support system for Mars is the reduction of the mass, volume, power, thermal and crew-time requirements. Structural mass of the greenhouse could be saved by operating the greenhouse at low atmospheric pressure. This paper investigates the feasibility of this concept. The method of equivalent system mass is used to compare greenhouses operated at high atmospheric pressure to greenhouses operated at low pressure for three different lighting methods: natural, artificial and hybrid lighting. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering concepts for inflatable Mars surface greenhouses.

PubMed

Hublitz, I; Henninger, D L; Drake, B G; Eckart, P

2004-01-01

A major challenge of designing a bioregenerative life support system for Mars is the reduction of the mass, volume, power, thermal and crew-time requirements. Structural mass of the greenhouse could be saved by operating the greenhouse at low atmospheric pressure. This paper investigates the feasibility of this concept. The method of equivalent system mass is used to compare greenhouses operated at high atmospheric pressure to greenhouses operated at low pressure for three different lighting methods: natural, artificial and hybrid lighting. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety management of complex research operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, W. J.

1981-01-01

Complex research and technology operations present many varied potential hazards which must be addressed in a disciplined independent safety review and approval process. The research and technology effort at the Lewis Research Center is divided into programmatic areas of aeronautics, space and energy. Potential hazards vary from high energy fuels to hydrocarbon fuels, high pressure systems to high voltage systems, toxic chemicals to radioactive materials and high speed rotating machinery to high powered lasers. A Safety Permit System presently covers about 600 potentially hazardous operations. The Safety Management Program described in this paper is believed to be a major factor in maintaining an excellent safety record at the Lewis Research Center.

Improving Distribution Resiliency with Microgrids and State and Parameter Estimation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tuffner, Francis K.; Williams, Tess L.; Schneider, Kevin P.

Modern society relies on low-cost reliable electrical power, both to maintain industry, as well as provide basic social services to the populace. When major disturbances occur, such as Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Sandy, the nation’s electrical infrastructure can experience significant outages. To help prevent the spread of these outages, as well as facilitating faster restoration after an outage, various aspects of improving the resiliency of the power system are needed. Two such approaches are breaking the system into smaller microgrid sections, and to have improved insight into the operations to detect failures or mis-operations before they become critical. Breaking themore » system into smaller sections of microgrid islands, power can be maintained in smaller areas where distribution generation and energy storage resources are still available, but bulk power generation is no longer connected. Additionally, microgrid systems can maintain service to local pockets of customers when there has been extensive damage to the local distribution system. However, microgrids are grid connected a majority of the time and implementing and operating a microgrid is much different than when islanded. This report discusses work conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that developed improvements for simulation tools to capture the characteristics of microgrids and how they can be used to develop new operational strategies. These operational strategies reduce the cost of microgrid operation and increase the reliability and resilience of the nation’s electricity infrastructure. In addition to the ability to break the system into microgrids, improved observability into the state of the distribution grid can make the power system more resilient. State estimation on the transmission system already provides great insight into grid operations and detecting abnormal conditions by leveraging existing measurements. These transmission-level approaches are expanded to using advanced metering infrastructure and other distribution-level measurements to create a three-phase, unbalanced distribution state estimation approach. With distribution-level state estimation, the grid can be operated more efficiently, and outages or equipment failures can be caught faster, improving the overall resilience and reliability of the grid.« less

Development of the Vibration Isolation System for the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niebuhr, Jason H.; Hagen, Richard A.

2011-01-01

This paper describes the development of the Vibration Isolation System for the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device from conceptual design to lessons learned. Maintaining a micro-g environment on the International Space Station requires that experiment racks and major vibration sources be isolated. The challenge in characterizing exercise loads and testing the system in the presence of gravity led to a decision to qualify the system by analysis. Available data suggests that the system is successful in attenuating loads, yet there has been a major component failure and several procedural issues during its 3 years of operational use.

Intelligent Mobile Sensor System (IMSS) for drum inspection and monitoring -- Volume 3. Final report, October 1, 1993--April 22, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This manual is intended to be read by people who will use the IMSS system on a regular basis, who will be referred to as IMSS system operators. Portions of this manual are intended to be read by operations staff who need to understand certain aspects of the IMSS system since their staff will be working near the IMSS vehicle and docking station. Sections 1 through 4 provide general information of interest both to operations staff and IMSS system operators. The remainder of this manual provides information of interest mainly to IMSS system operators. This manual is customized for usemore » of the IMSS system at the DOE Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), specifically in Buildings 628 through 634 at INEL`s Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). The vast majority of this manual is applicable to any installation site--only a few minor details are specific to INEL. This manual will be complemented by one-on-one training provided to INEL personnel by the IMSS system development team.« less

NASA Aircraft Vortex Spacing System Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, David A.; Charnock, James K.; Bagwell, Donald R.; Grigsby, Donner

1999-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is addressing airport capacity enhancements during instrument meteorological conditions through the Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) program. Within TAP, the Reduced Spacing Operations (RSO) subelement at the NASA Langley Research Center is developing an Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS). AVOSS will integrate the output of several systems to produce weather dependent, dynamic wake vortex spacing criteria. These systems provide current and predicted weather conditions, models of wake vortex transport and decay in these weather conditions, and real-time feedback of wake vortex behavior from sensors. The goal of the NASA program is to provide the research and development to demonstrate an engineering model AVOSS in real-time operation at a major airport. The demonstration is only of concept feasibility, and additional effort is required to deploy an operational system for actual aircraft spacing reduction. This paper describes the AVOSS system architecture, a wake vortex facility established at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), initial operational experience with the AVOSS system, and emerging considerations for subsystem requirements. Results of the initial system operation suggest a significant potential for reduced spacing.

Design of a blood-freezing system for leukemia research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, T. E.; Cygnarowicz, T. A.

1978-01-01

Leukemia research involves the use of cryogenic freezing and storage equipment. In a program being carried out at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), bone marrow (white blood cells) was frozen using a standard cryogenic biological freezer. With this system, it is difficult to maintain the desired rate of freezing and repeatability from sample to sample. A freezing system was developed that satisfies the requirements for a repeatable, constant freezing rate. The system was delivered to NIC and is now operational. This report describes the design of the major subsystems, the analyses, the operating procedure, and final system test results.

Antilock Braking Systems: Traffic Safety Tips

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

This fact sheet, the NHTSA Facts: Summer 1996, defines antilock braking systems, and discusses their benefits, how they work, and their major components. It also details how one would get used to antilock brakes, discussing how they feel and operate ...

COMPUTER TOOLS FOR SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM CAPACITY ANALYSIS AND PLANNING

EPA Science Inventory

Rainfall-derived infiltration and inflow (RDII) into sanitary sewer systems has long been recognized as a major source of operating problems, causing poor performance of many sewer systems. RDII is the main cause of SSOs to customer basements, streets, or nearby streams and can a...

Measurement of the ATCRBS Surface Interrogation Environments at Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles International Airports

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-07-01

The Transportation Systems Center is conducting a progrm to develop a surface surveillance sensor that uses replies from ATCRBS tansponders. The operation of this system can be affected by surface interrogations at major airports where such a system ...

Autoheated thermophilic aerobic digestion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deeny, K.; Hahn, H.; Leonhard, D.

1991-10-01

Autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) is first and foremost a digestion process, the primary purpose of which is to decompose a portion of the waste organic solids generated from wastewater treatment. As a result of the high operating temperature, digestion is expected to occur within a short time period (6 days) and accomplish a high degree of pathogen reduction. ATAD systems are two-stage aerobic digestion processes that operate under thermophilic temperature conditions (40 to 80C) without supplemental heat. Like composting, the systems rely on the conservation of heat released during digestion itself to attain and sustain the desired operating temperature.more » Typical ATAD systems operate at 55C and may reach temperatures of 60 to 65C in the second-stage reactor. Perhaps because of the high operating temperature, this process has been referred to as Liquid Composting.' Major advantages associated with thermophilic operation include high biological reaction rates and a substantial degree of pathogen reduction.« less

Satellite Ground Operations Automation: Lessons Learned and Future Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Catena, John; Frank, Lou; Saylor, Rick; Weikel, Craig; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Reducing spacecraft ground system operations costs is a major goal in all missions. The Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) flight operations team at the NASA/Goddard Spacecraft Flight Center developed in-house scripts and procedures to automate monitoring of critical spacecraft functions. The initial staffing profile of 16x7 was reduced first to 8x5 and then to 'lights out'. Operations functions became an offline review of system performance and the generation of future science plans for subsequent upload to the spacecraft. Lessons learned will be applied to the challenging Triana mission, where 24x7 contact with the spacecraft will be necessary at all times.

Hybrid Cascading Outage Analysis of Extreme Events with Optimized Corrective Actions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vallem, Mallikarjuna R.; Vyakaranam, Bharat GNVSR; Holzer, Jesse T.

2017-10-19

Power system are vulnerable to extreme contingencies (like an outage of a major generating substation) that can cause significant generation and load loss and can lead to further cascading outages of other transmission facilities and generators in the system. Some cascading outages are seen within minutes following a major contingency, which may not be captured exclusively using the dynamic simulation of the power system. The utilities plan for contingencies either based on dynamic or steady state analysis separately which may not accurately capture the impact of one process on the other. We address this gap in cascading outage analysis bymore » developing Dynamic Contingency Analysis Tool (DCAT) that can analyze hybrid dynamic and steady state behavior of the power system, including protection system models in dynamic simulations, and simulating corrective actions in post-transient steady state conditions. One of the important implemented steady state processes is to mimic operator corrective actions to mitigate aggravated states caused by dynamic cascading. This paper presents an Optimal Power Flow (OPF) based formulation for selecting corrective actions that utility operators can take during major contingency and thus automate the hybrid dynamic-steady state cascading outage process. The improved DCAT framework with OPF based corrective actions is demonstrated on IEEE 300 bus test system.« less

Subsystem Analysis/Optimization for the X-34 Main Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDonald, J. P.; Hedayat, A.; Brown, T. M.; Knight, K. C.; Champion, R. H., Jr.

1998-01-01

The Orbital Sciences Corporation X-34 vehicle demonstrates technologies and operations key to future reusable launch vehicles. The general flight performance goal of this unmanned rocket plane is Mach 8 flight at an altitude of 250,000 feet. The Main Propulsion System (MPS) supplies liquid propellants to the main engine, which provides the primary thrust for attaining mission goals. Major MPS design and operational goals are aircraft-like ground operations, quick turnaround between missions, and low initial/operational costs. Analyses related to optimal MPS subsystem design are reviewed in this paper. A pressurization system trade weighs maintenance/reliability concerns against those for safety in a comparison of designs using pressure regulators versus orifices to control pressurant flow. A propellant dump/feed system analysis weighs the issues of maximum allowable vehicle landing weight, trajectory, and MPS complexity to arrive at a final configuration for propellant dump/feed systems.

Recent Developments in the Design, Capabilities and Autonomous Operations of a Lightweight Surface Manipulation System and Test-bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorsey, John T.; Jones, Thomas C.; Doggett, W. R.; Brady, Jeffrey S.; Berry, Felecia C.; Ganoe, George G.; Anderson, Eric; King, Bruce D.; Mercer, David C.

2011-01-01

The first generation of a versatile high performance device for performing payload handling and assembly operations on planetary surfaces, the Lightweight Surface Manipulation System (LSMS), has been designed and built. Over the course of its development, conventional crane type payload handling configurations and operations have been successfully demonstrated and the range of motion, types of operations and the versatility greatly expanded. This enhanced set of 1st generation LSMS hardware is now serving as a laboratory test-bed allowing the continuing development of end effectors, operational techniques and remotely controlled and automated operations. This paper describes the most recent LSMS and test-bed development activities, that have focused on two major efforts. The first effort was to complete a preliminary design of the 2nd generation LSMS that has the capability for limited mobility and can reposition itself between lander decks, mobility chassis, and fixed base locations. A major portion of this effort involved conducting a study to establish the feasibility of, and define, the specifications for a lightweight cable-drive waist joint. The second effort was to continue expanding the versatility and autonomy of large planetary surface manipulators using the 1st generation LSMS as a test-bed. This has been accomplished by increasing manipulator capabilities and efficiencies through both design changes and tool and end effector development. A software development effort has expanded the operational capabilities of the LSMS test-bed to include; autonomous operations based on stored paths, use of a vision system for target acquisition and tracking, and remote command and control over a communications bridge.

An Incremental Life-cycle Assurance Strategy for Critical System Certification

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-04

for Safe Aircraft Operation Embedded software systems introduce a new class of problems not addressed by traditional system modeling & analysis...Platform Runtime Architecture Application Software Embedded SW System Engineer Data Stream Characteristics Latency jitter affects control behavior...do system level failures still occur despite fault tolerance techniques being deployed in systems ? Embedded software system as major source of

NASA System Engineering Design Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roman, Jose

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews NASA's use of systems engineering for the complete life cycle of a project. Systems engineering is a methodical, disciplined approach for the design, realization, technical management, operations, and retirement of a system. Each phase of a NASA project is terminated with a Key decision point (KDP), which is supported by major reviews.

Autonomy, Automation, and Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Philip R.

1987-02-01

Aerospace industry interest in autonomy and automation, given fresh impetus by the national goal of establishing a Space Station, is becoming a major item of research and technology development. The promise of new technology arising from research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has focused much attention on its potential in autonomy and automation. These technologies can improve performance in autonomous control functions that involve planning, scheduling, and fault diagnosis of complex systems. There are, however, many aspects of system and subsystem design in an autonomous system that impact AI applications, but do not directly involve AI technology. Development of a system control architecture, establishment of an operating system within the design, providing command and sensory data collection features appropriate to automated operation, and the use of design analysis tools to support system engineering are specific examples of major design issues. Aspects such as these must also receive attention and technology development support if we are to implement complex autonomous systems within the realistic limitations of mass, power, cost, and available flight-qualified technology that are all-important to a flight project.

Simplifying Operational Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

centuries of historical case studies, tracing the 9 evolution and development of what was then in 1997 operational theory. Naveh called his...major cases against operational design is the IDF’s application of SOD in 2006 against Hezbollah in Lebanon. While many blamed Israel’s lack of success...networked centricity.68 This is not the case . War, like ecosystems and economies, is a complex adaptive system. The interactive complexity that comprises

Deployer Performance Results for the TSS-1 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Leland S.; Geiger, Ronald V.

1995-01-01

Performance of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) Deployer during the STS-46 mission (July and August 1992) is analyzed in terms of hardware operation at the component and system level. Although only a limited deployment of the satellite was achieved (256 meters vs 20 kilometers planned), the mission served to verify the basic capability of the Deployer to release, control and retrieve a tethered satellite. - Deployer operational flexibility that was demonstrated during the flight is also addressed. Martin Marietta was the prime contractor for the development of the Deployer, under management of the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The satellite was provided by Alenia, Torino, Italy under contract to the Agencia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). Proper operation of the avionics components and the majority of mechanisms was observed during the flight. System operations driven by control laws for the deployment and retrieval of the satellite were also successful for the limited deployment distance. Anomalies included separation problems for one of the two umbilical connectors between the Deployer and satellite, tether jamming (at initial Satellite fly-away and at a deployment distance of 224 meters), and a mechanical interference which prevented tether deployment beyond 256 meters. The Deployer was used in several off-nominal conditions to respond to these anomalies, which ultimately enabled a successful satellite retrieval and preservation of hardware integrity for a future re-flight. The paper begins with an introduction defining the significance of the TSS-1 mission. The body of the paper is divided into four major sections: (1) Description of Deployer System and Components, (2) Deployer Components/Systems Demonstrating Successful Operation, (3) Hardware Anomalies and Operational Responses, and (4) Design Modifications for the TSS-1R Re-flight Mission. Conclusions from the TSS-1 mission, including lessons learned are presented at the end of the manuscript.

The European space suit, a design for productivity and crew safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skoog, A. Ingemar; Berthier, S.; Ollivier, Y.

In order to fulfil the two major mission objectives, i.e. support planned and unplanned external servicing of the COLUMBUS FFL and support the HERMES vehicle for safety critical operations and emergencies, the European Space Suit System baseline configuration incorporates a number of design features, which shall enhance the productivity and the crew safety of EVA astronauts. The work in EVA is today - and will be for several years - a manual work. Consequently, to improve productivity, the first challenge is to design a suit enclosure which minimizes movement restrictions and crew fatigue. It is covered by the "ergonomic" aspect of the suit design. Furthermore, it is also necessary to help the EVA crewmember in his work, by giving him the right information at the right time. Many solutions exist in this field of Man-Machine Interface, from a very simple system, based on cuff check lists, up to advanced systems, including Head-Up Displays. The design concept for improved productivity encompasses following features: • easy donning/doffing thru rear entry, • suit ergonomy optimisation, • display of operational information in alpha-numerical and graphical from, and • voice processing for operations and safety critical information. Concerning crew safety the major design features are: • a lower R-factor for emergency EVA operations thru incressed suit pressure, • zero prebreath conditions for normal operations, • visual and voice processing of all safety critical functions, and • an autonomous life support system to permit unrestricted operations around HERMES and the CFFL. The paper analyses crew safety and productivity criteria and describes how these features are being built into the design of the European Space Suit System.

The Advanced Linked Extended Reconnaissance & Targeting Technology Demonstration project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Mark

2008-04-01

The Advanced Linked Extended Reconnaissance & Targeting (ALERT) Technology Demonstration (TD) project is addressing many operational needs of the future Canadian Army's Surveillance and Reconnaissance forces. Using the surveillance system of the Coyote reconnaissance vehicle as an experimental platform, the ALERT TD project aims to significantly enhance situational awareness by fusing multi-sensor and tactical data, developing automated processes, and integrating beyond line-of-sight sensing. The project is exploiting important advances made in computer processing capability, displays technology, digital communications, and sensor technology since the design of the original surveillance system. As the major research area within the project, concepts are discussed for displaying and fusing multi-sensor and tactical data within an Enhanced Operator Control Station (EOCS). The sensor data can originate from the Coyote's own visible-band and IR cameras, laser rangefinder, and ground-surveillance radar, as well as from beyond line-of-sight systems such as mini-UAVs and unattended ground sensors. Video-rate image processing has been developed to assist the operator to detect poorly visible targets. As a second major area of research, automatic target cueing capabilities have been added to the system. These include scene change detection, automatic target detection and aided target recognition algorithms processing both IR and visible-band images to draw the operator's attention to possible targets. The merits of incorporating scene change detection algorithms are also discussed. In the area of multi-sensor data fusion, up to Joint Defence Labs level 2 has been demonstrated. The human factors engineering aspects of the user interface in this complex environment are presented, drawing upon multiple user group sessions with military surveillance system operators. The paper concludes with Lessons Learned from the project. The ALERT system has been used in a number of C4ISR field trials, most recently at Exercise Empire Challenge in China Lake CA, and at Trial Quest in Norway. Those exercises provided further opportunities to investigate operator interactions. The paper concludes with recommendations for future work in operator interface design.

Student Information Systems--Implementation Challenges and the Road Ahead

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukerjee, Sheila

2012-01-01

This paper presents a practitioner's view on student system implementations in the Australian university sector. A student information system is a core system of any university and integral to its operations and services to students. These systems are constantly on the list of major projects and at any point in time, a university is either…

20th International Seapower Symposium

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

System ( aIS ) we need to build common operations and the concept of operations of that. The Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSSIS)— we...closed factories, unemployment , and social stress in ar- eas far removed from the initial disruption. The value-added of goods with a “Made in China...germany and Korea as close runners-up. The United States itself is also a major contributor to that production pattern. a Federal Reserve Bank of

Increasing Responsiveness of the Army Rapid Acquisition Process: The Army Rapid Equipping Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

System Increment 2 (JNBCRS2) Joint Urgent Operational Needs (JUON) effort. These interviews played a critical role in providing information on the...Operational Assessment. 91 Interview by the authors with JNBCRS2 ATEC System Team: Mr. Dough Cunningham, DTC, and Ms. Emily Yost, AEC, Aberdeen...Mr. Dough Cunningham, DTC, and Ms. Emily Yost, AEC, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, October 2010. 110 Major Scott Schroer, JNBCRS2 Team Lead, and the

How to implement information technology in the operating room and the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Meyfroidt, Geert

2009-03-01

The number of operating rooms and intensive care units looking for a data management system to perform their increasingly complex tasks is rising. Although at this time only a minority is computerized, within the next few years many centres will start implementing information technology. The transition towards a computerized system is a major venture, which will have a major impact on workflow. This chapter reviews the present literature. Published papers on this subject are predominantly single- or multi-centre implementation reports. The general principles that should guide such a process are described. For healthcare institutions or individual practitioners that plan to undertake this venture, the implementation process is described in a practical, nine-step overview.

SNS Central Helium Liquefier spare Carbon Bed installation and commissioning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Degraff, Brian D.; Howell, Matthew P.; Kim, Sang-Ho

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Central Helium Liquefier (CHL) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been without major operations downtime since operations were started back in 2006. This system utilizes a vessel filled with activated carbon as the final major component to remove oil vapor from the compressed helium circuit prior to insertion into the system's cryogenic cold box. The need for a spare carbon bed at SNS due to the variability of carbon media lifetime calculation to adsorption efficiency will be discussed. The fabrication, installation and commissioning of this spare carbon vessel will be presented. The novel planmore » for connecting the spare carbon vessel piping to the existing infrastructure will be presented.« less

Library Labor Cost Accounting System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du Bois, Dan

The Library Labor Cost Accounting System will provide visibility on current costs of manually processing library materials, at each campus as well as system-wide. The scope of the study includes the following: (1) 100 individual activities, grouped into 14 functional areas, e.g., Ordering, Receiving; and into 3 major operations: Acquisitions,…

Solar heating system installed at Telex Communications, Inc., Blue Earth, Minnesota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The solar heating system for space heating a 97,000 square foot building which houses administrative offices, assembly areas, and warehouse space is summarized. Information on system description, test data, major problems and resolutions, performance, operation and maintenance manual, manufacturer's literature, and as-built drawings is presented.

Development of a comprehensive inventory management system for underground fiber optic conduits.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

Major State Departments of Transportation operate and maintain networks of thousands of miles of conduits, many : carrying fiber optic cables that are vital to State communication systems. These conduits are located alongside or : across highways and...

International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-Orbit Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Ben D.; Erwin, Phillip M.; Thoresen, Souzan; Wiedemann, Rachel; Matty, Chris

2015-01-01

The Major Constituent Analyzer is a mass spectrometer based system that measures the major atmospheric constituents on the International Space Station. A number of limited-life components require periodic change-out, including the ORU 02 analyzer and the ORU 08 Verification Gas Assembly. Improvements to ion pump operation and ion source tuning have improved lifetime performance of the current ORU 02 design. The most recent ORU 02 analyzer assemblies, as well as ORU 08, have operated nominally. For ORU 02, the ion source filaments and ion pump lifetime continue to be key determinants of MCA performance and logistical support. Monitoring several key parameters provides the capacity to monitor ORU health and properly anticipate end of life.

New luster for space robots and automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heer, E.

1978-01-01

Consideration is given to the potential role of robotics and automation in space transportation systems. Automation development requirements are defined for projects in space exploration, global services, space utilization, and space transport. In each category the potential automation of ground operations, on-board spacecraft operations, and in-space handling is noted. The major developments of space robot technology are noted for the 1967-1978 period. Economic aspects of ground-operation, ground command, and mission operations are noted.

Human Machine Interfaces for Teleoperators and Virtual Environments Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

In a teleoperator system the human operator senses, moves within, and operates upon a remote or hazardous environment by means of a slave mechanism (a mechanism often referred to as a teleoperator). In a virtual environment system the interactive human machine interface is retained but the slave mechanism and its environment are replaced by a computer simulation. Video is replaced by computer graphics. The auditory and force sensations imparted to the human operator are similarly computer generated. In contrast to a teleoperator system, where the purpose is to extend the operator's sensorimotor system in a manner that facilitates exploration and manipulation of the physical environment, in a virtual environment system, the purpose is to train, inform, alter, or study the human operator to modify the state of the computer and the information environment. A major application in which the human operator is the target is that of flight simulation. Although flight simulators have been around for more than a decade, they had little impact outside aviation presumably because the application was so specialized and so expensive.

Hygiene guideline for the planning, installation, and operation of ventilation and air-conditioning systems in health-care settings - Guideline of the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH).

PubMed

Külpmann, Rüdiger; Christiansen, Bärbel; Kramer, Axel; Lüderitz, Peter; Pitten, Frank-Albert; Wille, Frank; Zastrow, Klaus-Dieter; Lemm, Friederike; Sommer, Regina; Halabi, Milo

2016-01-01

Since the publication of the first "Hospital Hygiene Guideline for the implementation and operation of air conditioning systems (HVAC systems) in hospitals" (http://www.krankenhaushygiene.de/informationen/fachinformationen/leitlinien/12) in 2002, it was necessary due to the increase in knowledge, new regulations, improved air-conditioning systems and advanced test methods to revise the guideline. Based on the description of the basic features of ventilation concepts, its hygienic test and the usage-based requirements for ventilation, the DGKH section "Ventilation and air conditioning technology" attempts to provide answers for the major air quality issues in the planning, design and the hygienically safe operation of HVAC systems in rooms of health care.

Heterogeneous distributed databases: A case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Tracy R.; Mukkamala, Ravi

1991-01-01

Alternatives are reviewed for accessing distributed heterogeneous databases and a recommended solution is proposed. The current study is limited to the Automated Information Systems Center at the Naval Sea Combat Systems Engineering Station at Norfolk, VA. This center maintains two databases located on Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX computers running under the VMS operating system. The first data base, ICMS, resides on a VAX11/780 and has been implemented using VAX DBMS, a CODASYL based system. The second database, CSA, resides on a VAX 6460 and has been implemented using the ORACLE relational database management system (RDBMS). Both databases are used for configuration management within the U.S. Navy. Different customer bases are supported by each database. ICMS tracks U.S. Navy ships and major systems (anti-sub, sonar, etc.). Even though the major systems on ships and submarines have totally different functions, some of the equipment within the major systems are common to both ships and submarines.

Modal Analysis for Grid Operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANGO software is to provide a solution for improving small signal stability of power systems through adjusting operator-controllable variables using PMU measurement. System oscillation problems are one of the major threats to the grid stability and reliability in California and the Western Interconnection. These problems result in power fluctuations, lower grid operation efficiency, and may even lead to large-scale grid breakup and outages. This MANGO software aims to solve this problem by automatically generating recommended operation procedures termed Modal Analysis for Grid Operation (MANGO) to improve damping of inter-area oscillation modes. The MANGO procedure includes three steps: recognizing small signalmore » stability problems, implementing operating point adjustment using modal sensitivity, and evaluating the effectiveness of the adjustment. The MANGO software package is designed to help implement the MANGO procedure.« less

[Classification of memory systems: a revision].

PubMed

Agrest, M

2001-12-01

The present paper exposes the arguments against considering memory as a monolytic entity and how is it to be divided into several systems in order to understand its operation. Historically this division was acknowledge by different authors but in the last few decades it received the confirmation from the scientific research. The most accepted taxonomy establishes the existence of two major memory systems: declarative and non declarative memory. The article also presents the arguments for and against this kind of division, as well as an alternative classification in five major systems: procedural, perceptual representation, semantic, primary and episodic.

A Study of Integrated Instruction for Flexible Manufacturing Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Rong-Jyue; Kuo, Shin-Gia

A study was undertaken to develop hardware and software to help students learn the operation of real production lines and imitate them without disturbing the actual working of the production line. The study also identified major research topics according to the list of eight major technologies targeted by the Taiwanese government and considered…

Performance profiles of major energy producers, 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1999-01-01

The energy industry generally and petroleum and natural gas operations in particular are frequently reacting to a variety of unsettling forces. Falling oil prices, economic upswings, currency devaluations, increasingly rigorous environmental quality standards, deregulation of electricity markets, and continued advances in exploration and production technology were among the challenges and opportunities to the industry in 1997. To analyze the extent to which these and other developments have affected energy industry financial and operating performance, strategies, and industry structure, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) maintains the Financial Reporting Systems (FRS). Through Form EIA-28, major US energy companies annually report to themore » FRS. Financial and operating information is reported by major lines of business, including oil and gas production (upstream), petroleum refining and marketing (downstream), other energy operations, and nonenergy business. Performance Profiles of Major Producers 1997 examines the interplays of energy markets, companies` strategies, and government policies (in 1997 and in historical context) that gave rise to the results given here. The report also analyzes other key aspects of energy company financial performance as seen through the multifaceted lens provided by the FRS data and complementary data for industry overall. 41 figs., 77 tabs.« less

Software fault tolerance in computer operating systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, Ravishankar K.; Lee, Inhwan

1994-01-01

This chapter provides data and analysis of the dependability and fault tolerance for three operating systems: the Tandem/GUARDIAN fault-tolerant system, the VAX/VMS distributed system, and the IBM/MVS system. Based on measurements from these systems, basic software error characteristics are investigated. Fault tolerance in operating systems resulting from the use of process pairs and recovery routines is evaluated. Two levels of models are developed to analyze error and recovery processes inside an operating system and interactions among multiple instances of an operating system running in a distributed environment. The measurements show that the use of process pairs in Tandem systems, which was originally intended for tolerating hardware faults, allows the system to tolerate about 70% of defects in system software that result in processor failures. The loose coupling between processors which results in the backup execution (the processor state and the sequence of events occurring) being different from the original execution is a major reason for the measured software fault tolerance. The IBM/MVS system fault tolerance almost doubles when recovery routines are provided, in comparison to the case in which no recovery routines are available. However, even when recovery routines are provided, there is almost a 50% chance of system failure when critical system jobs are involved.

Evolution of the SOFIA tracking control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiebig, Norbert; Jakob, Holger; Pfüller, Enrico; Röser, Hans-Peter; Wiedemann, Manuel; Wolf, Jürgen

2014-07-01

The airborne observatory SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is undergoing a modernization of its tracking system. This included new, highly sensitive tracking cameras, control computers, filter wheels and other equipment, as well as a major redesign of the control software. The experiences along the migration path from an aged 19" VMbus based control system to the application of modern industrial PCs, from VxWorks real-time operating system to embedded Linux and a state of the art software architecture are presented. Further, the concept is presented to operate the new camera also as a scientific instrument, in parallel to tracking.

Apollo experience report: Communications system flight evaluation and verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Travis, D.; Royston, C. L., Jr.

1972-01-01

Flight tests of the synergetic operation of the spacecraft and earth based communications equipment were accomplished during Apollo missions AS-202 through Apollo 12. The primary goals of these tests were to verify that the communications system would adequately support lunar landing missions and to establish the inflight communications system performance characteristics. To attain these goals, a communications system flight verification and evaluation team was established. The concept of the team operations, the evolution of the evaluation processes, synopses of the team activities associated with each mission, and major conclusions and recommendations resulting from the performance evaluation are represented.

Airborne Visible Laser Optical Communications Program (AVLOC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ward, J. H.

1975-01-01

The design, development, and operation of airborne and ground-based laser communications and laser radar hardware is described in support of the Airborne Visible Laser Optical Communication program. The major emphasis is placed on the development of a highly flexible test bed for the evaluation of laser communications systems techniques and components in an operational environment.

Unmanned Systems: Operational Considerations for the 21st Century Joint Task Force Commander and Staff

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-08

megacities, the majority in the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America . By 2025, there will be another 30 or more . . . megaslums that......the 2006 QDR, they also focus on three critical additional areas: first, reducing risks to the Service members while operating across the

Recent trends in the development of heat exchangers for geothermal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franco, A.; Vaccaro, M.

2017-11-01

The potential use of geothermal resources has been a remarkable driver for market players and companies operating in the field of geothermal energy conversion. For this reason, medium to low temperature geothermal resources have been the object of recent rise in consideration, with strong reference to the perspectives of development of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology. The main components of geothermal plants based on ORC cycle are surely the heat exchangers. A lot of different heat exchangers are required for the operation of ORC plants. Among those it is surely of major importance the Recovery Heat Exchanger (RHE, typically an evaporator), in which the operating fluid is evaporated. Also the Recuperator, in regenerative Organic Rankine Cycle, is of major interest in technology. Another important application of the heat exchangers is connected to the condensation, according to the possibility of liquid or air cooling media availability. The paper analyzes the importance of heat exchangers sizing and the connection with the operation of ORC power plants putting in evidence the real element of innovation: the consideration of the heat exchangers as central element for the optimum design of ORC systems.

Collaboration, Automation, and Information Management at Hanford High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aurah, Mirwaise Y.; Roberts, Mark A.

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), operator of High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms at the Hanford Site, is taking an over 20-year leap in technology, replacing systems that were monitored with clipboards and obsolete computer systems, as well as solving major operations and maintenance hurdles in the area of process automation and information management. While WRPS is fully compliant with procedures and regulations, the current systems are not integrated and do not share data efficiently, hampering how information is obtained and managed.

Sensitivity analysis by approximation formulas - Illustrative examples. [reliability analysis of six-component architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, A. L.

1983-01-01

This paper examines the reliability of three architectures for six components. For each architecture, the probabilities of the failure states are given by algebraic formulas involving the component fault rate, the system recovery rate, and the operating time. The dominant failure modes are identified, and the change in reliability is considered with respect to changes in fault rate, recovery rate, and operating time. The major conclusions concern the influence of system architecture on failure modes and parameter requirements. Without this knowledge, a system designer may pick an inappropriate structure.

Laser Scanning Reader For Automated Data Entry Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Charles C. K.

1980-02-01

The use of the Universal Product Code (UPC) in conjunction with the laser-scanner-equipped electronic checkout system has made it technologically possible for supermarket stores to operate more efficiently and accurately. At present, more than 90% of the packages in grocery stores have been marked by the manufacturer with laser-scannable UPC symbols and the installation of laser scanning systems is expected to expand into all major chain stores. Areas to be discussed are: system design features, laser-scanning pattern generation, signal-processing logical considerations, UPC characteristics and encodation.

SHARP: Spacecraft Health Automated Reasoning Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, David J.

1991-01-01

The planetary spacecraft mission OPS as applied to SHARP is studied. Knowledge systems involved in this study are detailed. SHARP development task and Voyager telecom link analysis were examined. It was concluded that artificial intelligence has a proven capability to deliver useful functions in a real time space flight operations environment. SHARP has precipitated major change in acceptance of automation at JPL. The potential payoff from automation using AI is substantial. SHARP, and other AI technology is being transferred into systems in development including mission operations automation, science data systems, and infrastructure applications.

The use of computer graphic simulation in the development of on-orbit tele-robotic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fernandez, Ken; Hinman, Elaine

1987-01-01

This paper describes the use of computer graphic simulation techniques to resolve critical design and operational issues for robotic systems used for on-orbit operations. These issues are robot motion control, robot path-planning/verification, and robot dynamics. The major design issues in developing effective telerobotic systems are discussed, and the use of ROBOSIM, a NASA-developed computer graphic simulation tool, to address these issues is presented. Simulation plans for the Space Station and the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle are presented and discussed.

Solar heating and cooling system installed at RKL Controls Company, Lumberton, New Jersey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The final results of the design and operation of a computer controlled solar heated and cooled 40,000 square foot manufacturing building, sales office, and computer control center/display room are summarized. The system description, test data, major problems and resolutions, performance, operation and maintenance manual, equipment manufacturers' literature, and as-built drawings are presented. The solar system is composed of 6,000 square feet of flat plate collectors, external above ground storage subsystem, controls, absorption chiller, heat recovery, and a cooling tower.

Turbomachine Interface Sealing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, Robert C.; Chupp, Raymond E.; Lattime, Scott B.; Steinetz, Bruce M.

2005-01-01

Sealing interfaces and coatings, like lubricants, are sacrificial, giving up their integrity for the benefit of the component. Clearance control is a major issue in power systems turbomachine design and operational life. Sealing becomes the most cost-effective way to enhance system performance. Coatings, films, and combined use of both metals and ceramics play a major role in maintaining interface clearances in turbomachine sealing and component life. This paper focuses on conventional and innovative materials and design practices for sealing interfaces.

Implementation, reliability, and feasibility test of an Open-Source PACS.

PubMed

Valeri, Gianluca; Zuccaccia, Matteo; Badaloni, Andrea; Ciriaci, Damiano; La Riccia, Luigi; Mazzoni, Giovanni; Maggi, Stefania; Giovagnoni, Andrea

2015-12-01

To implement a hardware and software system able to perform the major functions of an Open-Source PACS, and to analyze it in a simulated real-world environment. A small home network was implemented, and the Open-Source operating system Ubuntu 11.10 was installed in a laptop containing the Dcm4chee suite with the software devices needed. The Open-Source PACS implemented is compatible with Linux OS, Microsoft OS, and Mac OS X; furthermore, it was used with operating systems that guarantee the operation in portable devices (smartphone, tablet) Android and iOS. An OSS PACS is useful for making tutorials and workshops on post-processing techniques for educational and training purposes.

Wheel/Rail Noise Control : A Critical Evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-01-01

Noise and vibration are the major sources of environmental impact from urban rail transit operations, and is a concern for both new and existing systems. One of the primary sources of noise on rail transit systems is wheel/rail noise, or, the noise e...

Performance Support Systems: Integrating AI, Hypermedia, and CBT to Enhance User Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGraw, Karen L.

1994-01-01

Examines the use of a performance support system (PSS) to enhance user performance on an operational system. Highlights include background information that describes the stimulus for PSS development; discussion of the major PSS components and the technology they require; and discussion of the design of a PSS for a complex database system.…

Contribution of the autophagy-lysosomal and ubiquitin-proteasomal proteolytic systems to total proteolysis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) myotubes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two major proteolytic systems are thought to (co-) operate in the skeletal muscle of vertebrates, the ubiquitin-proteasomal system (UPS) and the autophagic/lysosomal system (ALS). While their relative contribution to muscle loss has been already well documented in mammals, little is known in fish sp...

Evaluation of the National Throughput Benefits of the Civil Tilt Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Jesse; Stouffer, Virginia; Long, Dou; Gribko, Joana; Yackovetsky, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The air transportation system is a key part of the U.S. and global economic infrastructure. In recent years, this system, by any measure of usage - operations, enplanements, or revenue passenger miles (RPMs) - has grown rapidly. The rapid growth in demand has not been matched; however, by commensurate increases in the ability of airports and the airspace system to handle the additional traffic. As a result, the air transportation system is approaching capacity and airlines will face excessive delays or significant constraints on service unless capacity is expanded. To expand capacity, the air traffic management system must be improved. To improve the air traffic management system, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aerospace Technology Enterprise developed the strategic goal of tripling air traffic throughput over the next 10 years, in all weather conditions, while at least maintaining current safety standards. As the first step in meeting that goal, the NASA Intercenter Systems Analysis Team (ISAT) is evaluating the contribution of existing programs to meet that goal. A major part of the study is an examination of the ability of the National Airspace System (NAS) to meet the predicted growth in travel demand and the potential benefits of technology infusion to expand NAS capacity. We previously analyzed the effects of the addition of two technology elements - Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) and Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT). The next program we must analyze is not specific to airspace or aircraft technology. The program incorporates a fundamentally different vehicle to improve throughput: the civil tilt rotor (CTR). The CTR has the unique operating characteristic of being able to take off and land like a rotorcraft (vertical take off and landing, or VTOL, capability) but cruises like a traditional fixed-wing aircraft. The CTR also can operate in a short take off and landing (STOL) mode; generally, with a greater payload capacity (i.e., more passengers) than when operating in the VTOL mode. CTR could expand access to major airports without interfering with fixed-wing aircraft operating on congested runways and it could add service to new markets without the infrastructure support needed for fixed-wing aircraft. During FY 1999, we preliminarily assessed the feasibility of operating CTRs at two major U.S. airports as part of the annual review of NASA aerospace goals by the ISAT. This current study expands the analysis and concepts of that study to the complete NAS to quantify the national throughput effects of the CTR.

Integrated Environment for Development and Assurance

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-26

Jan 26, 2015 © 2015 Carnegie Mellon University We Rely on Software for Safe Aircraft Operation Embedded software systems introduce a new class of...eveloper Compute Platform Runtime Architecture Application Software Embedded SW System Engineer Data Stream Characteristics Latency jitter affects...Why do system level failures still occur despite fault tolerance techniques being deployed in systems ? Embedded software system as major source of

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sommer, T.; Melick, T.; Morrison, D.

The objective of this DOE sponsored project was to successfully fire coal-water slurry in a fire-tube boiler that was designed for oil/gas firing and establish a data base that will be relevant to a large number of existing installations. Firing slurry in a fire-tube configuration is a very demanding application because of the extremely high heat release rates and the correspondingly low furnace volume where combustion can be completed. Recognizing that combustion efficiency is the major obstacle when firing slurry in a fire-tube boiler, the program was focused on innovative approaches for improving carbon burnout without major modifications to themore » boiler. The boiler system was successfully designed and operated to fire coal-water slurry for extended periods of time with few slurry related operational problems. The host facility was a 3.8 million Btu/hr Cleaver-Brooks fire-tube boiler located on the University of Alabama Campus. A slurry atomizer was designed that provided outstanding atomization and was not susceptible to pluggage. The boiler was operated for over 1000 hours and 12 shipments of slurry were delivered. The new equipment engineered for the coal-water slurry system consisted of the following: combustion air and slurry heaters; cyclone; baghouse; fly ash reinjection system; new control system; air compressor; CWS/gas burner and gas valve train; and storage tank and slurry handling system.« less

The Detection, Characterization and Tracking of Recent Aleutian Island Volcanic Ash Plumes and the Assessment of Their Impact on Aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, John J.; Hudnall, L. A.; Matus, A.; Krueger, A. J.; Trepte, C. r.

2010-01-01

The Aleutian Islands of Alaska are home to a number of major volcanoes which periodically present a significant hazard to aviation. During summer of 2008, the Okmok and Kasatochi volcanoes experienced moderate eruptive events. These were followed a dramatic, major eruption of Mount Redoubt in late March 2009. The Redoubt case is extensively covered in this paper. Volcanic ash and SO2 from each of these eruptions dispersed throughout the atmosphere. This created the potential for major problems for air traffic near the ash dispersions and at significant distances downwind. The NASA Applied Sciences Weather Program implements a wide variety of research projects to develop volcanic ash detection, characterization and tracking applications for NASA Earth Observing System and NOAA GOES and POES satellites. Chemistry applications using NASA AURA satellite Ozone Monitoring System (OMI) retrievals produced SO2 measurements to trace the dispersion of volcanic aerosol. This work was complimented by advanced multi-channel imager applications for the discrimination and height assignment of volcanic ash using NASA MODIS and NOAA GOES and POES imager data. Instruments similar to MODIS and OMI are scheduled for operational deployment on NPOESS. In addition, the NASA Calipso satellite provided highly accurate measurements of aerosol height and dispersion for the calibration and validation of these algorithms and for corroborative research studies. All of this work shortens the lead time for transition to operations and ensures that research satellite data and applications are operationally relevant and utilized quickly after the deployment of operational satellite systems. Introduction

Investigation of Desiccants and CO2 Sorbents for Advanced Exploration Systems 2015-2016

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Cmarik, Gregory E.; Watson, David

2016-01-01

Design of advanced carbon dioxide removal systems begins with the study of sorbents. Specifically, new CO2 sorbents and desiccants need to be studied to enable greater productivity from existing and future spaceflight systems. This presentation will discuss the studies used as input for selecting future CO2 sorbent materials. Also, the adjoining issues of understanding the effects of water co-adsorption and material selection for desiccant beds will be discussed. Current sorbents for CO2 removal are based on 5A zeolites, but a transition to sorbents derived from 13X will be necessary as CO2 levels in cabin air become leaner. Unfortunately, these 13X zeolites are more susceptible to long-term performance loss due to water co-adsorption than 5A due at achievable regeneration temperatures. A study on how impactful the presence of trace water will be to the cyclic operation of small-scale beds will be discussed. Also, methods to recover the performance of beds in a space environment after a major moisture adsorption event will be discussed. The information obtained from the water co-adsorption studies will play a major part in selecting a CO2 sorbent for advanced removal systems. Pellet structural properties play another major role in the selection process. One factor for long-term, hands-off operation of a system is pellet integrity. Maintaining integrity means preventing pellet fracture and the generation of fines due to various thermal and mechanical means which would eventually clog filters or damage downstream systems. Either of these problems require significant shutdowns and maintenance operations and must be avoided. Therefore, study of high-integrity pellets and design of new pellets will be discussed.

Impact of Operating Rules on Planning Capacity Expansion of Urban Water Supply Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Neufville, R.; Galelli, S.; Tian, X.

2017-12-01

This study addresses the impact of operating rules on capacity planning of urban water supply systems. The continuous growth of metropolitan areas represents a major challenge for water utilities, which often rely on industrial water supply (e.g., desalination, reclaimed water) to complement natural resources (e.g., reservoirs). These additional sources increase the reliability of supply, equipping operators with additional means to hedge against droughts. How do their rules for using industrial water supply impact the performance of water supply system? How might it affect long-term plans for capacity expansion? Possibly significantly, as demonstrated by the analysis of the operations and planning of a water supply system inspired by Singapore. Our analysis explores the system dynamics under multiple inflow and management scenarios to understand the extent to which alternative operating rules for the use of industrial water supply affect system performance. Results first show that these operating rules can have significant impact on the variability in system performance (e.g., reliability, energy use) comparable to that of hydro-climatological conditions. Further analyses of several capacity expansion exercises—based on our original hydrological and management scenarios—show that operating rules significantly affect the timing and magnitude of critical decisions, such as the construction of new desalination plants. These results have two implications: Capacity expansion analysis should consider the effect of a priori uncertainty about operating rules; and operators should consider how their flexibility in operating rules can affect their perceived need for capacity.

Tactical lighting in special operations medicine: survey of current preferences.

PubMed

Calvano, Christopher J; Enzenauer, Robert W; Eisnor, Derek L; Laporta, Anthony J

2013-01-01

Success in Special Operations Forces medicine (SOFMED) is dependent on maximizing visual capability without compromising the provider or casualty position when under fire. There is no single ideal light source suitable for varied SOFMED environments. We present the results of an online survey of Special Operations Medical Operators in an attempt to determine strengths and weaknesses of current systems. There was no consensus ideal hue for tactical illumination. Most Operators own three or more lights, and most lights were not night vision compatible. Most importantly, nearly 25% of respondents reported that lighting issues contributed to a poor casualty outcome; conversely, a majority (50 of 74) stated their system helped prevent a poor outcome. Based on the results of this initial survey, we can affirm that the design and choice of lighting is critical to SOFMED success. We are conducting ongoing studies to further define ideal systems for tactical applications including field, aviation, and marine settings. 2013.

NASA Communications Augmentation network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Omidyar, Guy C.; Butler, Thomas E.; Laios, Straton C.

1990-01-01

The NASA Communications (Nascom) Division of the Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate (MO&DSD) is to undertake a major initiative to develop the Nascom Augmentation (NAUG) network to achieve its long-range service objectives for operational data transport to support the Space Station Freedom Program, the Earth Observing System (EOS), and other projects. The NAUG is the Nascom ground communications network being developed to accommodate the operational traffic of the mid-1990s and beyond. The NAUG network development will be based on the Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model (OSI-RM). This paper describes the NAUG network architecture, subsystems, topology, and services; addresses issues of internetworking the Nascom network with other elements of the Space Station Information System (SSIS); discusses the operations environment. This paper also notes the areas of related research and presents the current conception of how the network will provide broadband services in 1998.

Can cultural differences lead to accidents? Team cultural differences and sociotechnical system operations.

PubMed

Strauch, Barry

2010-04-01

I discuss cultural factors and how they may influence sociotechnical system operations. Investigations of several major transportation accidents suggest that cultural factors may have played a role in the causes of the accidents. However, research has not fully addressed how cultural factors can influence sociotechnical systems. I review literature on cultural differences in general and cultural factors in sociotechnical systems and discuss how these differences can affect team performance in sociotechnical systems. Cultural differences have been observed in social and interpersonal dimensions and in cognitive and perceptual styles; these differences can affect multioperator team performance. Cultural factors may account for team errors in sociotechnical systems, most likely during high-workload, high-stress operational phases. However, much of the research on cultural factors has methodological and interpretive shortcomings that limit their applicability to sociotechnical systems. Although some research has been conducted on the role of cultural differences on team performance in sociotechnical system operations, considerable work remains to be done before the effects of these differences can be fully understood. I propose a model that illustrates how culture can interact with sociotechnical system operations and suggest avenues of future research. Given methodological challenges in measuring cultural differences and team performance in sociotechnical system operations, research in these systems should use a variety of methodologies to better understand how culture can affect multioperator team performance in these systems.

Film processing investigation. [improved chemical mixing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, J. L.

1972-01-01

The present operational chemical mixing system for the Photographic Technology Division is evaluated, and the limitations are defined in terms of meeting the present and programmed chemical supply and delivery requirements. A major redesign of the entire chemical mixing, storage, analysis, and supply system is recommended. Other requirements for immediate and future implementations are presented.

Summary of the Orbiter mechanical systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiker, J.; Hinson, K.

1979-01-01

Major mechanical systems of the Orbiter space vehicle are summarized with respect to general design details, manner of operation, expected performance, and, where applicable, unique features. A synopsis of data obtained during the five atmospheric flight tests of spacecraft OV-101 and status of the systems for the first orbital spacecraft STS-1 are presented.

FOCUS: a fire management planning system -- final report

Treesearch

Frederick W. Bratten; James B. Davis; George T. Flatman; Jerold W. Keith; Stanley R. Rapp; Theodore G. Storey

1981-01-01

FOCUS (Fire Operational Characteristics Using Simulation) is a computer simulation model for evaluating alternative fire management plans. This final report provides a broad overview of the FOCUS system, describes two major modules-fire suppression and cost, explains the role in the system of gaming large fires, and outlines the support programs and ways of...

76 FR 3113 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

... Force's notices for systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended... Center; major commands; field operating agencies; Military Personnel Sections at Air Force installations... mailing addresses are published as an appendix to the Air Force's compilation of systems of records...

Calculating the risk of a pancreatic fistula after a pancreaticoduodenectomy: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Vallance, Abigail E; Young, Alastair L; Macutkiewicz, Christian; Roberts, Keith J; Smith, Andrew M

2015-01-01

Background A post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This systematic review aimed to identify all scoring systems to predict POPF after a PD, consider their clinical applicability and assess the study quality. Method An electronic search was performed of Medline (1946–2014) and EMBASE (1996–2014) databases. Results were screened according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and quality assessed according to the QUIPS (quality in prognostic studies) tool. Results Six eligible scoring systems were identified. Five studies used the International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF) definition. The proposed scores feature between two and five variables and of the 16 total variables, the majority (12) featured in only one score. Three scores could be fully completed pre-operatively whereas 1 score included intra-operative and two studies post-operative variables. Four scores were internally validated and of these, two scores have been subject to subsequent multicentre review. The median QUIPS score was 38 out of 50 (range 16–50). Conclusion These scores show potential in calculating the individualized patient risk of POPF. There is, however, much variation in current scoring systems and further validation in large multicentre cohorts is now needed. PMID:26456948

Mechanical pumps for superfluid helium transfer in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izenson, M. G.; Swift, W. L.

1988-01-01

Two alternate mechanical pump concepts have been identified for the transfer of superfluid helium in space. Both pumps provide flow at sufficient head and have operating characteristics suitable for the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) refill mission. One pump operates at a relatively low speed and utilizes mechanical roller bearings, while the other operates at a higher rotational speed using either electromagnetic or tilting pad gas-dynamic bearings. The use of gas bearings requires transfer of normal helium so that the gas pressure within the pump casing is high enough to operate the bearings. The operating characteristics of both pumps are predicted, the dimensions are estimated and major technology issues are identified. The major issues for each pump design are cavitation performance and bearing development. Roller bearings require quantified reliability for operation in space while electromagnetic bearings require basic development as well as a complex control system. The low speed pump has significantly poorer hydraulic efficiency than the high speed pump.

[The endoscopic operating room OR 1].

PubMed

Dubuisson, J B; Chapron, C

2003-04-01

During the last few years, the development of surgical laparoscopy has been the major turning point, and the most important progress in the field of surgery. The specific installation requirements of surgical laparoscopy, as well as the technological progress proper to this surgical technique, justify the need of a new organization of the operating theatre. The new operating room OR 1 is especially designed to fit and satisfy the requirements of a modern operating theatre, where surgical laparoscopy plays a major role. The organization and the design of this new operating room (OR 1) rely on 2 main concepts: architectural, and computerized, through 2 PC systems SCB and AIDA. The main objectives of this new concept are: allowing the surgeon to control and command all the functions and the instruments, as well as the lighting of the room and the operating field; managing the surgical data and images required for medical files; establishing a communication network either from the inside or outside the sterile zone.

Market packages.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-11

Safety is a major goal of the National Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Program. To promote safety, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funded several field operational tests to evaluate technologies designed to decrease transportation r...

Interfaces - Weak Links, Yet Great Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, Robert C.; Dimofte, Florin; Chupp, Raymond E.; Steinetz, Bruce M.

2011-01-01

Inadequate turbomachine interface design can rapidly degrade system performance, yet provide great opportunity for improvements. Engineered coatings of seals and bearing interfaces are major issues in the operational life of power systems. Coatings, films, and combined use of both metals and ceramics play a major role in maintaining component life. Interface coatings, like lubricants, are sacrificial for the benefit of the component. Bearing and sealing surfaces are routinely protected by tribologically paired coatings such as silicon diamond like coatings (SiDLC) in combination with an oil lubricated wave bearing that prolongs bearing operational life. Likewise, of several methods used or researched for detecting interface failures, dopants within coatings show failures in functionally graded ceramic coatings. The Bozzolo-Ferrante-Smith (BFS) materials models and quantum mechanical tools, employed in interface design, are discussed.

Is the Australian hospital system adequately prepared for terrorism?

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Jeffrey V; Fitzgerald, Mark; Kossmann, Thomas; Pearce, Andrew; Joseph, Anthony; Joseph, Andrew; Tan, Gim; Gardner, Michele; Shapira, Shmuel

Australian hospitals need to be prepared to deal with mass casualties from terrorist strikes, including bomb blasts and chemical, biological and radiation injury. Injuries from bomb explosions are more severe than those commonly seen in Australian hospitals. In disasters involving mass casualties in urban areas, many of the injured make their own way to hospital, often arriving before the more seriously injured casualties. Major hospitals in Australia should plan for large numbers of undifferentiated and potentially contaminated casualties arriving with minimal warning. It is critical that experienced and trained senior medical officers perform the triage of casualties in emergency departments, with frequent reassessment to detect missed injuries (especially pulmonary blast injury). Hospitals require well developed standard operating procedures for mass casualty events, reinforced by regular drills. Preparing for a major event includes training staff in major incident management, setting up an operational/control unit, nominating key personnel, ensuring there is an efficient intra-hospital communication system, and enhancing links with other emergency services and hospitals.

An Integrated Fault Tolerant Robotic Controller System for High Reliability and Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marzwell, Neville I.; Tso, Kam S.; Hecht, Myron

1994-01-01

This paper describes the concepts and features of a fault-tolerant intelligent robotic control system being developed for applications that require high dependability (reliability, availability, and safety). The system consists of two major elements: a fault-tolerant controller and an operator workstation. The fault-tolerant controller uses a strategy which allows for detection and recovery of hardware, operating system, and application software failures.The fault-tolerant controller can be used by itself in a wide variety of applications in industry, process control, and communications. The controller in combination with the operator workstation can be applied to robotic applications such as spaceborne extravehicular activities, hazardous materials handling, inspection and maintenance of high value items (e.g., space vehicles, reactor internals, or aircraft), medicine, and other tasks where a robot system failure poses a significant risk to life or property.

Satellite Power Systems (SPS) concept definition study. Volume 2, part 2: System engineering. [cost and programmatics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanley, G. M.

1980-01-01

The latest technical and programmatic developments are considered as well as expansions of the Rockwell SPS cost model covering each phase of the program through the year 2030. Comparative cost/economic analyses cover elements of the satellite, construction system, space transportation vehicles and operations, and the ground receiving station. System plans to define time phased costs and planning requirements that support major milestones through the year 2000. A special analysis is included on natural resources required to build the SPS reference configuration. An appendix contains the SPS Work Breakdown Structure and dictionary along with detail cost data sheet on each system and main element of the program. Over 200 line items address DDT&E, theoretical first unit, investment cost per satellite, and operations charges for replacement capital and normal operations and maintenance costs.

Automation of Shuttle Tile Inspection - Engineering methodology for Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiskerchen, M. J.; Mollakarimi, C.

1987-01-01

The Space Systems Integration and Operations Research Applications (SIORA) Program was initiated in late 1986 as a cooperative applications research effort between Stanford University, NASA Kennedy Space Center, and Lockheed Space Operations Company. One of the major initial SIORA tasks was the application of automation and robotics technology to all aspects of the Shuttle tile processing and inspection system. This effort has adopted a systems engineering approach consisting of an integrated set of rapid prototyping testbeds in which a government/university/industry team of users, technologists, and engineers test and evaluate new concepts and technologies within the operational world of Shuttle. These integrated testbeds include speech recognition and synthesis, laser imaging inspection systems, distributed Ada programming environments, distributed relational database architectures, distributed computer network architectures, multimedia workbenches, and human factors considerations.

Intelligent control for modeling of real-time reservoir operation, part II: artificial neural network with operating rule curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ya-Ting; Chang, Li-Chiu; Chang, Fi-John

2005-04-01

To bridge the gap between academic research and actual operation, we propose an intelligent control system for reservoir operation. The methodology includes two major processes, the knowledge acquired and implemented, and the inference system. In this study, a genetic algorithm (GA) and a fuzzy rule base (FRB) are used to extract knowledge based on the historical inflow data with a design objective function and on the operating rule curves respectively. The adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is then used to implement the knowledge, to create the fuzzy inference system, and then to estimate the optimal reservoir operation. To investigate its applicability and practicability, the Shihmen reservoir, Taiwan, is used as a case study. For the purpose of comparison, a simulation of the currently used M-5 operating rule curve is also performed. The results demonstrate that (1) the GA is an efficient way to search the optimal input-output patterns, (2) the FRB can extract the knowledge from the operating rule curves, and (3) the ANFIS models built on different types of knowledge can produce much better performance than the traditional M-5 curves in real-time reservoir operation. Moreover, we show that the model can be more intelligent for reservoir operation if more information (or knowledge) is involved.

NASA JSC water monitor system: City of Houston field demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, R. E.; Jeffers, E. L.; Fricks, D. H.

1979-01-01

A water quality monitoring system with on-line and real time operation similar to the function in a spacecraft was investigated. A system with the capability to determine conformance to future high effluent quality standards and to increase the potential for reclamation and reuse of water was designed. Although all system capabilities were not verified in the initial field trial, fully automated operation over a sustained period with only routine manual adjustments was accomplished. Two major points were demonstrated: (1) the water monitor system has great potential in water monitoring and/or process control applications; and (2) the water monitor system represents a vast improvement over conventional (grab sample) water monitoring techniques.

Advanced Transport Operating System (ATOPS) Flight Management/Flight Controls (FM/FC) software description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, David A.; Dickson, Richard W.; Clinedinst, Winston C.; Slominski, Christopher J.

1993-01-01

The flight software developed for the Flight Management/Flight Controls (FM/FC) MicroVAX computer used on the Transport Systems Research Vehicle for Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) research is described. The FM/FC software computes navigation position estimates, guidance commands, and those commands issued to the control surfaces to direct the aircraft in flight. Various modes of flight are provided for, ranging from computer assisted manual modes to fully automatic modes including automatic landing. A high-level system overview as well as a description of each software module comprising the system is provided. Digital systems diagrams are included for each major flight control component and selected flight management functions.

Break Free From the Sea...: A Study of Employing Carrier Airpower from the Beach

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-06-01

the demands for airpower. As indicated by DESERT STORM’s statistics , in major operations, land-based assets provide the preponderance of offensive...Brassey’s, 1989. . “The Enemy as a System.” Operational Forces, Air Command and Staff College AY 1998 Coursebook , pp.7-22, reprinted from Airpower

Human operator performance of remotely controlled tasks: Teleoperator research conducted at NASA's George C. Marshal Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shields, N., Jr.; Piccione, F.; Kirkpatrick, M., III; Malone, T. B.

1982-01-01

The capabilities within the teleoperator laboratories to perform remote and teleoperated investigations for a wide variety of applications are described. Three major teleoperator issues are addressed: the human operator, the remote control and effecting subsystems, and the human/machine system performance results for specific teleoperated tasks.

Energy-Focused Fusion Information System Integration, A NISE funded Capability Investment Project. Year 1 FY 2013 Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

major components, the power for the motor plus the power for operation dependent electronics. The power required for a disk operation can be...Love to Use", Novemeber 2009, Publicationof Juice , Inc. 4) Haves, Philip, "Building Modeling: EngergyPlus at Ames Research Center", May 2011, Brief

Hubble Space Telescope on-line telemetry archive for monitoring scientific instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miebach, Manfred P.

2002-12-01

A major milestone in an effort to update the aging Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ground system was completed when HST operations were switched to a new ground system, a project called "Vision 2000 Control Center System CCS)", at the time of the third Servicing Mission in December 1999. A major CCS subsystem is the Space Telescope Engineering Data Store, the design of which is based on modern Data Warehousing technology. In fact, the Data Warehouse (DW) as implemented in the CCS Ground System that operates and monitors the Hubble Space Telescope represents, the first use of a commercial Data Warehouse to manage engineering data. By the end of February 2002, the process of populating the Data Warehouse with HST historical telemetry data had been completed, providing access to HST engineering data for a period of over 12 years with a current data volume of 2.8 Terabytes. This paper describes hands-on experience from an end user perspective, using the CCS system capabilities, including the Data Warehouse as an HST engineering telemetry archive. The Engineering Team at the Space Telescope Science Institute is using HST telemetry extensively for monitoring the Scientific Instruments, in particular for · Spacecraft anomaly resolutions · Scientific Instrument trending · Improvements of Instrument operational efficiency The overall idea is to maximize science output of the space observatory. Furthermore, the CCS provides a powerful feature to build, save, and recall real-time display pages customized to specific subsystems and operational scenarios. Engineering teams are using the real-time monitoring capabilities intensively during Servicing Missions and real time commanding to handle anomaly situations, while the Flight Operations Team (FOT) monitors the spacecraft around the clock.

Autonomous Mechanical Assembly on the Space Shuttle: An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raibert, M. H.

1979-01-01

The space shuttle will be equipped with a pair of 50 ft. manipulators used to handle payloads and to perform mechanical assembly operations. Although current plans call for these manipulators to be operated by a human teleoperator. The possibility of using results from robotics and machine intelligence to automate this shuttle assembly system was investigated. The major components of an autonomous mechanical assembly system are examined, along with the technology base upon which they depend. The state of the art in advanced automation is also assessed.

Robot and Human Surface Operations on Solar System Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisbin, C. R.; Easter, R.; Rodriguez, G.

2001-01-01

This paper presents a comparison of robot and human surface operations on solar system bodies. The topics include: 1) Long Range Vision of Surface Scenarios; 2) Human and Robots Complement Each Other; 3) Respective Human and Robot Strengths; 4) Need More In-Depth Quantitative Analysis; 5) Projected Study Objectives; 6) Analysis Process Summary; 7) Mission Scenarios Decompose into Primitive Tasks; 7) Features of the Projected Analysis Approach; and 8) The "Getting There Effect" is a Major Consideration. This paper is in viewgraph form.

A Multi-scale, Multi-Model, Machine-Learning Solar Forecasting Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamann, Hendrik F.

The goal of the project was the development and demonstration of a significantly improved solar forecasting technology (short: Watt-sun), which leverages new big data processing technologies and machine-learnt blending between different models and forecast systems. The technology aimed demonstrating major advances in accuracy as measured by existing and new metrics which themselves were developed as part of this project. Finally, the team worked with Independent System Operators (ISOs) and utilities to integrate the forecasts into their operations.

Three typical examples of activation of the international charter space and major disasters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessis, J.; Bequignon, J.; Mahmood, A.

The purpose of the International Charter is to provide a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery for users affected by disasters, to promote co - operation between space agencies and space system operators and to allow participation in the organisation of emergency assistance or subsequent operations. The Charter which is officially in operation since November 1, 2000 was signed on June 20, 2000 by CNES (1) and ESA (2) and enlarged later on with the membership of the CSA (3) in October 2000 and of the NOAA (4) and the ISRO (5), both in September 2001. All Partner agencies undertake to co-operate on a voluntary basis with no exchange of funds between them in the event of a major natural or man-induced disaster. This paper, after a brief description of the Charter organisation and of its implementation procedures, addresses three typical cases of Charter activation and the lessons learned to date. The first example will deal with the major earthquakes in January and February 2001 in El Salvador for the benefit of the Salvadorian National Register Centre, the second concerning flooding in the North East of France early 2002 with quick delivery of flood maps to the French Civil Protection Authority and the last one will focus on the Nyiragongo volcanic eruption near the town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It will include feedback from the Authorised Users concerning the usefulness of the Charter and the suggested improvements in terms of response time, sensors capability and resolution, delivered products (scale and ease of operational utilisation) and adapted scenarios.(1) Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, (2) European Space Agency, (3) Canadian Space Agency, (4) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , (5) Indian Space Research Organisation

Operational development of small plant growth systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheld, H. W.; Magnuson, J. W.; Sauer, R. L.

1986-01-01

The results of a study undertaken on the first phase of an empricial effort in the development of small plant growth chambers for production of salad type vegetables on space shuttle or space station are discussed. The overall effort is visualized as providing the underpinning of practical experience in handling of plant systems in space which will provide major support for future efforts in planning, design, and construction of plant-based (phytomechanical) systems for support of human habitation in space. The assumptions underlying the effort hold that large scale phytomechanical habitability support systems for future space stations must evolve from the simple to the complex. The highly complex final systems will be developed from the accumulated experience and data gathered from repetitive tests and trials of fragments or subsystems of the whole in an operational mode. These developing system components will, meanwhile, serve a useful operational function in providing psychological support and diversion for the crews.

High level language-based robotic control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, Guillermo (Inventor); Kruetz, Kenneth K. (Inventor); Jain, Abhinandan (Inventor)

1994-01-01

This invention is a robot control system based on a high level language implementing a spatial operator algebra. There are two high level languages included within the system. At the highest level, applications programs can be written in a robot-oriented applications language including broad operators such as MOVE and GRASP. The robot-oriented applications language statements are translated into statements in the spatial operator algebra language. Programming can also take place using the spatial operator algebra language. The statements in the spatial operator algebra language from either source are then translated into machine language statements for execution by a digital control computer. The system also includes the capability of executing the control code sequences in a simulation mode before actual execution to assure proper action at execution time. The robot's environment is checked as part of the process and dynamic reconfiguration is also possible. The languages and system allow the programming and control of multiple arms and the use of inward/outward spatial recursions in which every computational step can be related to a transformation from one point in the mechanical robot to another point to name two major advantages.

High level language-based robotic control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, Guillermo (Inventor); Kreutz, Kenneth K. (Inventor); Jain, Abhinandan (Inventor)

1996-01-01

This invention is a robot control system based on a high level language implementing a spatial operator algebra. There are two high level languages included within the system. At the highest level, applications programs can be written in a robot-oriented applications language including broad operators such as MOVE and GRASP. The robot-oriented applications language statements are translated into statements in the spatial operator algebra language. Programming can also take place using the spatial operator algebra language. The statements in the spatial operator algebra language from either source are then translated into machine language statements for execution by a digital control computer. The system also includes the capability of executing the control code sequences in a simulation mode before actual execution to assure proper action at execution time. The robot's environment is checked as part of the process and dynamic reconfiguration is also possible. The languages and system allow the programming and control of multiple arms and the use of inward/outward spatial recursions in which every computational step can be related to a transformation from one point in the mechanical robot to another point to name two major advantages.

On the reliable use of satellite-derived surface water products for global flood monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirpa, F. A.; Revilla-Romero, B.; Thielen, J.; Salamon, P.; Brakenridge, R.; Pappenberger, F.; de Groeve, T.

2015-12-01

Early flood warning and real-time monitoring systems play a key role in flood risk reduction and disaster response management. To this end, real-time flood forecasting and satellite-based detection systems have been developed at global scale. However, due to the limited availability of up-to-date ground observations, the reliability of these systems for real-time applications have not been assessed in large parts of the globe. In this study, we performed comparative evaluations of the commonly used satellite-based global flood detections and operational flood forecasting system using 10 major flood cases reported over three years (2012-2014). Specially, we assessed the flood detection capabilities of the near real-time global flood maps from the Global Flood Detection System (GFDS), and from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the operational forecasts from the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) for the major flood events recorded in global flood databases. We present the evaluation results of the global flood detection and forecasting systems in terms of correctly indicating the reported flood events and highlight the exiting limitations of each system. Finally, we propose possible ways forward to improve the reliability of large scale flood monitoring tools.

Assessment of Operational Barriers and Impediments to Transit Use: Transit Information and Scheduling for Major Activity Centers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-12-01

The decision to use public transit as a means of alternative transportation is a somewhat complex process. The potential rider must know that a public transportation system is available, how to contact the public transportation system for information...

Long Term Analysis of Adaptive Low-Power Instrument Platform Power and Battery Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, T.; Bowman, J. R.; Clauer, C. R.

2017-12-01

Operation of the Autonomous Adaptive Low-Power Instrument Platform (AAL-PIP) by the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Science Team (MIST) at Virginia Tech has been ongoing for about 10 years. These instrument platforms are deployed on the East Antarctic Plateau in remote locations that are difficult to access regularly. The systems have been designed to operate unattended for at least 5 years. During the Austral summer, the systems charge batteries using solar panels and power is provided by the batteries during the winter months. If the voltage goes below a critical level, the systems go into hibernation and wait for voltage from the solar panels to initiate a restart sequence to begin operation and battery charging. Our first system was deployed on the East Antarctic Plateau in 2008 and we report here on an analysis of the power and battery performance over multiple years and provide an estimate for how long these systems can operate before major battery maintenance must be performed.

Effect of using GPS autosteer guidance systems on the eye-glance behavior and posture of tractor operators.

PubMed

Karimi, D; Henry, J; Mann, D D

2012-10-01

Tractor operators are prone to neck and back discomfort and disorders. It is well known that awkward posture is a major contributor to this problem. Previous studies have investigated the prevalence of awkward posture and the resulting discomfort and disorders among tractor operators. They have also suggested various ways to mitigate this problem. With the introduction of new autosteer guidance systems, the tractor operator is relieved from the task of steering the tractor for most of the time during field work. Therefore, it is expected that the operator's posture will change. The goal of this study was to investigate the changes in the eye-glance behavior and posture of tractor operators as a result of using autosteer guidance systems. An eye-tracking system and a camcorder were used to record the eye-glance behavior and posture of 13 tractor operators as they performed seeding operations. The experiment with each operator consisted of two sessions. In one session, the operator used an autosteer system, while in the other session the operator steered the tractor manually. Analysis of the data showed that the eye-glance behavior and posture of the operators were significantly different between the autosteer and manual steering sessions. With the autosteer system, the operators spent less time in an awkward posture, and they changed their posture less frequently. However, even with the autosteer system, the operators spent 1/3 of their time in an awkward posture. Subjective feedback from the operators indicated that more than half of them experienced back or neck/shoulder discomfort during or after seeding. It is essential that the recommendations of the previous studies, such as using large rear-view mirrors or a rotating tractor seat, be evaluated when the operator is using an autosteer system. Other tools, such as video cameras that show the attached equipment, should also be tested to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the operator's exposure to awkward postures.

Racism and the Media: Racism in Television

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Marquita

1971-01-01

The major problem confronting black people working in the television industry today is that of communicating with the black community, despite the nature of television and its system of operation. (DM)

What we were asked to do

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Recommendations are made after 32 interviews, lesson identification, lesson analysis, and mission characteristics identification. The major recommendations are as follows: (1) to develop end-to-end planning and scheduling operations concepts by mission class and to ensure their consideration in system life cycle documentation; (2) to create an organizational infrastructure at the Code 500 level, supported by a Directorate level steering committee with project representation, responsible for systems engineering of end-to-end planning and scheduling systems; (3) to develop and refine mission capabilities to assess impacts of early mission design decisions on planning and scheduling; and (4) to emphasize operational flexibility in the development of the Advanced Space Network, other institutional resources, external (e.g., project) capabilities and resources, operational software and support tools.

Initial operation of high power ICRF system for long pulse in EAST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qin, C. M., E-mail: chmq@ipp.ac.cn; Zhao, Y. P.; Zhang, X. J.

2015-12-10

The ICRF heating system on EAST upgraded by active cooling aims for long pulse operation. In this paper, the main technical features of the ICRF system are described. One of a major challenges for long pulse operation is RF-edge interactions induced impurity production and heat loading. In EAST, ICRF antenna protections and Faraday screen bars damaged due to LH electron beam are found. Preliminary results for the analysis of the interaction between LHCD and ICRF antenna are discussed. Increase of metal impurities in the plasma during RF pulse and in a larger core radiation are also shown. These RF-edge interactionsmore » at EAST and some preliminary results for the optimizing RF performance will be presented.« less

The load shedding advisor: An example of a crisis-response expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bollinger, Terry B.; Lightner, Eric; Laverty, John; Ambrose, Edward

1987-01-01

A Prolog-based prototype expert system is described that was implemented by the Network Operations Branch of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The purpose of the prototype was to test whether a small, inexpensive computer system could be used to host a load shedding advisor, a system which would monitor major physical environment parameters in a computer facility, then recommend appropriate operator reponses whenever a serious condition was detected. The resulting prototype performed significantly to efficiency gains achieved by replacing a purely rule-based design methodology with a hybrid approach that combined procedural, entity-relationship, and rule-based methods.

The medical story. [of Skylab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, R. S.; Dietlein, L. F.; Michel, E. L.

1975-01-01

The paper discusses the medical program of the Skylab missions. The major medical systems discussed include the food system, the waste-management system, the personal-hygiene system, and the inflight medical support system. The life-sciences experiments conducted on Skylab are reviewed. These dealt with the cardiovascular system, mineral balance and bioassay of fluids, sleep, blood, metabolic activity, vestibular function, and time and motion studies. The medical operations were accomplished with only minor problems.

Adapting forest health assessments to changing perspectives on threats--a case example from Sweden.

PubMed

Wulff, Sören; Lindelöw, Åke; Lundin, Lars; Hansson, Per; Axelsson, Anna-Lena; Barklund, Pia; Wijk, Sture; Ståhl, Göran

2012-04-01

A revised Swedish forest health assessment system is presented. The assessment system is composed of several interacting components which target information needs for strategic and operational decision making and accommodate a continuously expanding knowledge base. The main motivation for separating information for strategic and operational decision making is that major damage outbreaks are often scattered throughout the landscape. Generally, large-scale inventories (such as national forest inventories) cannot provide adequate information for mitigation measures. In addition to broad monitoring programs that provide time-series information on known damaging agents and their effects, there is also a need for local and regional inventories adapted to specific damage events. While information for decision making is the major focus of the health assessment system, the system also contributes to expanding the knowledge base of forest conditions. For example, the integrated monitoring programs provide a better understanding of ecological processes linked to forest health. The new health assessment system should be able to respond to the need for quick and reliable information and thus will be an important part of the future monitoring of Swedish forests.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Habitable zones around main-sequence stars (Kopparapu+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopparapu, R. K.; Ramirez, R. M.; Schottelkotte, J.; Kasting, J. F.; Domagal-Goldman, S.; Eymet, V.

2017-08-01

Language: Fortran 90 Code tested under the following compilers/operating systems: ifort/CentOS linux Description of input data: No input necessary. Description of output data: Output files: HZs.dat, HZ_coefficients.dat System requirements: No major system requirement. Fortran compiler necessary. Calls to external routines: None. Additional comments: None (1 data file).

10 CFR Appendix D to Subpart D of... - Classes of Actions That Normally Require EISs

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.../operation/decommissioning of reactors D5. Main transmission system additions D6. Integrating transmission... waste) D1Strategic Systems, as defined in DOE Order 430.1, “Life-Cycle Asset Management,” and designated... facilities (that is, transmission system additions for integrating major new sources of generation into a...

Defense Agencies Initiative Increment 2 (DAI Inc 2)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

2016 Major Automated Information System Annual Report Defense Agencies Initiative Increment 2 (DAI Inc 2) Defense Acquisition Management...Automated Information System MAIS OE - MAIS Original Estimate MAR – MAIS Annual Report MDA - Milestone Decision Authority MDD - Materiel Development...management systems supporting diverse operational functions and the warfighter in decision making and financial reporting . These disparate, non

Design and operations technologies - Integrating the pieces. [for future space systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldred, C. H.

1979-01-01

As major elements of life-cycle costs (LCC) having critical impacts on the initiation and utilization of future space programs, the areas of vehicle design and operations are reviewed in order to identify technology requirements. Common to both areas is the requirement for efficient integration of broad, complex systems. Operations technologies focus on the extension of space-based capabilities and cost reduction through the combination of innovative design, low-maintenance hardware, and increased manpower productivity. Design technologies focus on computer-aided techniques which increase productivity while maintaining a high degree of flexibility which enhances creativity and permits graceful design changes.

Shuttle cryogenic supply system optimization study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Technical information on different cryogenic supply systems is presented for selecting representative designs. Parametric data and sensitivity studies, and an evaluation of related technology status are included. An integrated mathematical model for hardware program support was developed. The life support system, power generation, and propellant supply are considered. The major study conclusions are the following: Optimum integrated systems tend towards maximizing liquid storage. Vacuum jacketing of tanks is a major effect on integrated systems. Subcritical storage advantages over supercritical storage decrease as the quantity of propellant or reactant decreases. Shuttle duty cycles are not severe. The operational mode has a significant effect on reliability. Components are available for most subsystem applications. Subsystems and components require a minimum amount of technology development.

Human factors in air traffic control: problems at the interfaces.

PubMed

Shouksmith, George

2003-10-01

The triangular ISIS model for describing the operation of human factors in complex sociotechnical organisations or systems is applied in this research to a large international air traffic control system. A large sample of senior Air Traffic Controllers were randomly assigned to small focus discussion groups, whose task was to identify problems occurring at the interfaces of the three major human factor components: individual, system impacts, and social. From these discussions, a number of significant interface problems, which could adversely affect the functioning of the Air Traffic Control System, emerged. The majority of these occurred at the Individual-System Impact and Individual-Social interfaces and involved a perceived need for further interface centered training.

A Conceptual Design of a Departure Planner Decision Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anagnostakis, Ioannis; Idris, Husni R.; Clark, John-Paul; Feron, Eric; Hansman, R. John; Odoni, Amedeo R.; Hall, William D.

2000-01-01

Terminal area Air Traffic Management handles both arriving and departing traffic. To date, research work on terminal area operations has focused primarily on the arrival flow and typically departures are taken into account only in an approximate manner. However, arrivals and departures are highly coupled processes especially in the terminal airspace, with complex interactions and sharing of the same airport resources between arrivals and departures taking place in practically every important terminal area. Therefore, the addition of automation aids for departures, possibly in co-operation with existing arrival flow automation systems, could have a profound contribution in enhancing the overall efficiency of airport operations. This paper presents the conceptual system architecture for such an automation aid, the Departure Planner (DP). This architecture can be used as a core in the development of decision-aiding systems to assist air traffic controllers in improving the performance of departure operations and optimize runway time allocation among different operations at major congested airports. The design of such systems is expected to increase the overall efficiency of terminal area operations and yield benefits for all stakeholders involved in Air Traffic Management (ATM) operations, users as well as service providers.

Conflict Prevention and Separation Assurance Method in the Small Aircraft Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Consiglio, Maria C.; Carreno, Victor A.; Williams, Daniel M.; Munoz, Cesar

2005-01-01

A multilayer approach to the prevention of conflicts due to the loss of aircraft-to-aircraft separation which relies on procedures and on-board automation was implemented as part of the SATS HVO Concept of Operations. The multilayer system gives pilots support and guidance during the execution of normal operations and advance warning for procedure deviations or off-nominal operations. This paper describes the major concept elements of this multilayer approach to separation assurance and conflict prevention and provides the rationale for its design. All the algorithms and functionality described in this paper have been implemented in an aircraft simulation in the NASA Langley Research Center s Air Traffic Operation Lab and on the NASA Cirrus SR22 research aircraft.

Semi-Major Axis Knowledge and GPS Orbit Determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, J. Russell; Schiesser, Emil R.; Bauer, F. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In recent years spacecraft designers have increasingly sought to use onboard Global Positioning System receivers for orbit determination. The superb positioning accuracy of GPS has tended to focus more attention on the system's capability to determine the spacecraft's location at a particular epoch than on accurate orbit determination, per se. The determination of orbit plane orientation and orbit shape to acceptable levels is less challenging than the determination of orbital period or semi-major axis. It is necessary to address semi-major axis mission requirements and the GPS receiver capability for orbital maneuver targeting and other operations that require trajectory prediction. Failure to determine semi-major axis accurately can result in a solution that may not be usable for targeting the execution of orbit adjustment and rendezvous maneuvers. Simple formulas, charts, and rules of thumb relating position, velocity, and semi-major axis are useful in design and analysis of GPS receivers for near circular orbit operations, including rendezvous and formation flying missions. Space Shuttle flights of a number of different GPS receivers, including a mix of unfiltered and filtered solution data and Standard and Precise Positioning Service modes, have been accomplished. These results indicate that semi-major axis is often not determined very accurately, due to a poor velocity solution and a lack of proper filtering to provide good radial and speed error correlation.

Semi-Major Axis Knowledge and GPS Orbit Determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, J. Russell; Schiesser, Emil R.; Bauer, F. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In recent years spacecraft designers have increasingly sought to use onboard Global Positioning System receivers for orbit determination. The superb positioning accuracy of GPS has tended to focus more attention on the system's capability to determine the spacecraft's location at a particular epoch than on accurate orbit determination, per se. The determination of orbit plane orientation and orbit shape to acceptable levels is less challenging than the determination of orbital period or semi-major axis. It is necessary to address semi-major axis mission requirements and the GPS receiver capability for orbital maneuver targeting and other operations that require trajectory prediction. Failure to determine semi-major axis accurately can result in a solution that may not be usable for targeting the execution of orbit adjustment and rendezvous maneuvers. Simple formulas, charts, and rules of thumb relating position, velocity, and semi-major axis are useful in design and analysis of GPS receivers for near circular orbit operations, including rendezvous and formation flying missions. Space Shuttle flights of a number of different GPS receivers, including a mix of unfiltered and filtered solution data and Standard and Precise Positioning, Service modes, have been accomplished. These results indicate that semi-major axis is often not determined very accurately, due to a poor velocity solution and a lack of proper filtering to provide good radial and speed error correlation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dudleson, B.; Arnold, M.; McCann, D.

Rapid detection of unexpected drilling events requires continuous monitoring of drilling parameters. A major R and D program by a drilling contractor has led to the introduction of a computerized monitoring system on its offshore rigs. System includes advanced color graphics displays and new smart alarms to help both contractor and operator personnel detect and observe drilling events before they would normally be apparent with conventional rig instrumentation. This article describes a module of this monitoring system, which uses expert system technology to detect the earliest stages of drillstring washouts. Field results demonstrate the effectiveness of the smart alarm incorporatedmore » in the system. Early detection allows the driller to react before a twist-off results in expensive fishing operations.« less

Surveillance systems for intermodal transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakovlev, Sergej; Voznak, Miroslav; Andziulis, Arunas

2015-05-01

Intermodal container monitoring is considered a major security issue in many major logistic companies and countries worldwide. Current representation of the problem, we face today, originated in 2002, right after the 9/11 attacks. Then, a new worldwide Container Security Initiative (CSI, 2002) was considered that shaped the perception of the transportation operations. Now more than 80 larger ports all over the world contribute to its further development and integration into everyday transportation operations and improve the regulations for the developing regions. Although, these new improvements allow us to feel safer and secure, constant management of transportation operations has become a very difficult problem for conventional data analysis methods and information systems. The paper deals with a proposal of a whole new concept for the improvement of the Containers Security Initiative (CSI) by virtually connecting safety, security processes and systems. A conceptual middleware approach with deployable intelligent agent modules is proposed to be used with possible scenarios and a testbed is used to test the solution. Middleware examples are visually programmed using National Instruments LabView software packages and Wireless sensor network hardware modules. An experimental software is used to evaluate he solution. This research is a contribution to the intermodal transportation and is intended to be used as a means or the development of intelligent transport systems.

Integration of Wind Turbines with Compressed Air Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsie, I.; Marano, V.; Rizzo, G.; Moran, M.

2009-08-01

Some of the major limitations of renewable energy sources are represented by their low power density and intermittent nature, largely depending upon local site and unpredictable weather conditions. These problems concur to increase the unit costs of wind power, so limiting their diffusion. By coupling storage systems with a wind farm, some of the major limitations of wind power, such as a low power density and an unpredictable nature, can be overcome. After an overview on storage systems, the Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is analyzed, and the state of art on such systems is discussed. A Matlab/Simulink model of a hybrid power plant consisting of a wind farm coupled with CAES is then presented. The model has been successfully validated starting from the operating data of the McIntosh CAES Plant in Alabama. Time-series neural network-based wind speed forecasting are employed to determine the optimal daily operation strategy for the storage system. A detailed economic analysis has been carried out: investment and maintenance costs are estimated based on literature data, while operational costs and revenues are calculated according to energy market prices. As shown in the paper, the knowledge of the expected available energy is a key factor to optimize the management strategies of the proposed hybrid power plant, allowing to obtain environmental and economic benefits.

PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR FATE ON/IN THE ENVIRONMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Major sources of human and animal pathogens in the environment originate from animal feeding operations, decentralized wastewater treatment systems (e.g., septic tanks), wastewater treatment plants, and sewage sludges (biosolids).

Use of major surgery in south India: A retrospective audit of hospital claim data from a large, community health insurance program.

PubMed

Shaikh, Maaz; Woodward, Mark; Rahimi, Kazem; Patel, Anushka; Rath, Santosh; MacMahon, Stephen; Jha, Vivekanand

2015-05-01

Information on the use of major surgery in India is scarce. In this study we aimed to bridge this gap by auditing hospital claims from Rajiv Aarogyasri Community Health Insurance Scheme, which provides access to free hospital care through state-funded insurance to 68 million beneficiaries, an estimated 81% of population in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Publicly available deidentified hospital claim data for all surgery procedures conducted between mid-2008 and mid-2012 were compiled across all 23 districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A total of 677,332 operative admissions (80% at private hospitals) were recorded at an annual rate of 259 per 100,000 beneficiaries, with male subjects accounting for 56% of admissions. Injury was the most common cause for operative admission (27%) with operative correction of long bone fractures being the most common procedure (20%) identified in the audit. Diseases of the digestive (16%), genitourinary (12%), and musculoskeletal (10%) systems were other leading causes for operative admissions. Most hospital bed-days were used by admissions for injuries (31%) and diseases of the digestive (17%) and musculoskeletal system (11%) costing 19%, 13%, and 11% of reimbursement. Operations on the circulatory system (8%) accounted for 21% of reimbursements. Annual per capita cost of operative claims was US$1.48. The use of surgery by an insured population in India continued to be low despite access to financing comparable with greater spending countries, highlighting need for strategies, beyond traditional health financing, that prioritize improvement in access, delivery, and use of operative care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

12 CFR 630.20 - Contents of the annual report to investors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... data. At a minimum, furnish the following combined financial data of the System in comparative columnar... results of operations of System institutions, on a combined basis, for the comparative years required by...) Describe, on a comparative basis, changes in the major components of net interest income. Include a...

12 CFR 630.20 - Contents of the annual report to investors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... data. At a minimum, furnish the following combined financial data of the System in comparative columnar... results of operations of System institutions, on a combined basis, for the comparative years required by...) Describe, on a comparative basis, changes in the major components of net interest income. Include a...

12 CFR 630.20 - Contents of the annual report to investors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... data. At a minimum, furnish the following combined financial data of the System in comparative columnar... results of operations of System institutions, on a combined basis, for the comparative years required by...) Describe, on a comparative basis, changes in the major components of net interest income. Include a...

12 CFR 630.20 - Contents of the annual report to investors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... data. At a minimum, furnish the following combined financial data of the System in comparative columnar... results of operations of System institutions, on a combined basis, for the comparative years required by...) Describe, on a comparative basis, changes in the major components of net interest income. Include a...

12 CFR 630.20 - Contents of the annual report to investors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... data. At a minimum, furnish the following combined financial data of the System in comparative columnar... results of operations of System institutions, on a combined basis, for the comparative years required by...) Describe, on a comparative basis, changes in the major components of net interest income. Include a...

Automated System Marketplace 1987: Maturity and Competition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Robert A.; Bridge, Frank R.

1988-01-01

This annual review of the library automation marketplace presents profiles of 15 major library automation firms and looks at emerging trends. Seventeen charts and tables provide data on market shares, number and size of installations, hardware availability, operating systems, and interfaces. A directory of 49 automation sources is included. (MES)

32 CFR 775.6 - Planning considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., installation, and operation of utility (e.g., water, sewer, electrical) and communication systems (e.g., data... systems, and/or facilities; (37) Decisions to close facilities, decommission equipment, and/or temporarily... environment. The agency decision in the case of an EIS is reflected in a ROD. (b) Where a proposed major...

32 CFR 775.6 - Planning considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., installation, and operation of utility (e.g., water, sewer, electrical) and communication systems (e.g., data... systems, and/or facilities; (37) Decisions to close facilities, decommission equipment, and/or temporarily... environment. The agency decision in the case of an EIS is reflected in a ROD. (b) Where a proposed major...

Directory of Library Automation Software, Systems, and Services. 1998 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cibbarelli, Pamela R., Ed.; Cibbarelli, Shawn E., Ed.

This book includes basic information to locate and compare available options for library automation based on various criteria such as hardware requirements, operating systems, components and applications, and price, and provides the necessary contact information to allow further investigation. The major part of the directory lists 211 software…

Solar Heating and Cooling for a Controls Manufacturing Plant Lumberton, New Jersey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Comprehensive report documents computer-controlled system which has separate solar-collector and cooling-tower areas located away from building and is completely computer controlled. System description, test data, major problems and resolution, performance, operation and maintenance, manufacturer's literature and drawing comprise part of 257-page report.

Spectrum/Orbit-Utilization Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Edward F.; Sawitz, Paul; Zusman, Fred

1988-01-01

Interferences among geostationary satellites determine allocations. Spectrum/Orbit Utilization Program (SOUP) is analytical computer program for determining mutual interferences among geostationary-satellite communication systems operating in given scenario. Major computed outputs are carrier-to-interference ratios at receivers at specified stations on Earth. Information enables determination of acceptability of planned communication systems. Written in FORTRAN.

Uplifting Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Paul T.; And Others

1992-01-01

Based on a study of five major school systems, concludes following about site-based management: it is a reform of entire system; it will lead to real changes only if it is basic reform strategy; it will evolve over time and develop distinctive characters, goals, operating styles; it requires rethinking of accountability; parental choice is…

Basis for the development of sustainable optimisation indicators for activated sludge wastewater treatment plants in the Republic of Ireland.

PubMed

Gordon, G T; McCann, B P

2015-01-01

This paper describes the basis of a stakeholder-based sustainable optimisation indicator (SOI) system to be developed for small-to-medium sized activated sludge (AS) wastewater treatment plants (WwTPs) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Key technical publications relating to best practice plant operation, performance audits and optimisation, and indicator and benchmarking systems for wastewater services are identified. Optimisation studies were developed at a number of Irish AS WwTPs and key findings are presented. A national AS WwTP manager/operator survey was carried out to verify the applied operational findings and identify the key operator stakeholder requirements for this proposed SOI system. It was found that most plants require more consistent operational data-based decision-making, monitoring and communication structures to facilitate optimised, sustainable and continuous performance improvement. The applied optimisation and stakeholder consultation phases form the basis of the proposed stakeholder-based SOI system. This system will allow for continuous monitoring and rating of plant performance, facilitate optimised operation and encourage the prioritisation of performance improvement through tracking key operational metrics. Plant optimisation has become a major focus due to the transfer of all ROI water services to a national water utility from individual local authorities and the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.

Analysis of space tug operating techniques (study 2.4). Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The costs of tug refurbishment were studied, using existing cost estimating relationships, to establish the cost of maintaining the reusable third stage of the space transportation system. Refurbishment operations sheets which describe the actual tasks that are necessary to keep the equipment functioning properly were used along with refurbishment operations sheets which contain all of the pertinent descriptive information for each of the major vehicle areas. Tug refurbishment costs per mission are tabulated.

Application of automation and robotics to lunar surface human exploration operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodcock, Gordon R.; Sherwood, Brent; Buddington, Patricia A.; Bares, Leona C.; Folsom, Rolfe; Mah, Robert; Lousma, Jack

1990-01-01

Major results of a study applying automation and robotics to lunar surface base buildup and operations concepts are reported. The study developed a reference base scenario with specific goals, equipment concepts, robot concepts, activity schedules and buildup manifests. It examined crew roles, contingency cases and system reliability, and proposed a set of technologies appropriate and necessary for effective lunar operations. This paper refers readers to four companion papers for quantitative details where appropriate.

LHC interaction region quadrupole cryostat design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicol, T. H.; Darve, Ch.; Huang, Y.; Page, T. M.

2002-05-01

The cryostat of a Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Interaction Region (IR) quadrupole magnet consists of all components of the inner triplet except the magnet assembly itself. It serves to support the magnet accurately and reliably within the vacuum vessel, to house all required cryogenic piping, and to insulate the cold mass from heat radiated and conducted from the environment. It must function reliably during storage, shipping and handling, normal magnet operation, quenches, and seismic excitations, and must be able to be manufactured at low cost. The major components of the cryostat are the vacuum vessel, thermal shield, multi-layer insulation system, cryogenic piping, and suspension system. The overall design of a cryostat for superconducting accelerator magnets requires consideration of fluid flow, proper selection of materials for their thermal and structural performance at both ambient and operating temperature, and knowledge of the environment to which the magnets will be subjected over the course of their expected operating lifetime. This paper describes the current LHC IR inner triplet quadrupole magnet cryostats being designed and manufactured at Fermilab as part of the US-LHC collaboration, and includes discussions on the structural and thermal considerations involved in the development of each of the major systems.

Integrated Turbine-Based Combined Cycle Dynamic Simulation Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haid, Daniel A.; Gamble, Eric J.

2011-01-01

A Turbine-Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) dynamic simulation model has been developed to demonstrate all modes of operation, including mode transition, for a turbine-based combined cycle propulsion system. The High Mach Transient Engine Cycle Code (HiTECC) is a highly integrated tool comprised of modules for modeling each of the TBCC systems whose interactions and controllability affect the TBCC propulsion system thrust and operability during its modes of operation. By structuring the simulation modeling tools around the major TBCC functional modes of operation (Dry Turbojet, Afterburning Turbojet, Transition, and Dual Mode Scramjet) the TBCC mode transition and all necessary intermediate events over its entire mission may be developed, modeled, and validated. The reported work details the use of the completed model to simulate a TBCC propulsion system as it accelerates from Mach 2.5, through mode transition, to Mach 7. The completion of this model and its subsequent use to simulate TBCC mode transition significantly extends the state-of-the-art for all TBCC modes of operation by providing a numerical simulation of the systems, interactions, and transient responses affecting the ability of the propulsion system to transition from turbine-based to ramjet/scramjet-based propulsion while maintaining constant thrust.

Back Disorder Intervention Strategies for Mass Transit Operators Exposed to Whole-Body VIBRATION—COMPARISON of Two Transit System Approaches and Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johanning, E.

1998-08-01

Occupational long-term whole-body vibration (WBV) has been recognized as a major risk factor for low back disorders, one of the most important reasons for medical impairment and early permanent disability among mass transit operators. Although no firm health and safety vibration exposure threshold limits have been established, the available data suggests that rail vehicle operators would probably fall under the proposed WBV “action levels” of the EU directive provisions for protection from physical hazards. This provision calls for technical, administrative and medical controls. This paper examines and compares the current conditions, provisions and plans of two major mass transit systems, the New Yorker MTA and the Munich MVV. The available data, information and publications (English/German) on working conditions, vibration exposure, epidemiology and intervention strategies (primary and secondary prevention) for rail bound mass transit workers were reviewed. Results strongly suggest that the MTA transit system has currently and in the near future no effective and meaningful controls in place to significantly reduce the WBV exposure of subway operators. It appears that the MVV system has more and better control measures in place to reduce harmful effects of WBV. Results of a scientific evaluation of a participatory, collaborative project in the MVV system suggest that the MVV may have developed a successful method of a “condition prevention” (Verhältnisprävention)—and “behavioral prevention” (Verhaltensprävention) intervention strategy, which appears beneficial for WBV exposed workers with existing low back pain. Long-term outcomes and benefits need to be assessed further.

Classifying breast cancer surgery: a novel, complexity-based system for oncological, oncoplastic and reconstructive procedures, and proof of principle by analysis of 1225 operations in 1166 patients.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Jürgen; Wallwiener, Diethelm

2009-04-08

One of the basic prerequisites for generating evidence-based data is the availability of classification systems. Attempts to date to classify breast cancer operations have focussed on specific problems, e.g. the avoidance of secondary corrective surgery for surgical defects, rather than taking a generic approach. Starting from an existing, simpler empirical scheme based on the complexity of breast surgical procedures, which was used in-house primarily in operative report-writing, a novel classification of ablative and breast-conserving procedures initially needed to be developed and elaborated systematically. To obtain proof of principle, a prospectively planned analysis of patient records for all major breast cancer-related operations performed at our breast centre in 2005 and 2006 was conducted using the new classification. Data were analysed using basic descriptive statistics such as frequency tables. A novel two-type, six-tier classification system comprising 12 main categories, 13 subcategories and 39 sub-subcategories of oncological, oncoplastic and reconstructive breast cancer-related surgery was successfully developed. Our system permitted unequivocal classification, without exception, of all 1225 procedures performed in 1166 breast cancer patients in 2005 and 2006. Breast cancer-related surgical procedures can be generically classified according to their surgical complexity. Analysis of all major procedures performed at our breast centre during the study period provides proof of principle for this novel classification system. We envisage various applications for this classification, including uses in randomised clinical trials, guideline development, specialist surgical training, continuing professional development as well as quality of care and public health research.

Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) Operational Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard C.; Bradish, Martin A.; Juergens, Jeffrey R.; Lewis, Michael J.; Vrnak, Daniel R.

2011-01-01

This Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) Operational Concept document was developed as a first step in developing the Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) System Architecture (NASA/TM-2011-216956). The CLEAR operational concept defines how the system will be used by the Constellation Program and what needs it meets. The document creates scenarios for major elements of the CLEAR architecture. These scenarios are generic enough to apply to near-Earth, Moon, and Mars missions. The CLEAR operational concept involves basic assumptions about the overall program architecture and interactions with the CLEAR system architecture. The assumptions include spacecraft and operational constraints for near-Earth orbit, Moon, and Mars missions. This document addresses an incremental development strategy where capabilities evolve over time, but it is structured to prevent obsolescence. The approach minimizes flight hardware by exploiting Internet-like telecommunications that enables CLEAR capabilities to remain on Earth and to be uplinked as needed. To minimize crew time and operational cost, CLEAR exploits offline development and validation to support online teleoperations. Operational concept scenarios are developed for diagnostics, repair, and functional test operations. Many of the supporting functions defined in these operational scenarios are further defined as technologies in NASA/TM-2011-216956.

Logistics Management Systems in Desert Shield/Desert Storm - How Well Did They Do?

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-07

were grovped into five major categories: Containerization and Packaging; Distribution Management ; Automation/Communications; Peace versus War Operations...incorporated into normal operating procedures. Distribution ManaQement. Distribution management was plagued with confusion throughout DS\\DS. This...to carrier terminals, depots and vendors. TDS recommendations to address the distribution management issue focused on: 1. Authorization of direct

Engineering the IOOS: A Conceptual Design and Conceptual Operations Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampel, M.; Hood, C.; Kleinert, J.; Morgan, R. A.; Morris, P.

2007-12-01

The Integrated Ocean Observing System is the United States component in a world wide effort to provide global coverage of the world's oceans using the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The US contribution includes systems supporting three major IOOS components: the Observation Subsystem, the Modeling and Analysis Subsystem, and the Data Management and Communications (DMAC) Subsystem. The assets to be used in these subsystems include hundreds of existing satellite sensors, buoy arrays, water level monitoring networks, wave monitoring networks, specialized systems for commerce, such as the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®), and health and safety monitoring systems such as NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasting System for the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptual design addresses the interconnectivity of these systems, while Conceptual Operations provides understanding of the motivators for interconnectivity and a methodology for how useful products are created and distributed. This paper will report on the conceptual design and the concept of operations devleoped by the authors under contract to NOAA.

76 FR 7526 - Major System Acquisition; Earned Value Management

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

... for engineering support services, steady state operations, basic and applied research, and routine... the requirements in the NASA NPR to apply EVM principles at the program/project level; nor is it...

Functional Description of Air Traffic Control

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-04-01

The document contains a description of air traffic control in terms of generic operational functions. The functions are grouped by flight phase and by major system function (navigation, surveillance, control and communication). More detailed descript...

Production Program - Operational - SNAP 10A Units

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1961-08-07

This planning report is provided to describe the lead time, approximate costs, and major decisions and approvals required to enter a production program for the 500 watt SNAP 10A nuclear space power system.

Feasibility study of an Integrated Program for Aerospace vehicle Design (IPAD). Volume 1B: Concise review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. E., Jr.; Southall, J. W.; Kawaguchi, A. S.; Redhed, D. D.

1973-01-01

Reports on the design process, support of the design process, IPAD System design catalog of IPAD technical program elements, IPAD System development and operation, and IPAD benefits and impact are concisely reviewed. The approach used to define the design is described. Major activities performed during the product development cycle are identified. The computer system requirements necessary to support the design process are given as computational requirements of the host system, technical program elements and system features. The IPAD computer system design is presented as concepts, a functional description and an organizational diagram of its major components. The cost and schedules and a three phase plan for IPAD implementation are presented. The benefits and impact of IPAD technology are discussed.

The Multiple Gyrotron System on the DIII-D Tokamak

DOE PAGES

Lohr, J.; Anderson, J.; Brambila, R.; ...

2015-08-28

A major component of the versatile heating systems on the DIII-D tokamak is the gyrotron complex. This system routinely operates at 110 GHz with 4.7 MW generated rf power for electron cyclotron heating and current drive. The complex is being upgraded with the addition of new depressed collector potential gyrotrons operating at 117.5 GHz and generating rf power in excess of 1.0 MW each. The long term upgrade plan calls for 10 gyrotrons at the higher frequency being phased in as resources permit, for an injected power near 10 MW. This article presents a summary of the current status ofmore » the DIII-D gyrotron complex, its performance, individual components, testing procedures, operational parameters, plans, and a brief summary of the experiments for which the system is currently being used.« less

Energy efficient engine component development and integration program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The objective of the Energy Efficient Engine Component Development and Integration program is to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate the technology for achieving lower installed fuel consumption and lower operating costs in future commercial turbofan engines. Minimum goals have been set for a 12 percent reduction in thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC), 5 percent reduction in direct operating cost (DOC), and 50 percent reduction in performance degradation for the Energy Efficient Engine (flight propulsion system) relative to the JT9D-7A reference engine. The Energy Efficienct Engine features a twin spool, direct drive, mixed flow exhaust configuration, utilizing an integrated engine nacelle structure. A short, stiff, high rotor and a single stage high pressure turbine are among the major enhancements in providing for both performance retention and major reductions in maintenance and direct operating costs. Improved clearance control in the high pressure compressor and turbines, and advanced single crystal materials in turbine blades and vanes are among the major features providing performance improvement. Highlights of work accomplished and programs modifications and deletions are presented.

International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-Orbit Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Ben D.; Erwin, Phillip M.; Thoresen, Souzan; Granahan, John; Matty, Chris

2012-01-01

The Major Constituent Analyzer is a mass spectrometer based system that measures the major atmospheric constituents on the International Space Station. A number of limited-life components require periodic changeout, including the ORU 02 analyzer and the ORU 08 Verification Gas Assembly. Over the past two years, two ORU 02 analyzer assemblies have operated nominally while two others have experienced premature on-orbit failures. These failures as well as nominal performances demonstrate that ORU 02 performance remains a key determinant of MCA performance and logistical support. It can be shown that monitoring several key parameters can maximize the capacity to monitor ORU health and properly anticipate end of life. Improvements to ion pump operation and ion source tuning are expected to improve lifetime performance of the current ORU 02 design.

Upgrade to the control system of the reflectometry diagnostic of ASDEX upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graça, S.; Santos, J.; Manso, M. E.

2004-10-01

The broadband frequency modulation-continuous wave microwave/millimeter wave reflectometer of ASDEX upgrade tokamak (Institut für Plasma Physik (IPP), Garching, Germany) developed by Centro de Fusão Nuclear (Lisboa, Portugal) with the collaboration of IPP, is a complex system with 13 channels (O and X modes) and two types of operation modes (swept and fixed frequency). The control system that ensures remote operation of the diagnostic incorporates VME and CAMAC bus based acquisition/timing systems. Microprocessor input/output boards are used to control and monitor the microwave circuitry and associated electronic devices. The implementation of the control system is based on an object-oriented client/server model: a centralized server manages the hardware and receives input from remote clients. Communication is handled through transmission control protocol/internet protocol sockets. Here we describe recent upgrades of the control system aiming to: (i) accommodate new channels; (ii) adapt to the heterogeneity of computing platforms and operating systems; and (iii) overcome remote access restrictions. Platform and operating system independence was achieved by redesigning the graphical user interface in JAVA. As secure shell is the standard remote access protocol adopted in major fusion laboratories, secure shell tunneling was implemented to allow remote operation of the diagnostic through the existing firewalls.

Evaluation of the effects of one year's operation of the dynamic preferential runway system. [human reactions to overflight air traffic pattern

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borsky, P. N.

1974-01-01

The FAA introduced an experimental aircraft operations program at JFK Airport called the Dynamic Preferential Runway System (DPRS) in the summer of 1971. The program is designed to distribute air traffic as equally as possible over the surrounding communities, to limit periods of continuous overflight and to vary the same hours of overflight from day to day. After a full year's operation, an evaluation was made of the system's effectiveness. All of the operation's goals were moderately achieved with the greatest relief in reduced overflight afforded the most heavily impacted areas. Few residents, however, were aware of DPRS or felt that it had greatly reduced annoyance or represented a major effort by the aircraft authorities. Statistical analyses of reported annoyance obtained from two independent surveys in 1969 and 1972 reveal limited reductions in annoyance in 1972, with shifts from reported high annoyance to moderate annoyance.

From Diagnosis to Action: An Automated Failure Advisor for Human Deep Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombano, Silvano; Spirkovska, Lilly; Baskaran, Vijayakumar; Morris, Paul; Mcdermott, William; Ossenfort, John; Bajwa, Anupa

2015-01-01

The major goal of current space system development at NASA is to enable human travel to deep space locations such as Mars and asteroids. At that distance, round trip communication with ground operators may take close to an hour, thus it becomes unfeasible to seek ground operator advice for problems that require immediate attention, either for crew safety or for activities that need to be performed at specific times for the attainment of scientific results. To achieve this goal, major reliance will need to be placed on automation systems capable of aiding the crew in detecting and diagnosing failures, assessing consequences of these failures, and providing guidance in repair activities that may be required. We report here on the most current step in the continuing development of such a system, and that is the addition of a Failure Response Advisor. In simple terms, we have a system in place the Advanced Caution and Warning System (ACAWS) to tell us what happened (failure diagnosis) and what happened because that happened (failure effects). The Failure Response Advisor will tell us what to do about it, how long until something must be done and why its important that something be done and will begin to approach the complex reasoning that is generally required for an optimal approach to automated system health management. This advice is based on the criticality and various timing elements, such as durations of activities and of component repairs, failure effects delay, and other factors. The failure advice is provided to operators (crew and mission controllers) together with the diagnostic and effects information. The operators also have the option to drill down for more information about the failure and the reasons for any suggested priorities.

The IUE Science Operations Ground System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, Ronald E.; Arquilla, Richard

1994-01-01

The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) Science Operations System provides full realtime operations capabilities and support to the operations staff and astronomer users. The components of this very diverse and extremely flexible hardware and software system have played a major role in maintaining the scientific efficiency and productivity of the IUE. The software provides the staff and user with all the tools necessary for pre-visit and real-time planning and operations analysis for any day of the year. Examples of such tools include the effects of spacecraft constraints on target availability, maneuver times between targets, availability of guide stars, target identification, coordinate transforms, e-mail transfer of Observatory forms and messages, and quick-look analysis of image data. Most of this extensive software package can also be accessed remotely by individual users for information, scheduling of shifts, pre-visit planning, and actual observing program execution. Astronomers, with a modest investment in hardware and software, may establish remote observing sites. We currently have over 20 such sites in our remote observers' network.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Skrinak, V.M.

The Eastern Devonian Gas Shales Technology Review is a technology transfer vehicle designed to keep industry and research organizations aware of major happenings in the shales. Four issues were published, and the majority of the readership was found to be operators. Under the other major task in this project, areal and analytic analyses of the basin resulted in reducing the study area by 30% while defining a rectangular coordinate system for the basin. Shale-well cost and economic models were developed and validated, and a simplified flow model was prepared.

Status of the Regenerative ECLS Water Recovery System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, Donald Layne

2010-01-01

The regenerative Water Recovery System (WRS) has completed its first full year of operation on the International Space Station (ISS). The major assemblies included in this system are the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) and Urine Processor Assembly (UPA). This paper summarizes the on-orbit status as of May 2010, and describes the technical challenges encountered and lessons learned over the past year.

System Scope for Library Automation and Generalized Information Storage and Retrieval at Stanford University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cady, Glee; And Others

The scope of a manual-automated system serving the 40 libraries and the teaching and research community of Stanford University is defined. Also defined are the library operations to be supported and the bibliographic information storage and retrieval capabilities to be provided in the system. Two major projects have been working jointly on library…

The 20 kilovolt rocket borne electron accelerator. [equipment specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrison, R.

1973-01-01

The accelerator system is a preprogrammed multi-voltage system capable of operating at a current level of 1/2 ampere at the 20 kilovolt level. The five major functional areas which comprise this system are: (1) Silver zinc battery packs; (2) the electron gun assembly; (3) gun control and opening circuits; (4) the telemetry conditioning section; and (5) the power conversion section.

Cryogenics Testbed Laboratory Flange Baseline Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acuna, Marie Lei Ysabel D.

2013-01-01

As an intern at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), I was involved in research for the Fluids and Propulsion Division of the NASA Engineering (NE) Directorate. I was immersed in the Integrated Ground Operations Demonstration Units (IGODU) project for the majority of my time at KSC, primarily with the Ground Operations Demonstration Unit Liquid Oxygen (GODU L02) branch of IGODU. This project was established to develop advancements in cryogenic systems as a part of KSC's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program. The vision of AES is to develop new approaches for human exploration, and operations in and beyond low Earth orbit. Advanced cryogenic systems are crucial to minimize the consumable losses of cryogenic propellants, develop higher performance launch vehicles, and decrease operations cost for future launch programs. During my internship, I conducted a flange torque tracking study that established a baseline configuration for the flanges in the Simulated Propellant Loading System (SPLS) at the KSC Cryogenics Test Laboratory (CTL) - the testing environment for GODU L02.

A novel interactive educational system in the operating room--the IE system.

PubMed

Nakayama, Takayuki; Numao, Noboru; Yoshida, Soichiro; Ishioka, Junichiro; Matsuoka, Yoh; Saito, Kazutaka; Fujii, Yasuhisa; Kihara, Kazunori

2016-02-02

The shortage of surgeon is one of the serious problems in Japan. To solve the problem, various efforts have been undertaken to improve surgical education and training. However, appropriate teaching methods in the operating room have not been well established. The aim of this study is to assess the utility of a novel interactive educational (IE) system for surgical education on urologic surgeries in the operating room. A total of 20 Japanese medical students were educated on urologic surgery using the IE system in the operating room. The IE system consists of two parts. The first is three-dimensional (3D) magnified vision of the operative field using a 3D head-mounted display and a 3D endoscope. The second is interactive educative communication between medical students and surgeons using a small-sized wireless communication device. The satisfaction level with the IE system and the physical burden on medical students was examined via questionnaire. All students utilized the IE system in urologic surgery and responded to the survey. Most students were satisfied with the IE system. They also felt more welcomed by the surgeon when using the IE system than when not using it. No major unpleasant symptoms were observed but five students (25 %) experienced mild eye fatigue as a result of viewing the medical images. The IE system has the potential to motivate students to become interested in surgery and could be an efficient method of surgical education in the operating room.

Design and experimental investigation of an ejector in an air-conditioning and refrigeration system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

AL-Khalidy, N.; Zayonia, A.

1995-12-31

This paper discusses the conservation of energy in a refrigerant ejector refrigerating machine using heat driven from the concentrator collectors. The working refrigerant was R-113. The design of an ejector operating in an air-conditioning and refrigerating system with a low thermal source (70 C to 100 C) is presented. The influence of three major parameters--boiler, condenser, and evaporator temperature--on ejector efficiency is discussed. Experimental results show that the condenser temperature is the major influence at a low evaporator temperature. The maximum ejector efficiency was 31%.

Simplified Phased-Mission System Analysis for Systems with Independent Component Repairs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Somani, Arun K.

1996-01-01

Accurate analysis of reliability of system requires that it accounts for all major variations in system's operation. Most reliability analyses assume that the system configuration, success criteria, and component behavior remain the same. However, multiple phases are natural. We present a new computationally efficient technique for analysis of phased-mission systems where the operational states of a system can be described by combinations of components states (such as fault trees or assertions). Moreover, individual components may be repaired, if failed, as part of system operation but repairs are independent of the system state. For repairable systems Markov analysis techniques are used but they suffer from state space explosion. That limits the size of system that can be analyzed and it is expensive in computation. We avoid the state space explosion. The phase algebra is used to account for the effects of variable configurations, repairs, and success criteria from phase to phase. Our technique yields exact (as opposed to approximate) results. We demonstrate our technique by means of several examples and present numerical results to show the effects of phases and repairs on the system reliability/availability.

DGs for Service Restoration to Critical Loads in a Secondary Network

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Yin; Liu, Chen-Ching; Wang, Zhiwen

During a major outage in a secondary network distribution system, distributed generators (DGs) connected to the primary feeders as well as the secondary network can be used to serve critical loads. This paper proposed a resilience-oriented method to determine restoration strategies for secondary network distribution systems after a major disaster. Technical issues associated with the restoration process are analyzed, including the operation of network protectors, inrush currents caused by the energization of network transformers, synchronization of DGs to the network, and circulating currents among DGs. A look-ahead load restoration framework is proposed, incorporating technical issues associated with secondary networks, limitsmore » on DG capacity and generation resources, dynamic constraints, and operational limits. The entire outage duration is divided into a sequence of periods. Restoration strategies can be adjusted at the beginning of each period using the latest information. Finally, numerical simulation of the modified IEEE 342-node low voltage networked test system is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.« less

DGs for Service Restoration to Critical Loads in a Secondary Network

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yin; Liu, Chen-Ching; Wang, Zhiwen; ...

2017-08-25

During a major outage in a secondary network distribution system, distributed generators (DGs) connected to the primary feeders as well as the secondary network can be used to serve critical loads. This paper proposed a resilience-oriented method to determine restoration strategies for secondary network distribution systems after a major disaster. Technical issues associated with the restoration process are analyzed, including the operation of network protectors, inrush currents caused by the energization of network transformers, synchronization of DGs to the network, and circulating currents among DGs. A look-ahead load restoration framework is proposed, incorporating technical issues associated with secondary networks, limitsmore » on DG capacity and generation resources, dynamic constraints, and operational limits. The entire outage duration is divided into a sequence of periods. Restoration strategies can be adjusted at the beginning of each period using the latest information. Finally, numerical simulation of the modified IEEE 342-node low voltage networked test system is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.« less

Acceptance test report (MI-74067-009-00). SVWS access arm (Serial number AA-09-03) (drawing 75M08129-13)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagood, J. T.

1973-01-01

Acceptance tests were conducted at Kennedy Space Center of the Saturn Vehicle Workshop Spacecraft Access Arm and related equipment. The tests were conducted to prove complete system capability to operate satisfactorily under conditions required to support spacecraft operations and activities. The SVWS Access Arm, serial number AA-09-03, is a Command Module Service Arm, S/A 9, which was removed from the mobile launcher and modified to support the SVWS operations. The C/M environmental chamber was removed and a completely new chamber was installed. The retract system was redesigned to remove the automatic/remote control capability and replaced with a local manual control. The SVWS Access Arm System was successfully tested and supported spacecraft processing without major problems.

Public bikesharing In North America : early operator and user understanding.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

Public bikesharingthe shared use of a bicycle fleetis an innovative transportation strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Information technology (IT)-based bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout a...

Cross border ITS systems with traffic management centers : project summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-31

Traffic management centers (TMCs) in Texas play a : vital role in managing traffic operations in many : major metropolitan areas. TMCs have deployed : extensive detection, monitoring, and communication : infrastructure to allow Texas Department of : ...

A comparison of operational and LANDSAT-aided snow water content estimation systems. [Feather River Basin, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharp, J. M.; Thomas, R. W.

1975-01-01

How LANDSAT imagery can be cost effectively employed to augment an operational hydrologic model is described. Attention is directed toward the estimation of snow water content, a major predictor variable in the volumetric runoff forecasting model. A stratified double sampling scheme is supplemented with qualitative and quantitative analyses of existing operations to develop a comparison between the existing and satellite-aided approaches to snow water content estimation. Results show a decided advantage for the LANDSAT-aided approach.

System and method of operating toroidal magnetic confinement devices

DOEpatents

Chance, Morrell S.; Jardin, Stephen C.; Stix, Thomas H.; Grimm, deceased, Ray C.; Manickam, Janardhan; Okabayashi, Michio

1987-01-01

For toroidal magnetic confinement devices the second region of stability against ballooning modes can be accessed with controlled operation. Under certain modes of operation, the first and second stability regions may be joined together. Accessing the second region of stability is accomplished by forming a bean-shaped plasma and increasing the indentation until a critical value of indentation is reached. A pusher coil, located at the inner-major-radius side of the device, is engaged to form a bean-shaped poloidal cross-section in the plasma.

Discovery of Novel Mammary Developmental and Cancer Genes Using ENU Mutagenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-10-01

death rates we need new therapeutic targets, currently a major challenge facing cancer researchers This requires an understanding of the undiscovered pathways that operate to drive breast cancer cell proliferation, cell survival and cell differentiation, pathways which are also likely to operate during normal mammary development, and which go awry in cancer The discovery of signalling pathways operative in breast cancer has utilised examination of mammary gland development following systemic endocrine ablation or viral insertion, positional cloning in affected families and

Causes of Nonbattle Injury Fatalities Among U.S. Army Soldiers During Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2001-2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-28

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT As with previous military conflicts, nonbattle injuries ( NBls ) are a major cause of mortality in Operations...Enduring (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to 1) describe the incidence and rate of fatal NBls in OEF and OIF...from their beginning through December 2006, 2) describe the causes and circumstances of fatal NBls , and 3) compare two Army data systems that report

The role of smart systems in rendezvous, close proximity operations and docking maneuvers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szatkowski, Gerard P.

Various missions scenarios (Space Station logistics, LEO and GEO services, and SEI operation) will involve flexibility in mission management. This means operations will be one or a combination of the following: autonomous, supervised autonomous, and machine aided manual control. Smart Systems will likely play a significant role in making these missions successful from a safety/reliability perspective and less costly from an operations perspective. This does not imply that Smart Systems need to be super sophisticated. On the contrary, Smart Systems have been described as automated intelligence that if a person had done it wrong, it would be considered stupid. The first part of this paper will describe the types of Smart System techniques involved in AR and CC, their specifications, duties, and interactions. Next will be a discussion of the work performed under the auspice of the ALS Program to further Expert Systems applications imbedded in the control process, NASA/JSC CRAD, and other related IRAD projects. This will include issues pertaining to the following: integration, speed, knowledge encapsulation, and cooperative systems. Finally, a brief description will be offered to outline the major obstacles for the acceptance of Smart Systems in critical applications.

Requirements Definition for Force Level Command and Control in the Tactical Air Control System: An Evolutionary Approach Toward Meeting Near Term and Future Operational Needs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

numerous major exercises, such as WINTEX- CIMEX , REFORGER, CRESTED EAGLE, and BRIGHT STAR. USAFE is now actively planning an evolutionary approach toward C2...during WINTEX- CIMEX 85, we have been investigating a number of approaches to enhancing joint air-ground operations and providing a means for better...throughout the ground battle elements. The USAREUR Distributed Decision Aid System (UD[1AS) was initially deployed in Exercise WINTEX- CIMEX 84. During

Methods of satellite oceanography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, R. H.

1985-01-01

The theoretical basis for remote sensing measurements of climate and ocean dynamics is examined. Consideration is given to: the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere; scattering in the atmosphere; and satellite observations using visible light. Consideration is also given to: the theory of radio scatter from the sea; scatter of centimeter waves from the sea; and the theory of operation of synthetic aperture radars. Additional topics include: the coordinate systems of satellite orbits for oceanographic remote sensing applications; the operating features of the major U.S. satellite systems for viewing the ocean; and satellite altimetry.

National Transonic Facility status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckinney, L. W.; Bruce, W. E., Jr.; Gloss, B. B.

1989-01-01

The National Transonic Facility (NTF) was operational in a combined checkout and test mode for about 3 years. During this time there were many challenges associated with movement of mechanical components, operation of instrumentation systems, and drying of insulation in the cryogenic environment. Most of these challenges were met to date along with completion of a basic flow calibration and aerodynamic tests of a number of configurations. Some of the major challenges resulting from cryogenic environment are reviewed with regard to hardware systems and data quality. Reynolds number effects on several configurations are also discussed.

Advanced Transportation System Studies Technical Area 2 (TA-2) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Development Contract. Volume 2; Technical Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The sections in this report include: Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) Design Ground-rules; Operations Issues and Lessons Learned; Vertical-Takeoff/Landing Versus Vertical-Takeoff/Horizontal-Landing; SSTO Design Results; SSTO Simulation Results; SSTO Assessment Results; SSTO Sizing Tool User's Guide; SSto Turnaround Assessment Report; Ground Operations Assessment First Year Executive Summary; Health Management System Definition Study; Major TA-2 Presentations; First Lunar Outpost Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Design and Assessment; and the section, Russian Propulsion Technology Assessment Reports.

Flight software operation of the Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodden, J. J.; Dougherty, H. J.; Cormier, D. J.

1988-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is to carry five major scientific instruments to collect imagery, spectrographic, and photometric astronomical data. The Pointing Control System is designed to achieve pointing accuracies and line of sight jitter levels an order of magnitude less than can be achieved with ground mounted telescopes. This paper describes the operation of the pointing control system flight software in targeting a celestial object in a science instrument aperture and in performing the coordinate transformations necessary for commanding the fine guidance sensor and determining the attitude-error corrections.

Description and Operation of the A3 Subscale Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, G. P.; Varner, D. G.; Grover, J. B.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the general design and operation of the A3 Subscale test facility. The goal is to provide the reader with a general understanding of what the major facility systems are, where they are located, and how they are used to meet the objectives supporting the design of the A3 altitude rocket test facility. This paper also provides the reader with the background information prior to reading the subsequent papers detailing the design and test results of the various systems described herein.

Practicing for Mars: The International Space Station (ISS) as a Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korth, David H.

2014-01-01

Allows demonstration and development of exploration capabilities to help accomplish future missions sooner with less risk to crew and mission Characteristics of ISS as a testbed High fidelity human operations platform in LEO: Continuously operating habitat and active laboratory. High fidelity systems. Astronauts as test subjects. Highly experienced ground operations teams. Offers a controlled test environment.: Consequences to systems performance and decision making not offered in ground analogs International participation. Continuously improving system looking for new technology and ideas to improve operations. Technology Demos & Critical Systems Maturation. Human Health and Performance. Operations Simulations and Techniques. Exploration prep testing on ISS has been ongoing since 2012. Number of tests increasing with each ISS expedition. One Year Crew Expedition starting in Spring 2015. ROSCOSMOS and NASA are partnering on the Participating Crew are Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly Majority of testing is an extension of current Human Biomedical Research investigations Plan for extending & expanding upon current operations techniques and tech demo studies ESA 10 Day Mission in Fall 2015 ESA astronaut focus on testing exploration technologies Many more opportunities throughout the life of ISS! 4/24/2014 david.h.korth@nasa.gov 4 Exploration testing

Demonstration of a Novel Synchrophasor-based Situational Awareness System: Wide Area Power System Visualization, On-line Event Replay and Early Warning of Grid Problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosso, A.

Since the large North Eastern power system blackout on August 14, 2003, U.S. electric utilities have spent lot of effort on preventing power system cascading outages. Two of the main causes of the August 14, 2003 blackout were inadequate situational awareness and inadequate operator training In addition to the enhancements of the infrastructure of the interconnected power systems, more research and development of advanced power system applications are required for improving the wide-area security monitoring, operation and planning in order to prevent large- scale cascading outages of interconnected power systems. It is critically important for improving the wide-area situation awarenessmore » of the operators or operational engineers and regional reliability coordinators of large interconnected systems. With the installation of large number of phasor measurement units (PMU) and the related communication infrastructure, it will be possible to improve the operators’ situation awareness and to quickly identify the sequence of events during a large system disturbance for the post-event analysis using the real-time or historical synchrophasor data. The purpose of this project was to develop and demonstrate a novel synchrophasor-based comprehensive situational awareness system for control centers of power transmission systems. The developed system named WASA (Wide Area Situation Awareness) is intended to improve situational awareness at control centers of the power system operators and regional reliability coordinators. It consists of following main software modules: • Wide-area visualizations of real-time frequency, voltage, and phase angle measurements and their contour displays for security monitoring. • Online detection and location of a major event (location, time, size, and type, such as generator or line outage). • Near-real-time event replay (in seconds) after a major event occurs. • Early warning of potential wide-area stability problems. The system has been deployed and demonstrated at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and ISO New England system using real-time synchrophasor data from openPDC. Apart from the software product, the outcome of this project consists of a set of technical reports and papers describing the mathematical foundations and computational approaches of different tools and modules, implementation issues and considerations, lessons learned, and the results of lidation processes.« less

Expanding AirSTAR Capability for Flight Research in an Existing Avionics Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laughter, Sean A.

2012-01-01

The NASA Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) project is an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) test bed for experimental flight control laws and vehicle dynamics research. During its development, the test bed has gone through a number of system permutations, each meant to add functionality to the concept of operations of the system. This enabled the build-up of not only the system itself, but also the support infrastructure and processes necessary to support flight operations. These permutations were grouped into project phases and the move from Phase-III to Phase-IV was marked by a significant increase in research capability and necessary safety systems due to the integration of an Internal Pilot into the control system chain already established for the External Pilot. The major system changes in Phase-IV operations necessitated a new safety and failsafe system to properly integrate both the Internal and External Pilots and to meet acceptable project safety margins. This work involved retrofitting an existing data system into the evolved concept of operations. Moving from the first Phase-IV aircraft to the dynamically scaled aircraft further involved restructuring the system to better guard against electromagnetic interference (EMI), and the entire avionics wiring harness was redesigned in order to facilitate better maintenance and access to onboard electronics. This retrofit and harness re-design will be explored and how it integrates with the evolved Phase-IV operations.

Full-Text Searching on Major Supermarket Systems: Dialog, Data-Star, and Nexis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenopir, Carol; Berglund, Sharon

1993-01-01

Examines the similarities, differences, and full-text features of the three most-used online systems for full-text searching in general libraries: DIALOG, Data-Star, and NEXIS. Overlapping databases, unique sources, search features, proximity operators, set building, language enhancement and word equivalencies, and display features are discussed.…

DSS 13 microprocessor antenna controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosline, R. M.

1988-01-01

A microprocessor-based antenna monitor and control system with multiple CPUs are described. The system was developed as part of the unattended station project for DSS 13 and was enhanced for use by the SETI project. The operational features, hardware, and software designs are described, and a discussion is provided of the major problems encountered.

Security Considerations of Doing Business via the Internet: Cautions To Be Considered.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldridge, Alicia; White, Michele; Forcht, Karen

1997-01-01

Lack of security is perceived as a major roadblock to doing business online. This article examines system, user, and commercial transaction privacy on the World Wide Web and discusses methods of protection: operating systems security, file and data protection, user education, access restrictions, data authentication, perimeter and transaction…

In-space production of large space systems from extraterrestrial materials: A program implementation model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vontiesenhausen, G. F.

1977-01-01

A program implementation model is presented which covers the in-space construction of certain large space systems from extraterrestrial materials. The model includes descriptions of major program elements and subelements and their operational requirements and technology readiness requirements. It provides a structure for future analysis and development.

A Fully Redundant On-Line Mass Spectrometer System Used to Monitor Cryogenic Fuel Leaks on the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Timothy P.; Naylor, Guy R.; Haskell, William D.; Breznik, Greg S.; Mizell, Carolyn A.; Helms, William R.; Steinrock, T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

An on-line gas monitoring system was developed to replace the older systems used to monitor for cryogenic leaks on the Space Shuttles before launch. The system uses a mass spectrometer to monitor multiple locations in the process, which allows the system to monitor all gas constituents of interest in a nearly simultaneous manner. The system is fully redundant and meets all requirements for ground support equipment (GSE). This includes ruggedness to withstand launch on the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP), ease of operation, and minimal operator intervention. The system can be fully automated so that an operator is notified when an unusual situation or fault is detected. User inputs are through personal computer using mouse and keyboard commands. The graphical user interface is very intuitive and easy to operate. The system has successfully supported four launches to date. It is currently being permanently installed as the primary system monitoring the Space Shuttles during ground processing and launch operations. Time and cost savings will be substantial over the current systems when it is fully implemented in the field. Tests were performed to demonstrate the performance of the system. Low limits-of-detection coupled with small drift make the system a major enhancement over the current systems. Though this system is currently optimized for detecting cryogenic leaks, many other gas constituents could be monitored using the Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS) 2000.

Instituto Nacional de Electrification, Guatemala Load Dispatch Center and Global Communications Center. Feasibility report (Instituto Nacional de Electrificacion, Guatemala Centro Nacional de Despacho de Carga y Sistema Global de Comunicaciones). Export trade information

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1985-07-01

The report presents the results of a feasibility study for the National Load Dispatch Center and Global Communications System Project in Guatemala. The project consists of a communication system which will provide Institute Nacional de Electrificacion (INDE) operations personnel direct voice access to all major power system facilities. In addition, a modern computer based load dispatch center has been configured on a secure and reliable basis to provide automatic generation control of all major interconnected generating plants within Guatemala.

Feasibility of a Modified E-PASS and POSSUM System for Postoperative Risk Assessment in Patients with Spinal Disease.

PubMed

Chun, Dong Hyun; Kim, Do Young; Choi, Sun Kyu; Shin, Dong Ah; Ha, Yoon; Kim, Keung Nyun; Yoon, Do Heum; Yi, Seong

2018-04-01

This retrospective case control study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using Estimation of Physiological Ability and Surgical Stress (E-PASS) and Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM) systems in patients undergoing spinal surgical procedures. Degenerative spine disease has increased in incidence in aging societies, as has the number of older adult patients undergoing spinal surgery. Many older adults are at a high surgical risk because of comorbidity and poor general health. We retrospectively reviewed 217 patients who had undergone spinal surgery at a single tertiary care. We investigated complications within 1 month after surgery. Criteria for both skin incision in E-PASS and operation magnitude in the POSSUM system were modified to fit spine surgery. We calculated the E-PASS and POSSUM scores for enrolled patients, and investigated the relationship between postoperative complications and both surgical risk scoring systems. To reinforce the predictive ability of the E-PASS system, we adjusted equations and developed modified E-PASS systems. The overall complication rate for spinal surgery was 22.6%. Forty-nine patients experienced 58 postoperative complications. Nineteen major complications, including hematoma, deep infection, pleural effusion, progression of weakness, pulmonary edema, esophageal injury, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, reoperation, renal failure, sepsis, and death, occurred in 17 patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicted postoperative complications after spine surgery was 0.588 for E-PASS and 0.721 for POSSUM. For predicted major postoperative complications, the AUC increased to 0.619 for E-PASS and 0.842 for POSSUM. The AUC of the E-PASS system increased from 0.588 to 0.694 with the Modified E-PASS equation. The POSSUM system may be more useful than the E-PASS system for estimating postoperative surgical risk in patients undergoing spine surgery. The preoperative risk scores of E-PASS and POSSUM can be useful for predicting postoperative major complications. To enhance the predictability of the scoring systems, using of modified equations based on spine surgery-specific factors may help ensure surgical outcomes and patient safety. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Establishment and operation of the National Accident Sampling System (NASS) team within the cities of Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beddow, B.; Roberts, C.; Rankin, J.; Bloch, A.; Peizer, J.

1981-01-01

The National Accident Sampling System (NASS) is described. The study area discussed is one of the original ten sites selected for NASS implementation. In addition to collecting data from the field, the original ten sites address questions of feasibility of the plan, projected results of the data collection effort, and specific operational topics, e.g., team size, sampling requirements, training approaches, quality control procedures, and field techniques. Activities and results of the first three years of the project, for both major tasks (establishment and operation) are addressed. Topics include: study area documentation; team description, function and activities; problems and solutions; and recommendations.

New design and operating techniques and requirements for improved aircraft terminal area operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reeder, J. P.; Taylor, R. T.; Walsh, T. M.

1974-01-01

Current aircraft operating problems that must be alleviated for future high-density terminal areas are safety, dependence on weather, congestion, energy conservation, noise, and atmospheric pollution. The Microwave Landing System (MLS) under development by FAA provides increased capabilities over the current ILS. The development of the airborne system's capability to take maximum advantage of the MLS capabilities in order to solve terminal area problems are discussed. A major limiting factor in longitudinal spacing for capacity increase is the trailing vortex hazard. Promising methods for causing early dissipation of the vortices were explored. Flight procedures for avoiding the hazard were investigated. Terminal configured vehicles and their flight test development are discussed.

Understanding the LANDSAT market in developing countries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willard, M. R.

1980-01-01

The constraints on the growth of the market which stem from the development process itself and from a country's technical, political, and institutional attributes were examined. Four competing factors guide the development of policy regarding an operational land remote sensing system and are summarized. The factors are: there is a need to boost U.S. experts in areas where the U.S. holds a technological lead; the need to develop user applications in developing countries on their terms coincides with foreign policy; developing countries desire to take control of their own development; and the U.S. government wants to enlist the participation of major companies in the management, operation, and ownership of the operational system.

Improving Management of Military Construction Planning and Design

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-01

waterfront facilities and operations and its transportation systems, owns and operates JFK Airport . The Port Authority has an extremely capable and...restructured, and many projects are being deferred until the economic picture brightens. Airline user fees are the principal source of income for the JFK ... Airport . This "downsizing" has caused major schedule readjustment and sequencing of designs to ensure compatibility with existing facilities. In managing

Damage Control Technology - A Literature Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

The Canadian Navy has identified the reduction of the total operating cost ( TOC ) of new ships as a priority. The major contributors to the TOC of a...Corporation, California, USA AC-CAS Group Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand Apollo Fire Detectors, Hempshire, England, UK Compania Panamena de Sistemas ...National Defence DRDC Defence Research and Development Canada TOC Total Operating Cost BDCS Battle Damage Control System DC-ARM Damage Control

Control aspects of the Schuchuli Village stand-alone photovoltaic power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groumpos, P. P.; Culler, J. E.; Delombard, R.

1984-11-01

A photovoltaic power system in an Arizona Indian village was installed. The control subsystem of this photovoltaic power system was analyzed. The four major functions of the control subsystem are: (1) voltage regulation; (2) load management; (3) water pump control; and (4) system protection. The control subsystem functions flowcharts for the control subsystem operation, and a computer program that models the control subsystem are presented.

Control aspects of the Schuchuli Village stand-alone photovoltaic power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Groumpos, P. P.; Culler, J. E.; Delombard, R.

1984-01-01

A photovoltaic power system in an Arizona Indian village was installed. The control subsystem of this photovoltaic power system was analyzed. The four major functions of the control subsystem are: (1) voltage regulation; (2) load management; (3) water pump control; and (4) system protection. The control subsystem functions flowcharts for the control subsystem operation, and a computer program that models the control subsystem are presented.

The 747 primary flight control systems reliability and maintenance study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The major operational characteristics of the 747 Primary Flight Control Systems (PFCS) are described. Results of reliability analysis for separate control functions are presented. The analysis makes use of a NASA computer program which calculates reliability of redundant systems. Costs for maintaining the 747 PFCS in airline service are assessed. The reliabilities and cost will provide a baseline for use in trade studies of future flight control system design.

Analysis And Control System For Automated Welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, Bradley W.; Burroughs, Ivan A.; Kennedy, Larry Z.; Rodgers, Michael H.; Goode, K. Wayne

1994-01-01

Automated variable-polarity plasma arc (VPPA) welding apparatus operates under electronic supervision by welding analysis and control system. System performs all major monitoring and controlling functions. It acquires, analyzes, and displays weld-quality data in real time and adjusts process parameters accordingly. Also records pertinent data for use in post-weld analysis and documentation of quality. System includes optoelectronic sensors and data processors that provide feedback control of welding process.

Coal derived fuel gases for molten carbonate fuel cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-11-01

Product streams from state-of-the-art and future coal gasification systems are characterized to guide fuel cell program planners and researchers in establishing performance goals and developing materials for molten carbonate fuel cells that will be compatible with gasifier product gases. Results are presented on: (1) the range of gasifier raw-gas compositions available from the major classes of coal gasifiers; (2) the degree of gas clean-up achievable with state-of-the-art and future gas clean-up systems; and (3) the energy penalties associated with gas clean-up. The study encompasses fixed-bed, fluid-bed, entrained-bed, and molten salt gasifiers operating with Eastern bituminous and Western subbituminous coals. Gasifiersmore » operating with air and oxygen blowing are evaluated, and the coal gasification product streams are characterized with respect to: (1) major gas stream constituents, e.g., CO, H/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, N/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O; (2) major gas stream contaminants, e.g., H/sub 2/S, COS, particulates, tars, etc.; and (3) trace element contaminants, e.g., Na, K, V, Cl, Hg, etc.« less

New frontiers in design synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldin, D. S.; Venneri, S. L.; Noor, A. K.

1999-01-01

The Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE), which is one of the major strategic technologies under development at NASA centers and the University of Virginia, is described. One of the major objectives of ISE is to significantly enhance the rapid creation of innovative affordable products and missions. ISE uses a synergistic combination of leading-edge technologies, including high performance computing, high capacity communications and networking, human-centered computing, knowledge-based engineering, computational intelligence, virtual product development, and product information management. The environment will link scientists, design teams, manufacturers, suppliers, and consultants who participate in the mission synthesis as well as in the creation and operation of the aerospace system. It will radically advance the process by which complex science missions are synthesized, and high-tech engineering Systems are designed, manufactured and operated. The five major components critical to ISE are human-centered computing, infrastructure for distributed collaboration, rapid synthesis and simulation tools, life cycle integration and validation, and cultural change in both the engineering and science creative process. The five components and their subelements are described. Related U.S. government programs are outlined and the future impact of ISE on engineering research and education is discussed.

Power system requirements and concepts for a commercially viable lunar base architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenard, Roger X.; Binder, Alan B.

1999-01-01

Historically, space exploration has been the province of governments and major agencies within those governmental entities. Recent advances in the state-of-the-art in many subsystem technology areas and the revealed inadequacies of governments to singlehandedly underwrite major exploration ventures present the potential to expand the venue of space exploration to the commercial sector. Further, major international projects such as the International Space Station have revealed weaknesses in both international financing and management of such projects. Cost overruns are the rule and significant schedule slips and/or failures to deliver have resulted in an enormously costly and delayed program. The exorbitant costs have stymied exploration ventures beyond Earth orbit. There are many potential advantages to a commercial operation including cost, schedule and a distinct customer orientation to services. The objective of this paper is to describe the first phase of a phased strawman commercial lunar base concept which operates as a user facility for governmental entities, corporations and companies. The paper will discuss the power system options and conditions under which such a base can be made to become profitable.

Medical results of the Skylab program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, R. S.; Dietlein, L. F.

1974-01-01

The Skylab food system, waste management system, operational bioinstrumentation, personal hygiene provisions, in-flight medical support system, and the cardiovascular counterpressure garment worn during reentry are described. The medical experiments program provided scientific data and also served as the basis for real-time decisions on flight duration. Premission support, in-flight operational support, and postflight medical activities are surveyed. Measures devised to deal with possible food spoilage, medical instrument damage, and toxic atmosphere caused by the initial failures on the Orbital Workshop (OWS) are discussed. The major medical experiments performed in flight allowed the study of physiological changes as a function of exposure to weightless flight. The experiments included studies of the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal and fluid/electrolyte balance, sleep, blood, vestibular system, and time and motion studies.

NMESys: An expert system for network fault detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Peter C.; Warpinski, Janet

1991-01-01

The problem of network management is becoming an increasingly difficult and challenging task. It is very common today to find heterogeneous networks consisting of many different types of computers, operating systems, and protocols. The complexity of implementing a network with this many components is difficult enough, while the maintenance of such a network is an even larger problem. A prototype network management expert system, NMESys, implemented in the C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS). NMESys concentrates on solving some of the critical problems encountered in managing a large network. The major goal of NMESys is to provide a network operator with an expert system tool to quickly and accurately detect hard failures, potential failures, and to minimize or eliminate user down time in a large network.

Food and waste management biotechnology for the space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, R. W.; Schelkopf, J. D.; Hunt, S. R.; Sauer, R. L.

1979-01-01

Space-crew facilities for preparation, eating, personal hygiene and waste management are contained in one small area of the Shuttle Orbiter Mid-Deck, all the functional systems being interconnected. The paper discusses three major systems: (1) the Galley, which includes the personal hygiene station and food packages; (2) the Waste Collector, which includes provisions for male and female users, urine, feces and emesis collection in both a normal and contigency mode of operation; and (3) Biowaste Monitoring, which includes mass measurement and sampling. The technology improvement continues by assuring that the Orbiter systems have sufficient design flexibility to permit later improvements in operation and in function.

Artificial intelligence applied to process signal analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corsberg, Dan

1988-01-01

Many space station processes are highly complex systems subject to sudden, major transients. In any complex process control system, a critical aspect of the human/machine interface is the analysis and display of process information. Human operators can be overwhelmed by large clusters of alarms that inhibit their ability to diagnose and respond to a disturbance. Using artificial intelligence techniques and a knowledge base approach to this problem, the power of the computer can be used to filter and analyze plant sensor data. This will provide operators with a better description of the process state. Once a process state is recognized, automatic action could be initiated and proper system response monitored.

Risk management in the North sea offshore industry: History, status and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, E. J.

1995-10-01

There have been major changes in the UK and Norwegian offshore safety regimes in the last decade. On the basis of accumulated experience (including some major accidents), there has been a move away from a rigid, prescriptive approach to setting safety standards; it is now recognised that a more flexible, "goal-setting" approach is more suited to achieving cost-effective solutions to offshore safety. In order to adapt to this approach, offshore operators are increasingly using Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) techniques as part of their risk management programmes. Structured risk assessment can be used at all stages of a project life-cycle. In the design stages (concept and detailed design), these techniques are valuable tools in ensuring that money is wisely spent on safety-related systems. In the operational stage, QRA can aid the development of procedures. High quality Safety Management Systems (SMSs), covering issues such as training, inspection, and emergency planning, are crucial to maintain "asdesigned" levels of safety and reliability. Audits of SMSs should be carried out all through the operational phase to ensure that risky conditions do not accumulate.

Classification of multipartite entanglement via negativity fonts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, S. Shelly; Sharma, N. K.

2012-04-01

Partial transposition of state operator is a well-known tool to detect quantum correlations between two parts of a composite system. In this paper, the global partial transpose (GPT) is linked to conceptually multipartite underlying structures in a state—the negativity fonts. If K-way negativity fonts with nonzero determinants exist, then selective partial transposition of a pure state, involving K of the N qubits (K⩽N), yields an operator with negative eigenvalues, identifying K-body correlations in the state. Expansion of GPT in terms of K-way partially transposed (KPT) operators reveals the nature of intricate intrinsic correlations in the state. Classification criteria for multipartite entangled states based on the underlying structure of global partial transpose of canonical state are proposed. The number of N-partite entanglement types for an N-qubit system is found to be 2N-1-N+2, while the number of major entanglement classes is 2N-1-1. Major classes for three- and four-qubit states are listed. Subclasses are determined by the number and type of negativity fonts in canonical states.

Analysis of space systems study for the space disposal of nuclear waste. Study report, volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Space systems concepts were identified and defined and evaluated as to their performance, risks, and technical viability in order to select the most attractive approach for disposal of high level nuclear wastes in space. Major study areas discussed include: (1) mission and operations analysis; (2) waste payload systems; (3) flight support system; (4) launch site systems; (5) launch vehicle systems; (6) orbit transfer system; (7) space disposal destinations; and (8) systems integration and evaluation.

Spacecraft rendezvous operational considerations affecting vehicle systems design and configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prust, Ellen E.

One lesson learned from Orbiting Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) program experience is that Design Reference Missions must include an appropriate balance of operations and performance inputs to effectively drive vehicle systems design and configuration. Rendezvous trajectory design is based on vehicle characteristics (e.g., mass, propellant tank size, and mission duration capability) and operational requirements, which have evolved through the Gemini, Apollo, and STS programs. Operational constraints affecting the rendezvous final approach are summarized. The two major objectives of operational rendezvous design are vehicle/crew safety and mission success. Operational requirements on the final approach which support these objectives include: tracking/targeting/communications; trajectory dispersion and navigation uncertainty handling; contingency protection; favorable sunlight conditions; acceptable relative state for proximity operations handover; and compliance with target vehicle constraints. A discussion of the ways each of these requirements may constrain the rendezvous trajectory follows. Although the constraints discussed apply to all rendezvous, the trajectory presented in 'Cargo Transfer Vehicle Preliminary Reference Definition' (MSFC, May 1991) was used as the basis for the comments below.

NASA Ames aerospace systems directorate research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albers, James A.

1991-01-01

The Aerospace Systems Directorate is one of four research directorates at the NASA Ames Research Center. The Directorate conducts research and technology development for advanced aircraft and aircraft systems in intelligent computational systems and human-machine systems for aeronautics and space. The Directorate manages research and aircraft technology development projects, and operates and maintains major wind tunnels and flight simulation facilities. The Aerospace Systems Directorate's research and technology as it relates to NASA agency goals and specific strategic thrusts are discussed.

Definition and Means of Maintaining the Emergency Notification and Evacuation System Portion of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Safety Envelope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

WHITE, W.F.

2000-04-04

The purpose of this document is to provide the definition and means of maintaining the safety envelope (SE) for the Emergency Notification and Evacuation System (ENES). Together with the appendices, it provides: (1) The system requirements for determining system operability (Section 3.0); (2) Evaluations of equipment to determine the safety boundary for the system (Section 4.0); (3) List of system drawings that are annotated to show the SE boundaries (Appendix A); (4) Identification of the SE equipment by reference to systems and drawings (Appendix B); (5) Requirements for the individual SE equipment (Section 4.0); and (6) A list of themore » operational and surveillance procedures necessary to operate and maintain the system equipment within the SE (Sections 5.0 and 6.0). The Private Automatic Exchange (PAX) phones and PAX switchers are outside the safety envelope defined in WHC-SD-CP-OSR-010, Section 5.4.10, ''Safety Communication and Alarm Systems,'' Section 5.4.1 0.1, ''Major Components and Operating Characteristics,'' and Section 5.4.10.1.12, ''PAX System.'' The PAX override microphone system maintains the safety envelope, and functions as a backup to the evacuation sirens during an emergency.« less

Ten years of industrial and municipal membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems - lessons from the field.

PubMed

Larrea, Asun; Rambor, Andre; Fabiyi, Malcolm

2014-01-01

The use of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) in activated sludge wastewater treatment has grown significantly in the last decade. While there is growing awareness and knowledge about the application of MBR technology in municipal wastewater treatment, not much information is available on the application of MBRs in industrial wastewater treatment. A comparative study of design data, operating conditions and the major challenges associated with MBR operations in 24 MBR plants treating both municipal and industrial wastewater, built by and/or operated by Praxair, Inc., is presented. Of the 24 MBR systems described, 12 of the plants used high purity oxygen (HPO). By enabling a wide range of food/microorganism ratios and loading conditions in the same system, HPO MBR systems can extend the options available to industrial plant operators to meet the challenges of wide fluctuations in organic loading and footprint limitations. While fouling in industrial MBR systems can be an issue, adequate flux and permeability values can be reliably maintained by the use of good maintenance strategies and effective process controls (pretreatment, cleaning and membrane autopsies).

The ISS Increments 3 and 4 Test Report: For the Active Rack Isolation System ISS Characterization Experiment (ARIS-ICE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quraishi, Naveed; Allen, Jim; Bushnell, Glenn; Fialho, Ian

2003-01-01

The purpose of ARIS-ICE is to improve, optimize then operationally test and document the performance of the ARIS system on the International Space Station. The ICE program required testing across a full 3 increments (2 through 4). This paper represents the operational report summarizing our accomplishments through the third and fourth increment of testing. The main objectives and results of the increment two testing are discussed in The Increment two Operational Report. This report can be obtained from the ISS Payloads Office or from (http://iss-www.isc.nasa.gov/sslissapt/payofc/OZ3/ARIS.html). In summary these were to ensure the smooth and successful activation of the system and correct operational issues related to long term testing. Then the follow on increment 3 & 4 testing encompassed the majority of the on orbit performance assessments and improvements made to the ARIS system. The intent here is to report these preliminary results of the increment 3 & 4 ARIS-ICE testing as well as the ARIS system improvements made for our users and customers.

An advance forecasting system for ship originated oil spills in the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zodiatis, G.; Lardner, R.; De Dominicis, M.; Coppini, G.; Pinardi, N.

2012-04-01

One of the permanent risks from an oil spill incident in the Mediterranean is associated with the heavy traffic in maritime transport, as well nowadays with the coastal and offshore installations related to the oil and gas industry. Such dense activity imposes on the coastal countries the need for preparing an operational response to major oil spill incidents. In the recent past, several policies related to oil spill response have been adopted internationally. At the regional level the Barcelona convention, recognizing pollution from oil spills as one of the major threats to the marine environment of the Mediterranean, initiated the preparedness for responding to major oil spill incidents, through various national and sub-regional contingency plans. At the European level the Member States was obliged to implement the EU Directive 2005/35, aimed at identifying the polluter and bringing them to prosecution. The response to an oil spill incident employs various measures and equipment. However, the success of such response depends greatly on the prediction of the movement and weathering of the oil spills. Such predictions may obtained through the operational application of advanced numerical oil spill models integrated with met-ocean forecasting data. A well established operational system for oil spill predictions in the Mediterranean is the MEDSLIK three dimensional model that predicts the transport, diffusion and spreading of oil spill and incorporates the fate processes of evaporation, emulsification, viscosity changes, dispersion into the water column and coastal impact and adhesion. MEDSLIK is integrated with the MyOCEAN regional and several downscaled ocean forecasting systems in the Mediterranean, contributing to the development of the GMES marine services. Moreover, MEDSLIK has been coupled with EMSA-CSN and ESA ASAR imageries, for short forward and backward predictions, to assist the response agencies in the implementation of the EU Directive 2005/35. From 2007 to 2011 more than a thousand possible ship originated oil slicks were detected by ASAR imageries in the Levantine Basin and then used for operational predictions by MEDSLIK. The successful operation of the MEDSLIK oil spill prediction system in the Levantine Basin has initiated efforts to implement a multi model approach to oil spill predictions in the Mediterranean through the realization of the recently approved project known as MedDESS4MS-Mediterranean Decision Support System for Maritime Safety, funded under the MED program. MEDESS4MS project is dedicated to the prevention of maritime risks and strengthening of maritime safety related to oil spill pollution in the Mediterranean. MEDESS4MS will deliver an integrated operational multi model oil spill prediction service in the Mediterranean, connected to existing monitoring platforms (EMSA-CSN, REMPEC, AIS), using the well established oil spill modeling systems, the data from the GMES Marine Core Services and the national ocean forecasting systems.

Design considerations for Mars photovoltaic power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Appelbaum, Joseph

1990-01-01

Considerations for operation of a photovoltaic power system on Mars are discussed with reference to Viking Lander data. The average solar insolation at Mars is 590 W/sq m, which is reduced yet further by atmospheric dust. Of major concern are dust storms, which have been observed to occur on local as well as on global scales, and their effect on solar array output. While atmospheric opacity may rise to values ranging from 3 to 9, depending on storm severity, there is still an appreciable large diffuse illumination, even at high opacities, so that photovoltaic operation is still possible. If the power system is to continue to generate power even on high-optical-opacity (i.e., dusty atmosphere) days, it is important that the photovoltaic system be designed to collect diffuse irradiance as well as direct. Energy storage will be required for operation during the night. Temperature and wind provide additional considerations for array design.

Highly integrated system solutions for air conditioning.

PubMed

Bartz, Horst

2002-08-01

Starting with the air handling unit, new features concerning energy efficient air treatment in combination with optimisation of required space were presented. Strategic concepts for the supply of one or more operating suites with a modular based air handling system were discussed. The operating theatre ceiling itself, as a major part of the whole integrated system, is no longer a simple air outlet: additional functions have been added in so-called media-bridges, so that it has changed towards a medical apparatus serving as a daily tool for the physicians and the operating staff. Last and not least, the servicing of the whole system has become an integral part of the facility management with remote access to the main functions and controls. The results are understood to be the basis for a discussion with specialists from medical and hygienic disciplines as well as with technically orientated people representing the hospital and building-engineering.

The ATLAS PanDA Pilot in Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, P.; Caballero, J.; De, K.; Maeno, T.; Stradling, A.; Wenaus, T.; ATLAS Collaboration

2011-12-01

The Production and Distributed Analysis system (PanDA) [1-2] was designed to meet ATLAS [3] requirements for a data-driven workload management system capable of operating at LHC data processing scale. Submitted jobs are executed on worker nodes by pilot jobs sent to the grid sites by pilot factories. This paper provides an overview of the PanDA pilot [4] system and presents major features added in light of recent operational experience, including multi-job processing, advanced job recovery for jobs with output storage failures, gLExec [5-6] based identity switching from the generic pilot to the actual user, and other security measures. The PanDA system serves all ATLAS distributed processing and is the primary system for distributed analysis; it is currently used at over 100 sites worldwide. We analyze the performance of the pilot system in processing real LHC data on the OSG [7], EGI [8] and Nordugrid [9-10] infrastructures used by ATLAS, and describe plans for its evolution.

Design and Development of a Flight Route Modification, Logging, and Communication Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merlino, Daniel K.; Wilson, C. Logan; Carboneau, Lindsey M.; Wilder, Andrew J.; Underwood, Matthew C.

2016-01-01

There is an overwhelming desire to create and enhance communication mechanisms between entities that operate within the National Airspace System. Furthermore, airlines are always extremely interested in increasing the efficiency of their flights. An innovative system prototype was developed and tested that improves collaborative decision making without modifying existing infrastructure or operational procedures within the current Air Traffic Management System. This system enables collaboration between flight crew and airline dispatchers to share and assess optimized flight routes through an Internet connection. Using a sophisticated medium-fidelity flight simulation environment, a rapid-prototyping development, and a unified modeling language, the software was designed to ensure reliability and scalability for future growth and applications. Ensuring safety and security were primary design goals, therefore the software does not interact or interfere with major flight control or safety systems. The system prototype demonstrated an unprecedented use of in-flight Internet to facilitate effective communication with Airline Operations Centers, which may contribute to increased flight efficiency for airlines.

Using Multimodal Input for Autonomous Decision Making for Unmanned Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neilan, James H.; Cross, Charles; Rothhaar, Paul; Tran, Loc; Motter, Mark; Qualls, Garry; Trujillo, Anna; Allen, B. Danette

2016-01-01

Autonomous decision making in the presence of uncertainly is a deeply studied problem space particularly in the area of autonomous systems operations for land, air, sea, and space vehicles. Various techniques ranging from single algorithm solutions to complex ensemble classifier systems have been utilized in a research context in solving mission critical flight decisions. Realized systems on actual autonomous hardware, however, is a difficult systems integration problem, constituting a majority of applied robotics development timelines. The ability to reliably and repeatedly classify objects during a vehicles mission execution is vital for the vehicle to mitigate both static and dynamic environmental concerns such that the mission may be completed successfully and have the vehicle operate and return safely. In this paper, the Autonomy Incubator proposes and discusses an ensemble learning and recognition system planned for our autonomous framework, AEON, in selected domains, which fuse decision criteria, using prior experience on both the individual classifier layer and the ensemble layer to mitigate environmental uncertainty during operation.

AIAA/NASA International Symposium on Space Information Systems, 2nd, Pasadena, CA, Sept. 17-19, 1990, Proceedings. Vols. 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tavenner, Leslie A. (Editor)

1991-01-01

These proceedings overview major space information system projects and lessons learned from current missions. Other topics include the science information system requirements for the 1990s, an information systems design approach for major programs, the technology needs and projections, the standards for space data information systems, the artificial intelligence technology and applications, international interoperability, and spacecraft data systems and architectures advanced communications. Other topics include the software engineering technology and applications, the multimission multidiscipline information system architectures, the distributed planning and scheduling systems and operations, and the computer and information systems architectures. Paper presented include prospects for scientific data analysis systems for solar-terrestrial physics in the 1990s, the Columbus data management system, data storage technologies for the future, the German aerospace research establishment, and launching artificial intelligence in NASA ground systems.

Spacelab program's scientific benefits to mankind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craft, H. G. Jr; Marmann, R. A.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the Spacelab program's scientific accomplishments during the past 10 years, highlighting major scientific accomplishments. An overview of Spacelab systems performance, significant issues, and utilization and operations activities applicable to the space station era is presented.

Transportation Systems Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fanning, M. L.; Michelson, R. A.

1972-01-01

A methodology for the analysis of transportation systems consisting of five major interacting elements is reported. The analysis begins with the causes of travel demand: geographic, economic, and demographic characteristics as well as attitudes toward travel. Through the analysis, the interaction of these factors with the physical and economic characteristics of the transportation system is determined. The result is an evaluation of the system from the point of view of both passenger and operator. The methodology is applicable to the intraurban transit systems as well as major airlines. Applications of the technique to analysis of a PRT system and a study of intraurban air travel are given. In the discussion several unique models or techniques are mentioned: i.e., passenger preference modeling, an integrated intraurban transit model, and a series of models to perform airline analysis.

Archiving and access systems for remote sensing: Chapter 6

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faundeen, John L.; Percivall, George; Baros, Shirley; Baumann, Peter; Becker, Peter H.; Behnke, J.; Benedict, Karl; Colaiacomo, Lucio; Di, Liping; Doescher, Chris; Dominguez, J.; Edberg, Roger; Ferguson, Mark; Foreman, Stephen; Giaretta, David; Hutchison, Vivian; Ip, Alex; James, N.L.; Khalsa, Siri Jodha S.; Lazorchak, B.; Lewis, Adam; Li, Fuqin; Lymburner, Leo; Lynnes, C.S.; Martens, Matt; Melrose, Rachel; Morris, Steve; Mueller, Norman; Navale, Vivek; Navulur, Kumar; Newman, D.J.; Oliver, Simon; Purss, Matthew; Ramapriyan, H.K.; Rew, Russ; Rosen, Michael; Savickas, John; Sixsmith, Joshua; Sohre, Tom; Thau, David; Uhlir, Paul; Wang, Lan-Wei; Young, Jeff

2016-01-01

Focuses on major developments inaugurated by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, the Group on Earth Observations System of Systems, and the International Council for Science World Data System at the global level; initiatives at national levels to create data centers (e.g. the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Distributed Active Archive Centers and other international space agency counterparts), and non-government systems (e.g. Center for International Earth Science Information Network). Other major elements focus on emerging tool sets, requirements for metadata, data storage and refresh methods, the rise of cloud computing, and questions about what and how much data should be saved. The sub-sections of the chapter address topics relevant to the science, engineering and standards used for state-of-the-art operational and experimental systems.

SSTO rockets. A practical possibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bekey, Ivan

1994-01-01

Most experts agree that single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) rockets would become feasible if more advanced technologies were available to reduce the vehicle dry weight, increase propulsion system performance, or both. However, these technologies are usually judged to be very ambitious and very far off. This notion persists despite major advances in technology and vehicle design in the past decade. There appears to be four major misperceptions about SSTOs, regarding their mass fraction, their presumed inadequate performance margin, their supposedly small payloads, and their extreme sensitivity to unanticipated vehicle weight growth. These misperceptions can be dispelled for SSTO rockets using advanced technologies that could be matured and demonstrated in the near term. These include a graphite-composite primary structure, graphite-composite and Al-Li propellant tanks with integral reusable thermal protection, long-life tripropellant or LOX-hydrogen engines, and several technologies related to operational effectiveness, including vehicle health monitoring, autonomous avionics/flight control, and operable launch and ground handling systems.

SSTO rockets. A practical possibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekey, Ivan

1994-07-01

Most experts agree that single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) rockets would become feasible if more advanced technologies were available to reduce the vehicle dry weight, increase propulsion system performance, or both. However, these technologies are usually judged to be very ambitious and very far off. This notion persists despite major advances in technology and vehicle design in the past decade. There appears to be four major misperceptions about SSTOs, regarding their mass fraction, their presumed inadequate performance margin, their supposedly small payloads, and their extreme sensitivity to unanticipated vehicle weight growth. These misperceptions can be dispelled for SSTO rockets using advanced technologies that could be matured and demonstrated in the near term. These include a graphite-composite primary structure, graphite-composite and Al-Li propellant tanks with integral reusable thermal protection, long-life tripropellant or LOX-hydrogen engines, and several technologies related to operational effectiveness, including vehicle health monitoring, autonomous avionics/flight control, and operable launch and ground handling systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erol, V.; Netas Telecommunication Inc., Istanbul

Entanglement has been studied extensively for understanding the mysteries of non-classical correlations between quantum systems. In the bipartite case, there are well known monotones for quantifying entanglement such as concurrence, relative entropy of entanglement (REE) and negativity, which cannot be increased via local operations. The study on these monotones has been a hot topic in quantum information [1-7] in order to understand the role of entanglement in this discipline. It can be observed that from any arbitrary quantum pure state a mixed state can obtained. A natural generalization of this observation would be to consider local operations classical communication (LOCC)more » transformations between general pure states of two parties. Although this question is a little more difficult, a complete solution has been developed using the mathematical framework of the majorization theory [8]. In this work, we analyze the relation between entanglement monotones concurrence and negativity with respect to majorization for general two-level quantum systems of two particles.« less

Emerging Definition of Next-Generation of Aeronautical Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerczewski, Robert J.

2006-01-01

Aviation continues to experience rapid growth. In regions such as the United States and Europe air traffic congestion is constraining operations, leading to major new efforts to develop methodologies and infrastructures to enable continued aviation growth through transformational air traffic management systems. Such a transformation requires better communications linking airborne and ground-based elements. Technologies for next-generation communications, the required capacities, frequency spectrum of operation, network interconnectivity, and global interoperability are now receiving increased attention. A number of major planning and development efforts have taken place or are in process now to define the transformed airspace of the future. These activities include government and industry led efforts in the United States and Europe, and by international organizations. This paper will review the features, approaches, and activities of several representative planning and development efforts, and identify the emerging global consensus on requirements of next generation aeronautical communications systems for air traffic control.

Intelligent command and control systems for satellite ground operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, Christine M.

1994-01-01

The Georgia Tech portion of the Intelligent Control Center project includes several complementary activities. Two major activities entail thesis level research; the other activities are either support activities or preliminary explorations (e.g., task analyses) to support the research. The first research activity is the development of principles for the design of active interfaces to support monitoring during real-time supports. It is well known that as the operator's task becomes less active, i.e., more monitoring and less active control, there is concern that the operator will be less involved and less able to rapidly identify anomalous or failure situations. The research project to design active monitoring interfaces is an attempt to remediate this undesirable side-effect of increasingly automated control systems that still depend ultimately on operator supervision. The second research activity is the exploration of the use of case-based reasoning as a way to accumulate operator experience and make it available in computational form.

An integrated earthquake early warning system and its performance at schools in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bing-Ru; Hsiao, Nai-Chi; Lin, Pei-Yang; Hsu, Ting-Yu; Chen, Chiou-Yun; Huang, Shieh-Kung; Chiang, Hung-Wei

2017-01-01

An earthquake early warning (EEW) system with integration of regional and onsite approaches was installed at nine demonstration stations in several districts of Taiwan for taking advantages of both approaches. The system performance was evaluated by a 3-year experiment at schools, which experienced five major earthquakes during this period. The blind zone of warning was effectively reduced by the integrated EEW system. The predicted intensities from EEW demonstration stations showed acceptable accuracy compared to field observations. The operation experience from an earthquake event proved that students could calmly carry out correct action before the seismic wave arrived using some warning time provided by the EEW system. Through successful operation in practice, the integrated EEW system was verified as an effective tool for disaster prevention at schools.

Managing NASA's International Space Station Logistics and Maintenance Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butina, Anthony

2001-01-01

The International Space Station's Logistics and Maintenance program has had to develop new technologies and a management approach for both space and ground operations. The ISS will be a permanently manned orbiting vehicle that has no landing gear, no international borders, and no organizational lines - it is one Station that must be supported by one crew, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It flies partially assembled for a number of years before it is finally completed in 2006. It has over 6,000 orbital replaceable units (ORU), and spare parts which number into the hundreds of thousands, from 127 major US vendors and 70 major international vendors. From conception to operation, the ISS requires a unique approach in all aspects of development and operations. Today the dream is coming true; hardware is flying and hardware is failing. The system has been put into place to support the Station for both space and ground operations. It started with the basic support concept developed for Department of Defense systems, and then it was tailored for the unique requirements of a manned space vehicle. Space logistics is a new concept that has wide reaching consequences for both space travel and life on Earth. This paper discusses what type of organization has been put into place to support both space and ground operations and discusses each element of that organization. In addition, some of the unique operations approaches this organization has had to develop is discussed.

The use of navigation (BrainLAB Vector vision(2)) and intraoperative 3D imaging system (Siemens Arcadis Orbic 3D) in the treatment of gunshot wounds of the maxillofacial region.

PubMed

Gröbe, Alexander; Weber, Christoph; Schmelzle, Rainer; Heiland, Max; Klatt, Jan; Pohlenz, Philipp

2009-09-01

Gunshot wounds are a rare occurrence during times of peace. The removal of projectiles is recommended; in some cases, however, this is a controversy. The reproduction of a projectile image can be difficult if it is not adjacent to an anatomical landmark. Therefore, navigation systems give the surgeon continuous real-time orientation intraoperatively. The aim of this study was to report our experiences for image-guided removal of projectiles and the resulting intra- and postoperative complications. We investigated 50 patients retrospectively; 32 had image-guided surgical removal of projectiles in the oral and maxillofacial region. Eighteen had surgical removal of projectiles without navigation assistance. There was a significant correlation (p = 0.0136) between the navigated surgery vs. not-navigated surgery and complication rate, including major bleeding (n = 4 vs. n = 1, 8% vs. 2%), soft tissue infections (n = 7 vs. n = 2, 14% vs. 4%), and nerval damage (n = 2 vs. n = 0, 4% vs. 0%; p = 0.038) and between the operating time and postoperative complications. A high tendency between operating time and navigated surgery (p = 0.1103) was shown. When using navigation system, we could reduce operating time. In conclusion, there is a significant correlation between reduced intra- and postoperative complications, including wound infections, nerval damage, and major bleeding, and the appropriate use of a navigation system. In all these cases, we could present reduced operating time. Cone-beam computed tomography plays an important role in detecting projectiles or metallic foreign bodies intraoperatively.

OOD/OOP experience in the Science Operations Center part of the ground system for X ray Timing Explorer mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhary, Abdur Rahim

1994-01-01

The Science Operations Center (SOC) for the X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) mission is an important component of the XTE ground system. Its mandate includes: (1) command and telemetry for the three XTE instruments, using CCSDS standards; (2) monitoring of the real-time science operations, reconfiguration of the experiment and the instruments, and real-time commanding to address the targets of opportunity (TOO) and alternate observations; and (3) analysis, processing, and archival of the XTE telemetry, and the timely delivery of the data products to the principal investigator (PI) teams and the guest observers (GO). The SOC has two major components: the science operations facility (SOF) that addresses the first two objectives stated above and the guest observer facility (GOF) that addresses the third. The SOF has subscribed to the object oriented design and implementation; while the GOF uses the traditional approach in order to take advantage of the existing software developed in support of previous missions. This paper details the SOF development using the object oriented design (OOD), and its implementation using the object oriented programming (OOP) in C++ under Unix environment on client-server architecture using Sun workstations. It also illustrates how the object oriented (OO) and the traditional approaches coexist in SOF and GOF, the lessons learned, and how the OOD facilitated the distributed software development collaboratively by four different teams. Details are presented for the SOF system, its major subsystems, its interfaces with the rest of the XTE ground data system, and its design and implementation approaches.

Surveillance for unattended gas compressor stations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stastny, F.J.

1974-06-01

Surveillance devices in unattended compressor stations include those which detect trespassing by unauthorized personnel and those which protect the major operating equipment from damage and/or self-destruction. The latter monitor the critical operating parameters of major equipment and shut down the equipment when these parameters are exceeded; a table presents a function monitor and control list for such devices. Detection and apprehension of unauthorized personnel is a subject of increasing importance to guarantee station operability for reliable service and yet minimize staff personnel. An effective intrusion-detection system must (1) pinpoint the location and indicate the nature of the intrusion and (2)more » detect and respond rapidly to give security personnel a reasonable probability of apprehending or deterring the intruder before damage is done. The 2nd requirement is most difficult to satisfy when the facility is in a remote location, as is usually the case. Some of the parameters to consider in selecting an intrusion-detection system include concealment, legality, active vs. passive detector, back-up power, weather conditions, reliability, maintenance, discrimination, and compromising by intruders. Types of detectors include photo cell, infrared and radio frequency, audio,vibration, taut wire, circuit continuity, radar, and closed-circuit TV. The numerous types of devices and systems available provide sufficient diversity to enable a company to select a single device or a hybrid system which would incorporate several different devices for protecting unattended facilities.« less

The hospital financing system of the Federal Republic of Germany.

PubMed

Leidl, R

1983-10-01

This paper deals with the present hospital financing system of the Federal Republic of Germany. The structure of the financing system is treated as well as the actual financing process, and, as far as possible, both are also quantitatively described. The first section contains a description of the structure, and is concerned with the major institutions participating in the hospital financing system:--the hospitals are described according to ownership, number of beds, specialization, personnel, regional distribution and utilization;--the health insurance system is illustrated by the two major institutions, i.e. statutory and private health insurance agencies, and its effect on hospital financing is explained;--the regulation of the hospital financing system by the federal political system is discussed;--finally, the major economic functions of the institutions involved are summarized; the interrelations of hospital care and the ambulatory sector are also mentioned. The second section contains a detailed description of the actual financing process, which can be classified according to the sections of financing:--the basic system of the German hospital financing law is introduced;--in the section on investment costs, public grants and their allocation, which are closely related to hospital planning, are discussed;--in the section on operating costs, full cost reimbursement as the basic principle, the structure of costs, the elements and the mechanism of operating cost financing, the actual prices, the financing of private patients' care and special services are described;--a short view of accounting balances, i.e. the differences between costs and financing of hospital services which result in profits or deficits, is given. A few considerations on the evaluation of the financing system conclude the paper.

Portsmouth physiological and operative severity score for the Enumeration of Mortality and morbidity scoring system in general surgical practice and identifying risk factors for poor outcome

PubMed Central

Tyagi, Ashish; Nagpal, Nitin; Sidhu, D. S.; Singh, Amandeep; Tyagi, Anjali

2017-01-01

Background: Estimation of the outcome is paramount in disease stratification and subsequent management in severely ill surgical patients. Risk scoring helps us quantify the prospects of adverse outcome in a patient. Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (P-POSSUM) the world over has proved itself as a worthy scoring system and the present study was done to evaluate the feasibility of P-POSSUM as a risk scoring system as a tool in efficacious prediction of mortality and morbidity in our demographic profile. Materials and Methods: Validity of P-POSSUM was assessed prospectively in fifty major general surgeries performed at our hospital from May 2011 to October 2012. Data were collected to obtain P-POSSUM score, and statistical analysis was performed. Results: Majority (72%) of patients was male and mean age was 40.24 ± 18.6 years. Seventy-eight percentage procedures were emergency laparotomies commonly performed for perforation peritonitis. Mean physiological score was 17.56 ± 7.6, and operative score was 17.76 ± 4.5 (total score = 35.3 ± 10.4). The ratio of observed to expected mortality rate was 0.86 and morbidity rate was 0.78. Discussion: P-POSSUM accurately predicted both mortality and morbidity in patients who underwent major surgical procedures in our setup. Thus, it helped us in identifying patients who required preferential attention and aggressive management. Widespread application of this tool can result in better distribution of care among high-risk surgical patients. PMID:28250670

Protecting Patients from an Unsafe System: The Etiology & Recovery of Intra-Operative Deviations in Care

PubMed Central

Hu, Yue-Yung; Arriaga, Alexander F.; Roth, Emilie M.; Peyre, Sarah E.; Corso, Katherine A.; Swanson, Richard S.; Osteen, Robert T.; Schmitt, Pamela; Bader, Angela M.; Zinner, Michael J.; Greenberg, Caprice C.

2012-01-01

Objective To understand the etiology and resolution of unanticipated events in the operating room (OR). Background The majority of surgical adverse events occur intra-operatively. The OR represents a complex, high-risk system. The influence of different human, team, and organizational/environmental factors on safety and performance is unknown. Methods We video-recorded and transcribed 10 high-acuity operations, representing 43.7 hours of patient care. Deviations, defined as delays and/or episodes of decreased patient safety, were identified by majority consensus of a multidisciplinary team. Factors that contributed to each event and/or mitigated its impact were determined and attributed to the patient, providers, or environment/organization. Results Thirty-three deviations (10 delays, 17 safety compromises, 6 both) occurred – with a mean of one every 79.4 minutes. These deviations were multifactorial (mean 3.1 factors). Problems with communication and organizational structure appeared repeatedly at the root of both types of deviations. Delays tended to be resolved with vigilance, communication, coordination, and cooperation, while mediation of safety compromises was most frequently accomplished with vigilance, leadership, communication, and/or coordination. The organization/environment was not found to play a direct role in compensation. Conclusions Unanticipated events are common in the OR. Deviations result from poor organizational/environmental design and suboptimal team dynamics, with caregivers compensating to avoid patient harm. While recognized in other high risk domains, such human resilience has not yet been described in surgery and has major implications for the design of safety interventions. PMID:22750753

Informatics in radiology (infoRAD): A complete continuous-availability PACS archive server.

PubMed

Liu, Brent J; Huang, H K; Cao, Fei; Zhou, Michael Z; Zhang, Jianguo; Mogel, Greg

2004-01-01

The operational reliability of the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) server in a filmless hospital environment is always a major concern because server failure could cripple the entire PACS operation. A simple, low-cost, continuous-availability (CA) PACS archive server was designed and developed. The server makes use of a triple modular redundancy (TMR) system with a simple majority voting logic that automatically identifies a faulty module and removes it from service. The remaining two modules continue normal operation with no adverse effects on data flow or system performance. In addition, the server is integrated with two external mass storage devices for short- and long-term storage. Evaluation and testing of the server were conducted with laboratory experiments in which hardware failures were simulated to observe recovery time and the resumption of normal data flow. The server provides maximum uptime (99.999%) for end users while ensuring the transactional integrity of all clinical PACS data. Hardware failure has only minimal impact on performance, with no interruption of clinical data flow or loss of data. As hospital PACS become more widespread, the need for CA PACS solutions will increase. A TMR CA PACS archive server can reliably help achieve CA in this setting. Copyright RSNA, 2004

Is the Grading of Liver Injuries a Useful Clinical Tool in the Initial Management of Blunt Trauma Patients?

PubMed

Helling, Thomas S; Ward, Michael R; Balon, Jennifer

2009-04-01

Computed tomography (CT) has become the preferred method for evaluation of the abdomen for victims of blunt trauma. Grading of liver injuries, primarily by CT, has been advocated as a measure of severity and, by implication, the likelihood for intervention or complications. We have sought to determine if grading of liver injuries, as a clinical tool, affects immediate or extended management of patients. We have retrospectively reviewed all patients sustaining blunt liver injuries as diagnosed by CT over a five-year period at a Level I trauma center to determine if grading of injury influenced management. The AAST organ scaling system was utilized (major grade 4-5, minor grade 1-3), as well as the ISS, AIS, mortality, morbidity, and treatment. There were 133 patients available for review. The patients were grouped into major (n = 20) and minor (n = 113) liver injuries and operative (n = 12) and nonoperative (n = 121) management. Major liver injuries had a higher ISS (39 + 13 vs. 27 + 15, p = 0.001) and were more likely to require operative intervention (5/20 vs. 7/113, p = 0.02). Mortality in this group was not different (major vs. minor), and there were no differences in the incidence of complications. Twelve patients (9%) required operation, all for hemodynamic instability, all within 24 h, and 11/12 within 6 h. At operation 8/12 patients had other sources of bleeding beside the liver injury, and 7/12 had minor hepatic injuries. The operative patients had higher ISS and AIS scores (head/neck, chest, abdomen, extremities) than those managed nonoperatively. More patients died in the operative group (6/12 vs. 8/121, p = 0.0003). There were more pulmonary (6/12 vs. 16/121, p = 0.005), cardiovascular (6/12 vs. 19/121, p = 0.01), and infectious (5/12 vs. 20/121, p = 0.049) complications in the operative group. There were 14 deaths overall; 13/14 were due to traumatic brain injury, and 8/14 required urgent operation for hemorrhage. In conclusion, grading of liver injuries does not seem to influence immediate management. Physiologic behavior dictated management and need for operative intervention, as well as prognosis. However, both major hepatic injuries and need for early operation reflected overall severity and the possibility of associated injuries.

40 CFR 63.7082 - What parts of my plant does this subpart cover?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... CATEGORIES (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Lime Manufacturing Plants... applies to each existing or new lime kiln(s) and their associated cooler(s), and processed stone handling (PSH) operations system(s) located at an LMP that is a major source. (b) A new lime kiln is a lime kiln...

Airborne multispectral data collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasell, P. G., Jr.

1974-01-01

Multispectral mapping accomplishments using the M7 airborne scanner are summarized. The M7 system is described and overall results of specific data collection flight operations since June 1971 are reviewed. A major advantage of the M7 system is that all spectral bands of the scanner are in common spatial registration, whereas in the M5 they were not.

State involvement in and use of LANDSAT technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tessar, P. A.

1981-01-01

The background of state involvement in LANDSAT systems planning and the status of state LANDSAT use are reviewed. Major recommendations on data continuity; frequency and pattern of observation; state representation in program management; pointable sensors for a fully operational system; data processing systems; data pricing; data copyright; data archival; and technology transfer are highlighted. Plans of the government regarding the LANDSAT system are reflected in the FY-1982 budget process are examined.

Process computerization of No. 13 blast furnace at Gary works

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sherman, G.J.; Zmierski, M.L.; Hyle, F.W.

1993-10-01

No. 13 blast furnace underwent extensive modifications to the process control system during the second reline. This represents a major shift in control philosophy from hardwired relays and analog controllers to a totally integrated computer control system. The new system created the opportunity for comprehensive diagnostic analysis and increased flexibility for control strategy modifications. The goal of achieving maximum production with minimal delay was accomplished by an integrated test, and comprehensive operator and maintenance training. Normal production was reached within four days of blow-ink and design production capacity of 7800 NTHM/day was met in the third month of operation. Recordmore » furnace productivity of 8931 NTHM/day (8.56 NTHM/100 crwv) was achieved in less than five months of operation and again in April 1992 of 9062 NTHM/day (8.68 NTHM/100 cfwv).« less

Feasibility of a responsive, hybrid propulsion augmented, Vertical-Takeoff-and-Landing, Single-Stage-to-Orbit launch system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelaccio, Dennis G.

1996-03-01

A novel, reusable, Vertical-Takeoff-and-Landing, Single-Stage-to-Orbit (VTOL/SSTO) launch system concept, named HYP-SSTO, is presented in this paper. This launch vehicle system concept uses a highly coupled, main high performance liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen (LOX/LH2) propulsion system, that is used only for launch, with a hybrid auxiliary propulsion system which is used during final orbit insertion, major orbit maneuvering, and landing propulsive burn phases of flight. By using a hybrid propulsion system for major orbit maneuver burns and landing, this launch system concept has many advantages over conventional VTOL/SSTO concepts that use LOX/LH2 propulsion system(s) burns for all phases of flight. Because hybrid propulsion systems are relatively simple and inert by their nature, this concept has the potential to support short turnaround times between launches, be economical to develop, and be competitive in terms of overall system life-cycle cost. This paper provides a technical description of the novel, reusable HYP-SSTO launch system concept. Launch capability performance, as well as major design and operational system attributes, are identified and discussed.

Energy Efficient Group Context Aware Sensor Management Strategy for Tactical Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Statistics 23 a. Operation Tomodachi The first several hours after a major disaster constitute a period of confusion and uncertainty. Limited...crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station when the damaged facility suffered “cooling system failures, fires, and explosions” that led to a...Rescue Department). 30 Matthew M. Burke, “Lawsuit expands over radiation exposure during Fukushima disaster ,” Stars and Stripes, http://www.stripes.com

Advanced information processing system: Local system services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burkhardt, Laura; Alger, Linda; Whittredge, Roy; Stasiowski, Peter

1989-01-01

The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) is a multi-computer architecture composed of hardware and software building blocks that can be configured to meet a broad range of application requirements. The hardware building blocks are fault-tolerant, general-purpose computers, fault-and damage-tolerant networks (both computer and input/output), and interfaces between the networks and the computers. The software building blocks are the major software functions: local system services, input/output, system services, inter-computer system services, and the system manager. The foundation of the local system services is an operating system with the functions required for a traditional real-time multi-tasking computer, such as task scheduling, inter-task communication, memory management, interrupt handling, and time maintenance. Resting on this foundation are the redundancy management functions necessary in a redundant computer and the status reporting functions required for an operator interface. The functional requirements, functional design and detailed specifications for all the local system services are documented.

SNS Central Helium Liquefier spare Carbon Bed installation and commissioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeGraff, B.; Howell, M.; Kim, S.; Neustadt, T.

2017-12-01

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Central Helium Liquefier (CHL) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been without major operations downtime since operations were started back in 2006. This system utilizes a vessel filled with activated carbon as the final major component to remove oil vapor from the compressed helium circuit prior to insertion into the system’s cryogenic cold box. The need for a spare carbon bed at SNS due to the variability of carbon media lifetime calculation to adsorption efficiency will be discussed. The fabrication, installation and commissioning of this spare carbon vessel will be presented. The novel plan for connecting the spare carbon vessel piping to the existing infrastructure will be presented.

Real time data acquisition for expert systems in Unix workstations at Space Shuttle Mission Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muratore, John F.; Heindel, Troy A.; Murphy, Terri B.; Rasmussen, Arthur N.; Gnabasik, Mark; Mcfarland, Robert Z.; Bailey, Samuel A.

1990-01-01

A distributed system of proprietary engineering-class workstations is incorporated into NASA's Space Shuttle Mission-Control Center to increase the automation of mission control. The Real-Time Data System (RTDS) allows the operator to utilize expert knowledge in the display program for system modeling and evaluation. RTDS applications are reviewed including: (1) telemetry-animated communications schematics; (2) workstation displays of systems such as the Space Shuttle remote manipulator; and (3) a workstation emulation of shuttle flight instrumentation. The hard and soft real-time constraints are described including computer data acquisition, and the support techniques for the real-time expert systems include major frame buffers for logging and distribution as well as noise filtering. The incorporation of the workstations allows smaller programming teams to implement real-time telemetry systems that can improve operations and flight testing.

U.S. Space Shuttle GPS navigation capability for all mission phases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kachmar, Peter; Chu, William; Montez, Moises

1993-01-01

Incorporating a GPS capability on the Space Shuttle presented unique system integration design considerations and has led to an integration concept that has minimum impact on the existing Shuttle hardware and software systems. This paper presents the Space Shuttle GPS integrated design and the concepts used in implementing this GPS capability. The major focus of the paper is on the modifications that will be made to the navigation systems in the Space Shuttle General Purpose Computers (GPC) and on the Operational Requirements of the integrated GPS/GPC system. Shuttle navigation system architecture, functions and operations are discussed for the current system and with the GPS integrated navigation capability. The GPS system integration design presented in this paper has been formally submitted to the Shuttle Avionics Software Control Board for implementation in the on-board GPC software.

SSBRP User Operations Facility (UOF) Overview and Development Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Picinich, Lou; Stone, Thom; Sun, Charles; Windrem, May; Givens, John J. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

This paper will present the Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP) User Operations Facility (UOF) architecture and development strategy. A major element of the UOF at NASA Ames Research Center, the Communication and Data System (CDS) will be the primary focus of the discussions. CDS operational, telescience, security, and development objectives will be discussed along with CDS implementation strategy. The implementation strategy discussions will include: Object Oriented Analysis & Design, System & Software Prototyping, and Technology Utilization. A CDS design overview that includes: CDS Context Diagram, CDS Architecture, Object Models, Use Cases, and User Interfaces will also be presented. CDS development brings together "cutting edge" technologies and techniques such as: object oriented development, network security, multimedia networking, web-based data distribution, JAVA, and graphical user interfaces. Use of these "cutting edge" technologies and techniques translates directly to lower development and operations costs.

Method for Controlling Space Transportation System Life Cycle Costs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCleskey, Carey M.; Bartine, David E.

2006-01-01

A structured, disciplined methodology is required to control major cost-influencing metrics of space transportation systems during design and continuing through the test and operations phases. This paper proposes controlling key space system design metrics that specifically influence life cycle costs. These are inclusive of flight and ground operations, test, and manufacturing and infrastructure. The proposed technique builds on today's configuration and mass properties control techniques and takes on all the characteristics of a classical control system. While the paper does not lay out a complete math model, key elements of the proposed methodology are explored and explained with both historical and contemporary examples. Finally, the paper encourages modular design approaches and technology investments compatible with the proposed method.

Orbital Spacecraft Consumables Resupply System (OSCRS). Volume 4: Extended study results Part 1: Executive Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The objectives consisted of three major tasks. The first was to establish the definition of Space Station and Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) user requirements and interfaces and to evaluate system requirements of a water tanker to be used at the station. The second task is to conduct trade studies of system requirements, hardware/software, and operations to evaluate the effect of automatic operation at the station or remote from the station in consonance with the OMV. The last task is to evaluate automatic refueling concepts and to evaluate the impact to Orbital Spacecraft Consumable Resupply System (OSCRS) concept/design to use expendable launch vehicles (ELV) to place the tank into orbit. Progress in each area is discussed.

Present capabilities and future requirements for computer-aided geometric modeling in the design and manufacture of gas turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caille, E.; Propen, M.; Hoffman, A.

1984-01-01

Gas turbine engine design requires the ability to rapidly develop complex structures which are subject to severe thermal and mechanical operating loads. As in all facets of the aerospace industry, engine designs are constantly driving towards increased performance, higher temperatures, higher speeds, and lower weight. The ability to address such requirements in a relatively short time frame has resulted in a major thrust towards integrated design/analysis/manufacturing systems. These computer driven graphics systems represent a unique challenge, with major payback opportunities if properly conceived, implemented, and applied.

The determination of operational and support requirements and costs during the conceptual design of space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebeling, Charles; Beasley, Kenneth D.

1992-01-01

The first year of research to provide NASA support in predicting operational and support parameters and costs of proposed space systems is reported. Some of the specific research objectives were (1) to develop a methodology for deriving reliability and maintainability parameters and, based upon their estimates, determine the operational capability and support costs, and (2) to identify data sources and establish an initial data base to implement the methodology. Implementation of the methodology is accomplished through the development of a comprehensive computer model. While the model appears to work reasonably well when applied to aircraft systems, it was not accurate when used for space systems. The model is dynamic and should be updated as new data become available. It is particularly important to integrate the current aircraft data base with data obtained from the Space Shuttle and other space systems since subsystems unique to a space vehicle require data not available from aircraft. This research only addressed the major subsystems on the vehicle.

Alternative Architectures for Distributed Cooperative Problem-Solving in the National Airspace System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Phillip J.; Billings, Charles; McCoy, C. Elaine; Orasanu, Judith

1999-01-01

The air traffic management system in the United States is an example of a distributed problem solving system. It has elements of both cooperative and competitive problem-solving. This system includes complex organizations such as Airline Operations Centers (AOCs), the FAA Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center (ATCSCC), and traffic management units (TMUs) at enroute centers and TRACONs, all of which have a major focus on strategic decision-making. It also includes individuals concerned more with tactical decisions (such as air traffic controllers and pilots). The architecture for this system has evolved over time to rely heavily on the distribution of tasks and control authority in order to keep cognitive complexity manageable for any one individual operator, and to provide redundancy (both human and technological) to serve as a safety net to catch the slips or mistakes that any one person or entity might make. Currently, major changes are being considered for this architecture, especially with respect to the locus of control, in an effort to improve efficiency and safety. This paper uses a series of case studies to help evaluate some of these changes from the perspective of system complexity, and to point out possible alternative approaches that might be taken to improve system performance. The paper illustrates the need to maintain a clear understanding of what is required to assure a high level of performance when alternative system architectures and decompositions are developed.

The Advanced Technology Operations System: ATOS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufeler, J.-F.; Laue, H. A.; Poulter, K.; Smith, H.

1993-01-01

Mission control systems supporting new space missions face ever-increasing requirements in terms of functionality, performance, reliability and efficiency. Modern data processing technology is providing the means to meet these requirements in new systems under development. During the past few years the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) of the European Space Agency (ESA) has carried out a number of projects to demonstrate the feasibility of using advanced software technology, in particular, knowledge based systems, to support mission operations. A number of advances must be achieved before these techniques can be moved towards operational use in future missions, namely, integration of the applications into a single system framework and generalization of the applications so that they are mission independent. In order to achieve this goal, ESA initiated the Advanced Technology Operations System (ATOS) program, which will develop the infrastructure to support advanced software technology in mission operations, and provide applications modules to initially support: Mission Preparation, Mission Planning, Computer Assisted Operations, and Advanced Training. The first phase of the ATOS program is tasked with the goal of designing and prototyping the necessary system infrastructure to support the rest of the program. The major components of the ATOS architecture is presented. This architecture relies on the concept of a Mission Information Base (MIB) as the repository for all information and knowledge which will be used by the advanced application modules in future mission control systems. The MIB is being designed to exploit the latest in database and knowledge representation technology in an open and distributed system. In conclusion the technological and implementation challenges expected to be encountered, as well as the future plans and time scale of the project, are presented.

DOEDEF Software System, Version 2. 2: Operational instructions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meirans, L.

The DOEDEF (Department of Energy Data Exchange Format) Software System is a collection of software routines written to facilitate the manipulation of IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) data. Typically, the IGES data has been produced by the IGES processors for a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) system, and the data manipulations are user-defined ''flavoring'' operations. The DOEDEF Software System is used in conjunction with the RIM (Relational Information Management) DBMS from Boeing Computer Services (Version 7, UD18 or higher). The three major pieces of the software system are: Parser, reads an ASCII IGES file and converts it to the RIM database equivalent;more » Kernel, provides the user with IGES-oriented interface routines to the database; and Filewriter, writes the RIM database to an IGES file.« less

Semantic definitions of space flight control center languages using the hierarchical graph technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaghloul, M. E.; Truszkowski, W.

1981-01-01

In this paper a method is described by which the semantic definitions of the Goddard Space Flight Control Center Command Languages can be specified. The semantic modeling facility used is an extension of the hierarchical graph technique, which has a major benefit of supporting a variety of data structures and a variety of control structures. It is particularly suited for the semantic descriptions of such types of languages where the detailed separation between the underlying operating system and the command language system is system dependent. These definitions were used in the definition of the Systems Test and Operation Language (STOL) of the Goddard Space Flight Center which is a command language that provides means for the user to communicate with payloads, application programs, and other ground system elements.

Advances in knowledge-based software engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truszkowski, Walt

1991-01-01

The underlying hypothesis of this work is that a rigorous and comprehensive software reuse methodology can bring about a more effective and efficient utilization of constrained resources in the development of large-scale software systems by both government and industry. It is also believed that correct use of this type of software engineering methodology can significantly contribute to the higher levels of reliability that will be required of future operational systems. An overview and discussion of current research in the development and application of two systems that support a rigorous reuse paradigm are presented: the Knowledge-Based Software Engineering Environment (KBSEE) and the Knowledge Acquisition fo the Preservation of Tradeoffs and Underlying Rationales (KAPTUR) systems. Emphasis is on a presentation of operational scenarios which highlight the major functional capabilities of the two systems.

Engineering support for magnetohydrodynamic power plant analysis and design studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, A. W.; Chait, I. L.; Marchmont, G.; Rogali, R.; Shikar, D.

1980-01-01

The major factors which influence the economic engineering selection of stack inlet temperatures in combined cycle MHD powerplants are identified and the range of suitable stack inlet temperatures under typical operating conditions is indicated. Engineering data and cost estimates are provided for four separately fired high temperature air heater (HTAH) system designs for HTAH system thermal capacity levels of 100, 250, 500 and 1000 MWt. An engineering survey of coal drying and pulverizing equipment for MHD powerplant application is presented as well as capital and operating cost estimates for varying degrees of coal pulverization.

Cryo Tank Fill at Pad 39B

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-26

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, arrives at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to observe the first major tanking operation of liquid oxygen, or LO2, into the giant storage sphere at the northwest corner of the pad to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During the operation, several Praxair trucks will slowly offload LO2 to gradually chill down the sphere from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.

Space shuttle main engine controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattox, R. M.; White, J. B.

1981-01-01

A technical description of the space shuttle main engine controller, which provides engine checkout prior to launch, engine control and monitoring during launch, and engine safety and monitoring in orbit, is presented. Each of the major controller subassemblies, the central processing unit, the computer interface electronics, the input electronics, the output electronics, and the power supplies are described and discussed in detail along with engine and orbiter interfaces and operational requirements. The controller represents a unique application of digital concepts, techniques, and technology in monitoring, managing, and controlling a high performance rocket engine propulsion system. The operational requirements placed on the controller, the extremely harsh operating environment to which it is exposed, and the reliability demanded, result in the most complex and rugged digital system ever designed, fabricated, and flown.

Low thrust rocket test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arrington, Lynn A.; Schneider, Steven J.

1990-01-01

A low thrust chemical rocket test facility has recently become operational at the NASA-Lewis. The new facility is used to conduct both long duration and performance tests at altitude over a thruster's operating envelope using hydrogen and oxygen gas for propellants. The facility provides experimental support for a broad range of objectives, including fundamental modeling of fluids and combustion phenomena, the evaluation of thruster components, and life testing of full rocket designs. The major mechanical and electrical systems are described along with aspects of the various optical diagnostics available in the test cell. The electrical and mechanical systems are designed for low down time between tests and low staffing requirements for test operations. Initial results are also presented which illustrate the various capabilities of the cell.

Bench Scale Process for Low Cost CO 2 Capture Using a Phase-Changing Absorbent: Final Scientific/Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Westendorf, Tiffany; Buddle, Stanlee; Caraher, Joel

The objective of this project is to design and build a bench-scale process for a novel phase-changing aminosilicone-based CO 2-capture solvent. The project will establish scalability and technical and economic feasibility of using a phase-changing CO 2-capture absorbent for post-combustion capture of CO 2 from coal-fired power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy’s goal for Transformational Carbon Capture Technologies is the development of technologies available for demonstration by 2025 that can capture 90% of emitted CO 2 with at least 95% CO 2 purity for less than $40/tonne of CO 2 captured. In the first budget period of the project,more » the bench-scale phase-changing CO2 capture process was designed using data and operating experience generated under a previous project (ARPA-e project DE-AR0000084). Sizing and specification of all major unit operations was completed, including detailed process and instrumentation diagrams. The system was designed to operate over a wide range of operating conditions to allow for exploration of the effect of process variables on CO 2 capture performance. In the second budget period of the project, individual bench-scale unit operations were tested to determine the performance of each of each unit. Solids production was demonstrated in dry simulated flue gas across a wide range of absorber operating conditions, with single stage CO 2 conversion rates up to 75mol%. Desorber operation was demonstrated in batch mode, resulting in desorption performance consistent with the equilibrium isotherms for GAP-0/CO 2 reaction. Important risks associated with gas humidity impact on solids consistency and desorber temperature impact on thermal degradation were explored, and adjustments to the bench-scale process were made to address those effects. Corrosion experiments were conducted to support selection of suitable materials of construction for the major unit operations in the process. The bench scale unit operations were assembled into a continuous system to support steady state system testing. In the third budget period of the project, continuous system testing was conducted, including closed-loop operation of the absorber and desober systems. Slurries of GAP-0/GAP-0 carbamate/water mixtures produced in the absorber were pumped successfully to the desorber unit, and regenerated solvent was returned to the absorber. A techno-economic analysis, EH&S risk assessment, and solvent manufacturability study were completed.« less

New software system to improve AGU membership management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEntee, Chris

2012-06-01

Almost 2 years ago, AGU began investigating how it could more efficiently manage member and customer records as well as support processes that currently run on multiple systems. I am pleased to announce that on 25 June, as the result of intense efforts, AGU will migrate to a new database software system that will house the majority of AGU operations. AGU staff will have more tools at their disposal to assist members, and members will have more intuitive and user-friendly options when using the online interface to update their profiles or make purchases. I am particularly excited about this major improvement to our infrastructure because it better positions AGU to achieve goals in its strategic plan.

Data mining of space heating system performance in affordable housing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ren, Xiaoxin; Yan, Da; Hong, Tianzhen

The space heating in residential buildings accounts for a considerable amount of the primary energy use. Therefore, understanding the operation and performance of space heating systems becomes crucial in improving occupant comfort while reducing energy use. This study investigated the behavior of occupants adjusting their thermostat settings and heating system operations in a 62-unit affordable housing complex in Revere, Massachusetts, USA. The data mining methods, including clustering approach and decision trees, were used to ascertain occupant behavior patterns. Data tabulating ON/OFF space heating states was assessed, to provide a better understanding of the intermittent operation of space heating systems inmore » terms of system cycling frequency and the duration of each operation. The decision tree was used to verify the link between room temperature settings, house and heating system characteristics and the heating energy use. The results suggest that the majority of apartments show fairly constant room temperature profiles with limited variations during a day or between weekday and weekend. Data clustering results revealed six typical patterns of room temperature profiles during the heating season. Space heating systems cycled more frequently than anticipated due to a tight range of room thermostat settings and potentially oversized heating capacities. In conclusion, from this study affirm data mining techniques are an effective method to analyze large datasets and extract hidden patterns to inform design and improve operations.« less

Data mining of space heating system performance in affordable housing

DOE PAGES

Ren, Xiaoxin; Yan, Da; Hong, Tianzhen

2015-02-16

The space heating in residential buildings accounts for a considerable amount of the primary energy use. Therefore, understanding the operation and performance of space heating systems becomes crucial in improving occupant comfort while reducing energy use. This study investigated the behavior of occupants adjusting their thermostat settings and heating system operations in a 62-unit affordable housing complex in Revere, Massachusetts, USA. The data mining methods, including clustering approach and decision trees, were used to ascertain occupant behavior patterns. Data tabulating ON/OFF space heating states was assessed, to provide a better understanding of the intermittent operation of space heating systems inmore » terms of system cycling frequency and the duration of each operation. The decision tree was used to verify the link between room temperature settings, house and heating system characteristics and the heating energy use. The results suggest that the majority of apartments show fairly constant room temperature profiles with limited variations during a day or between weekday and weekend. Data clustering results revealed six typical patterns of room temperature profiles during the heating season. Space heating systems cycled more frequently than anticipated due to a tight range of room thermostat settings and potentially oversized heating capacities. In conclusion, from this study affirm data mining techniques are an effective method to analyze large datasets and extract hidden patterns to inform design and improve operations.« less

Role of Educational Strategies for Human Resources in Green Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimi, G.; Thurm, B.; Öberg, G.

2014-12-01

Rainwater harvesting and water reuse are receiving increasing attention as they hold the potential to effectively improve water conservation efforts. While many technical solutions have been developed, alternative water systems in built environments face significant challenges in the implementation and operational phases. The aim of this study is to examine obstacles to the implementation of alternative water systems in practice and identify criteria of feasible and sustainable solutions that allow bypassing of the identified obstacles. Interviews were conducted with planners, system designers and operators to find out which factors that central actors believe influence successful implementation of such systems. The results were analyzed in light of the literature. The actual performance of the water harvesting and reuse systems in four recently built green buildings in the Province of British Columbia, Canada was analyzed in light of the predicted outcome, according to the criteria identified in the interviews. It was found that the major obstacle to success is that the practical challenges involved in the implementation of alternative systems are underestimated. This, for example, leads to that education strategies for operational staff are not developed, and the staff is left floundering. This study highlights the importance of recognizing the need for strategic and directed educational programs for the human resources who are involved in operating and maintaining rainwater harvesting and water reuse systems.

Regional Information System for Educators. Information Resources; Installation and Evaluation; Information Services; An Operational Handbook; Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science, Vol. 6, 1969. (five documents)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, George; And Others

A series of four pamphlets which describe the Regional Information System (RIS) of the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL), a system designed to provide an effective, systematic methodology for linking users with relevant resources, compose the major portion of this information package. Each publication details an aspect of the…

Steam atmosphere dryer project: System development and field test. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1999-02-01

The objective of this project was to develop and demonstrate the use of a superheated steam atmosphere dryer as a highly improved alternative to conventional hot air-drying systems, the present industrial standard method for drying various wet feedstocks. The development program plan consisted of three major activities. The first was engineering analysis and testing of a small-scale laboratory superheated steam dryer. This dryer provided the basic engineering heat transfer data necessary to design a large-scale system. The second major activity consisted of the design, fabrication, and laboratory checkout testing of the field-site prototype superheated steam dryer system. The third majormore » activity consisted of the installation and testing of the complete 250-lb/hr evaporation rate dryer and a 30-kW cogeneration system in conjunction with an anaerobic digester facility at the Village of Bergen, NY. Feedstock for the digester facility at the Village of Bergen, NY. Feedstock for the digester was waste residue from a nearby commercial food processing plant. The superheated steam dryer system was placed into operation in August 1996 and operated successfully through March 1997. During this period, the dryer processed all the material from the digester to a powdered consistency usable as a high-nitrogen-based fertilizer.« less

Biofiltration of volatile pollutants: Engineering mechanisms for improved design, long-term operation, prediction and implementation. 1998 annual progress report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davison, B.H.; Klasson, K.T.; Barton, J.W.

1998-06-01

'Biofiltration systems can be used for treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); however, the systems are poorly understood and are currently operated as black boxes. Common operational problems associated with biofilters include fouling, deactivation, and overgrowth, all of which make them ineffective for continuous, long-term use. The objective of this investigation is to develop generic methods for long-term stable operation, in particular by using selective limitation of supplemental nutrients while maintaining high activity. As part of this effort, the author will provide deeper fundamental understanding of the important biological and transport mechanisms in biodestruction of sparingly soluble VOCs and extendmore » this approach and mathematical models to additional systems of high priority EM relevance--direct degradation and cometabolic degradation of priority pollutants such as BTEX and chlorinated organics. This report summarizes work after 2 years of a 3-year project. Major results are enumerated and discussed'« less

Time-motion analysis of clinical nursing documentation during implementation of an electronic operating room management system for ophthalmic surgery.

PubMed

Read-Brown, Sarah; Sanders, David S; Brown, Anna S; Yackel, Thomas R; Choi, Dongseok; Tu, Daniel C; Chiang, Michael F

2013-01-01

Efficiency and quality of documentation are critical in surgical settings because operating rooms are a major source of revenue, and because adverse events may have enormous consequences. Electronic health records (EHRs) have potential to impact surgical volume, quality, and documentation time. Ophthalmology is an ideal domain to examine these issues because procedures are high-throughput and demand efficient documentation. This time-motion study examines nursing documentation during implementation of an EHR operating room management system in an ophthalmology department. Key findings are: (1) EHR nursing documentation time was significantly worse during early implementation, but improved to a level near but slightly worse than paper baseline, (2) Mean documentation time varied significantly among nurses during early implementation, and (3) There was no decrease in operating room turnover time or surgical volume after implementation. These findings have important implications for ambulatory surgery departments planning EHR implementation, and for research in system design.

Time-Motion Analysis of Clinical Nursing Documentation During Implementation of an Electronic Operating Room Management System for Ophthalmic Surgery

PubMed Central

Read-Brown, Sarah; Sanders, David S.; Brown, Anna S.; Yackel, Thomas R.; Choi, Dongseok; Tu, Daniel C.; Chiang, Michael F.

2013-01-01

Efficiency and quality of documentation are critical in surgical settings because operating rooms are a major source of revenue, and because adverse events may have enormous consequences. Electronic health records (EHRs) have potential to impact surgical volume, quality, and documentation time. Ophthalmology is an ideal domain to examine these issues because procedures are high-throughput and demand efficient documentation. This time-motion study examines nursing documentation during implementation of an EHR operating room management system in an ophthalmology department. Key findings are: (1) EHR nursing documentation time was significantly worse during early implementation, but improved to a level near but slightly worse than paper baseline, (2) Mean documentation time varied significantly among nurses during early implementation, and (3) There was no decrease in operating room turnover time or surgical volume after implementation. These findings have important implications for ambulatory surgery departments planning EHR implementation, and for research in system design. PMID:24551402

Simulation of California's Major Reservoirs Outflow Using Data Mining Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, T.; Gao, X.; Sorooshian, S.

2014-12-01

The reservoir's outflow is controlled by reservoir operators, which is different from the upstream inflow. The outflow is more important than the reservoir's inflow for the downstream water users. In order to simulate the complicated reservoir operation and extract the outflow decision making patterns for California's 12 major reservoirs, we build a data-driven, computer-based ("artificial intelligent") reservoir decision making tool, using decision regression and classification tree approach. This is a well-developed statistical and graphical modeling methodology in the field of data mining. A shuffled cross validation approach is also employed to extract the outflow decision making patterns and rules based on the selected decision variables (inflow amount, precipitation, timing, water type year etc.). To show the accuracy of the model, a verification study is carried out comparing the model-generated outflow decisions ("artificial intelligent" decisions) with that made by reservoir operators (human decisions). The simulation results show that the machine-generated outflow decisions are very similar to the real reservoir operators' decisions. This conclusion is based on statistical evaluations using the Nash-Sutcliffe test. The proposed model is able to detect the most influential variables and their weights when the reservoir operators make an outflow decision. While the proposed approach was firstly applied and tested on California's 12 major reservoirs, the method is universally adaptable to other reservoir systems.

The DAWN Project's Transition to Mission Operations: on Its Way to Rendezvous with (4) Vesta and (1) Ceres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rayman, Marc D.; Patel, Keyur C.

2008-01-01

Dawn launched on 27 September 2007 on a mission to orbit main belt asteroids (4) Vesta in 2011 - 2012 and (1) Ceres in 2015. The operations team conducted an extensive set of assessments of the engineering subsystems and science instruments during the first 80 days of the mission. A major objective of this period was to thrust for one week with the ion propulsion system to verify flight and ground systems readiness for typical interplanetary operations. Upon successful conclusion of the checkout phase, the interplanetary cruise phase began, most of which will be devoted to thrusting. The flexibility afforded by the use of ion propulsion enabled the project to accommodate a launch postponement of more than 3 months caused by a combination of launch vehicle and tracking system readiness, unfavorable weather, and then conflicts with other launches. Even with the shift in the launch date, all of the science objectives are retained with the same schedule and greater technical margins. This paper describes the conclusion of the development phase of the project, launch operations, and the progress of mission operations.

Space Weather and the Ground-Level Solar Proton Events of the 23rd Solar Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea, M. A.; Smart, D. F.

2012-10-01

Solar proton events can adversely affect space and ground-based systems. Ground-level events are a subset of solar proton events that have a harder spectrum than average solar proton events and are detectable on Earth's surface by cosmic radiation ionization chambers, muon detectors, and neutron monitors. This paper summarizes the space weather effects associated with ground-level solar proton events during the 23rd solar cycle. These effects include communication and navigation systems, spacecraft electronics and operations, space power systems, manned space missions, and commercial aircraft operations. The major effect of ground-level events that affect manned spacecraft operations is increased radiation exposure. The primary effect on commercial aircraft operations is the loss of high frequency communication and, at extreme polar latitudes, an increase in the radiation exposure above that experienced from the background galactic cosmic radiation. Calculations of the maximum potential aircraft polar route exposure for each ground-level event of the 23rd solar cycle are presented. The space weather effects in October and November 2003 are highlighted together with on-going efforts to utilize cosmic ray neutron monitors to predict high energy solar proton events, thus providing an alert so that system operators can possibly make adjustments to vulnerable spacecraft operations and polar aircraft routes.

Evaluating the effectiveness of biometric access control systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lively, Valerie M.

2005-05-01

This paper describes the contribution by the National Safe Skies Alliance (Safe Skies) in operational testing of biometric access control systems under the guidance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Safe Skies has been conducting operational tests of biometric access control systems on behalf of the TSA for approximately four years. The majority of this testing has occurred at the McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville, Tennessee. Twelve separate biometric devices - eight fingerprint, facial, iris, hand geometry, and fingerprint and iris, have been tested to date. Tests were conducted at a TYS administrative door and different airports to evaluate the access control device under normal, abnormal, and attempt-to-defeat conditions.

Laminar Flow Control Leading Edge Systems in Simulated Airline Service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, R. D.; Maddalon, D. V.; Fisher, D. F.

1988-01-01

Achieving laminar flow on the wings of a commercial transport involves difficult problems associated with the wing leading edge. The NASA Leading Edge Flight Test Program has made major progress toward the solution of these problems. The effectiveness and practicality of candidate laminar flow leading edge systems were proven under representative airline service conditions. This was accomplished in a series of simulated airline service flights by modifying a JetStar aircraft with laminar flow leading edge systems and operating it out of three commercial airports in the United States. The aircraft was operated as an airliner would under actual air traffic conditions, in bad weather, and in insect infested environments.

Definition of experiments and instruments for a communication/navigation research laboratory. Volume 3: Laboratory descriptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The following study objectives are covered: (1) identification of major laboratory equipment; (2) systems and operations analysis in support of the laboratory design; and (3) conceptual design of the comm/nav research laboratory.

Integrated command, control communication and computation system study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The study was conducted in three phases: a functional requirements phase; a functional architecture phase; and a design plan phase. The major emphasis was on the functional architecture phase and the approaches used for its functional hierarchy, operations concept, and interfaces.

Phase II driver survey report: Volvo intelligent vehicle initiative field operational test

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-10-28

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) established an Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) as a major component of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program. The intent of the IVI is to improve significantly the safety and e...

DoD Financial Management: Important Steps Underway But Reform Will Require a Long-term Commitment

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-04

consolidated financial statements . To date, none of the military services or major DOD components has passed the test of an independent financial audit because of weaknesses in financial management systems, operations, and controls.

75 FR 62008 - Safety Management System for Certificated Airports

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

.... The majority of pilot study airports indicated an existing organizational structure to manage safety... organizational structure; Identifies the lines of safety responsibility and accountability; Establishes and... understands that airport operations and organizational structures vary widely. Accordingly, the FAA would not...

Robotic vehicle mobility and task performance: A flexible control modality for manned systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldredge, Frederick

1994-01-01

In the early 1980's, a number of concepts were developed for applying robotics to ground systems. The majority of these early application concepts envisioned robotics technology embedded in dedicated unmanned systems; i.e., unmanned systems with no provision for direct manned control of the platform. Although these concepts offered advantages peculiar to platforms designed from the outset exclusively for unmanned operation--i.e., no crew compartment--their findings would require costs and support for a new class of unmanned systems. The current era of reduced budgets and increasing focus on rapid force projection has created new opportunities to examine the value of an alternative concept: the use of existing manned platforms with an ability to quickly shift from normal manned operation to unmanned should a particularly harzardous situation arise. The author of this paper addresses the evolution of robotic vehicle concepts and technology testbeds from exclusively unmanned systems to a variety of 'optionally manned' systems which have been designed with minimum intrusion actuator and control equipment to minimize degradation of vehicle performance in manned modes of operation.

Making sense of quantum operators, eigenstates and quantum measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gire, Elizabeth; Manogue, Corinne

2012-02-01

Operators play a central role in the formalism of quantum mechanics. In particular, operators corresponding to observables encode important information about the results of quantum measurements. We interviewed upper-level undergraduate physics majors about their understanding of the role of operators in quantum measurements. Previous studies have shown that many students think of measurements on quantum systems as being deterministic and that measurements mathematically correspond to operators acting on the initial quantum state. This study is consistent with and expands on those results. We report on how two students make sense of a quantum measurement problem involving sequential measurements and the role that the eigenvalue equation plays in this sense-making.

Potential impacts of advanced technologies on the ATC capacity of high-density terminal areas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, R. W.; Odoni, A. R.; Salas-Roche, F.

1986-01-01

Advanced technologies for airborne systems (automatic flight control, flight displays, navigation) and for ground ATC systems (digital communications, improved surveillance and tracking, automated decision-making) create the possibility of advanced ATC operations and procedures which can bring increased capacity for runway systems. A systematic analysis is carried out to identify certain such advanced ATC operations, and then to evaluate the potential benefits occurring over time at typical US high-density airports (Denver and Boston). The study is divided into three parts: (1) A Critical Examination of Factors Which Determine Operational Capacity of Runway Systems at Major Airports, is an intensive review of current US separation criteria and terminal area ATC operations. It identifies 11 new methods to increase the capacity of landings and takeoffs for runway systems; (2) Development of Risk Based Separation Criteria is the development of a rational structure for establishing reduced ATC separation criteria which meet a consistent Target Level of Safety using advanced technology and operational procedures; and (3) Estimation of Capacity Benefits from Advanced Terminal Area Operations - Denver and Boston, provides an estimate of the overall annual improvement in runway capacity which might be expected at Denver and Boston from using some of the advanced ATC procedures developed in Part 1. Whereas Boston achieved a substantial 37% increase, Denver only achieved a 4.7% increase in its overall annual capacity.

VISUAL ALARM SYSTEM

DOEpatents

Morris, J.M.

1958-11-01

A vlsual alarm system, particularly a system incorporating a gas-fllled diode glow bulb, for indicating a minor alarm and also a major alarm is presented. In operation, the disclosed system responds to a signal indlcative of a caution condition by applying a d-c voltage across the glow bulb to induce a glow at one electrode. If a signal indicative of a critlcal condition is received, the system applies an a-c voltage across tbe glow bulb to produce a glow discharge at each electrode.

Future Combat System Spinout 1 Technical Field Test - Establishing and Implementing Models and Simulations System of Systems Verification, Validation and Accreditation Practices, Methodologies and Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-24

assisted by the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) Modernization effort, the use of Models and Simulations ( M &S) becomes more crucial in supporting major...in 2008 via a slice of the Current Force (CF) BCT structure. To ensure realistic operational context, a M &S System-of- Systems (SoS) level...messages, and constructive representation of platforms, vehicles, and terrain. The M &S federation also provided test control, data collection, and live

Communication interference/jamming and propagation analysis system and its application to radio location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzucu, H.

1992-11-01

Modern defense systems depend on comprehensive surveillance capability. The ability to detect and locate the radio signals is a major element of a surveillance system. With the increasing need for more mobile surveillance systems in conjunction with the rapid deployment of forces and the advent of technology allowing more enhanced use of small aperture systems, tactical direction finding (DF) and radiolocation systems will have to be operated in diverse operational conditions. A quick assessment of the error levels expected and the evaluation of the reliability of the fixes on the targeted areas bears crucial importance to the effectiveness of the missions relying on DF data. This paper presents a sophisticated, graphics workstation based computer tool developed for the system level analysis of radio communication systems and describes its use in radiolocation applications for realizing such accurate and realistic assessments with substantial money and time savings.

Preliminary design package for prototype solar heating system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A summary is given of the preliminary analysis and design activity on solar heating systems. The analysis was made without site specific data other than weather; therefore, the results indicate performance expected under these special conditions. Major items include system candidates, design approaches, trade studies and other special data required to evaluate the preliminary analysis and design. The program calls for the development and delivery of eight prototype solar heating and cooling systems for installation and operational test.

Design and analysis of an automatic method of measuring silicon-controlled-rectifier holding current

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maslowski, E. A.

1971-01-01

The design of an automated SCR holding-current measurement system is described. The circuits used in the measurement system were designed to meet the major requirements of automatic data acquisition, reliability, and repeatability. Performance data are presented and compared with calibration data. The data verified the accuracy of the measurement system. Data taken over a 48-hr period showed that the measurement system operated satisfactorily and met all the design requirements.

Information systems and human error in the lab.

PubMed

Bissell, Michael G

2004-01-01

Health system costs in clinical laboratories are incurred daily due to human error. Indeed, a major impetus for automating clinical laboratories has always been the opportunity it presents to simultaneously reduce cost and improve quality of operations by decreasing human error. But merely automating these processes is not enough. To the extent that introduction of these systems results in operators having less practice in dealing with unexpected events or becoming deskilled in problemsolving, however new kinds of error will likely appear. Clinical laboratories could potentially benefit by integrating findings on human error from modern behavioral science into their operations. Fully understanding human error requires a deep understanding of human information processing and cognition. Predicting and preventing negative consequences requires application of this understanding to laboratory operations. Although the occurrence of a particular error at a particular instant cannot be absolutely prevented, human error rates can be reduced. The following principles are key: an understanding of the process of learning in relation to error; understanding the origin of errors since this knowledge can be used to reduce their occurrence; optimal systems should be forgiving to the operator by absorbing errors, at least for a time; although much is known by industrial psychologists about how to write operating procedures and instructions in ways that reduce the probability of error, this expertise is hardly ever put to use in the laboratory; and a feedback mechanism must be designed into the system that enables the operator to recognize in real time that an error has occurred.

User Charge Revenues for Wastewater Treatment Plants--Insufficient to Cover Operation and Maintenance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-02

audits of construction grants, a review of user charge system adequacy, including a review of the adequacy of reserve accounts for replacing major...recommendation to incorporate, as part of existing operation and and maintenance inspections and closeout financial audits of construction grants, a...determination to be made in an audit is whether the facility was constructed in conformance with approved plans and specifications and whether it meets

Image guidance in orthopaedics and traumatology: A historical perspective.

PubMed

Székely, Gabor; Nolte, Lutz-P

2016-10-01

In this note we summarize the history of computer aided surgery in orthopaedics and traumatology from the end of the nineteenth century to currently observable future trends. We concentrate on the two major components of such systems, pre-operative planning and intra-operative execution. The evolution of the necessary technological components, the numerous platforms and components offered commercially as well as their clinical use are surveyed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

2D Crystal Semiconductors New Materials for GHz-THz Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-02

semiconductors are most promising for GHz-THz electronics. 3) Identify the major scattering mechanisms limiting mobility in 2D crystals towards high...Devices that do not operate on the traditional transistor mechanism exist today and operate below the SS limit. An example is a nanoelectromechanical...system (NEMS), which is the analog of a mechanical relay. Sub- stantial progress has been made in this area [14]. Due to mechanical moving parts, these

Mission operations systems for planetary exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclaughlin, William I.; Wolff, Donna M.

1988-01-01

The purpose of the paper is twofold: (1) to present an overview of the processes comprising planetary mission operations as conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and (2) to present a project-specific and historical context within which this evolving process functions. In order to accomplish these objectives, the generic uplink and downlink functions are described along with their specialization to current flight projects. Also, new multimission capabilities are outlined, including prototyping of advanced-capability software for subsequent incorporation into more automated future operations. Finally, a specific historical ground is provided by listing some major operations software plus a genealogy of planetary missions beginning with Mariner 2 in 1962.

Adding control to arbitrary unknown quantum operations

PubMed Central

Zhou, Xiao-Qi; Ralph, Timothy C.; Kalasuwan, Pruet; Zhang, Mian; Peruzzo, Alberto; Lanyon, Benjamin P.; O'Brien, Jeremy L.

2011-01-01

Although quantum computers promise significant advantages, the complexity of quantum algorithms remains a major technological obstacle. We have developed and demonstrated an architecture-independent technique that simplifies adding control qubits to arbitrary quantum operations—a requirement in many quantum algorithms, simulations and metrology. The technique, which is independent of how the operation is done, does not require knowledge of what the operation is, and largely separates the problems of how to implement a quantum operation in the laboratory and how to add a control. Here, we demonstrate an entanglement-based version in a photonic system, realizing a range of different two-qubit gates with high fidelity. PMID:21811242

Online Resource Sharing II. A Comparison of: OCLC, Incorporated, Research Libraries Information Network, and Washington Library Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Mary Ellen; And Others

This comparative study of three major online bibliographic systems is designed to provide assistance to library administrators in the assessment of the potential impact of such systems upon the operations of their libraries. A side by side arrangement of the text allows an overview of any specific characteristic under consideration. These…

STS/Spacelab payload utilization planning study: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The planning process recommended to meet the orbital flight requirements for the Space Transportation System and payload development, procurement, operations, and support leading to authorization and funding of STS and payload project activities is described. The rationale and rp primary products of STS utilization planning are summarized along with the implementation of the system. Major recommendations of the study are included.

Employers' Perceptions of Graduate Competencies and Future Trends in Higher Vocational Education in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velde, Christine

2009-01-01

The Chinese economy is now a major driver of growth in the world economy. As a consequence, significant reforms were introduced which impacted on its educational systems. China is facing unprecedented pressure to produce skilled individuals to meet the demands of this rapid growth. China is in the unique position of operating in a dual system,…

Optimization methods for gas liquefaction production in Algeria and for a firewater safety system for the Holy Area of Mina, in Saudi Arabia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chergui, B.

1986-01-01

The major part of this study deals specifically with problems encountered in liquefied-gas production in Algeria. However, its developed methodology could be applied to other industrial units of similar importance (petrochemical, pipeline, etc.). Capital costs as well as manpower, operations, and maintenance costs are very high in such production, especially in Algeria, a foreign-technology dependent country. Moreover, the technical complexity of an LNG plan constitutes a further incentive for the formulation of mathematical models as tools toward attaining management efficiency. These models can form the basis for Decision Support Systems for use as well in improving the operations of anymore » major national industrial plant. The remainder of the dissertation consists of a conception and a study for an optimal firewater safety system for the Holy Area of Mina, in Saudi Arabia, where fire outbreaks cause significant losses in lives and property damages during the yearly pilgrimage. Part of the contribution of this study lies in the guidelines established for a Decision Support System, which will improve the user's effectiveness as a decision maker.« less

APDS: the autonomous pathogen detection system.

PubMed

Hindson, Benjamin J; Makarewicz, Anthony J; Setlur, Ujwal S; Henderer, Bruce D; McBride, Mary T; Dzenitis, John M

2005-04-15

We have developed and tested a fully autonomous pathogen detection system (APDS) capable of continuously monitoring the environment for airborne biological threat agents. The system was developed to provide early warning to civilians in the event of a bioterrorism incident and can be used at high profile events for short-term, intensive monitoring or in major public buildings or transportation nodes for long-term monitoring. The APDS is completely automated, offering continuous aerosol sampling, in-line sample preparation fluidics, multiplexed detection and identification immunoassays, and nucleic acid-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and detection. Highly multiplexed antibody-based and duplex nucleic acid-based assays are combined to reduce false positives to a very low level, lower reagent costs, and significantly expand the detection capabilities of this biosensor. This article provides an overview of the current design and operation of the APDS. Certain sub-components of the ADPS are described in detail, including the aerosol collector, the automated sample preparation module that performs multiplexed immunoassays with confirmatory PCR, and the data monitoring and communications system. Data obtained from an APDS that operated continuously for 7 days in a major U.S. transportation hub is reported.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Zhenyu; Zhou, Ning; Tuffner, Francis K.

Small signal stability problems are one of the major threats to grid stability and reliability in the U.S. power grid. An undamped mode can cause large-amplitude oscillations and may result in system breakups and large-scale blackouts. There have been several incidents of system-wide oscillations. Of those incidents, the most notable is the August 10, 1996 western system breakup, a result of undamped system-wide oscillations. Significant efforts have been devoted to monitoring system oscillatory behaviors from measurements in the past 20 years. The deployment of phasor measurement units (PMU) provides high-precision, time-synchronized data needed for detecting oscillation modes. Measurement-based modal analysis,more » also known as ModeMeter, uses real-time phasor measurements to identify system oscillation modes and their damping. Low damping indicates potential system stability issues. Modal analysis has been demonstrated with phasor measurements to have the capability of estimating system modes from both oscillation signals and ambient data. With more and more phasor measurements available and ModeMeter techniques maturing, there is yet a need for methods to bring modal analysis from monitoring to actions. The methods should be able to associate low damping with grid operating conditions, so operators or automated operation schemes can respond when low damping is observed. The work presented in this report aims to develop such a method and establish a Modal Analysis for Grid Operation (MANGO) procedure to aid grid operation decision making to increase inter-area modal damping. The procedure can provide operation suggestions (such as increasing generation or decreasing load) for mitigating inter-area oscillations.« less

A System for Fault Management for NASA's Deep Space Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombano, Silvano P.; Spirkovska, Liljana; Aaseng, Gordon B.; Mccann, Robert S.; Baskaran, Vijayakumar; Ossenfort, John P.; Smith, Irene Skupniewicz; Iverson, David L.; Schwabacher, Mark A.

2013-01-01

NASA's exploration program envisions the utilization of a Deep Space Habitat (DSH) for human exploration of the space environment in the vicinity of Mars and/or asteroids. Communication latencies with ground control of as long as 20+ minutes make it imperative that DSH operations be highly autonomous, as any telemetry-based detection of a systems problem on Earth could well occur too late to assist the crew with the problem. A DSH-based development program has been initiated to develop and test the automation technologies necessary to support highly autonomous DSH operations. One such technology is a fault management tool to support performance monitoring of vehicle systems operations and to assist with real-time decision making in connection with operational anomalies and failures. Toward that end, we are developing Advanced Caution and Warning System (ACAWS), a tool that combines dynamic and interactive graphical representations of spacecraft systems, systems modeling, automated diagnostic analysis and root cause identification, system and mission impact assessment, and mitigation procedure identification to help spacecraft operators (both flight controllers and crew) understand and respond to anomalies more effectively. In this paper, we describe four major architecture elements of ACAWS: Anomaly Detection, Fault Isolation, System Effects Analysis, and Graphic User Interface (GUI), and how these elements work in concert with each other and with other tools to provide fault management support to both the controllers and crew. We then describe recent evaluations and tests of ACAWS on the DSH testbed. The results of these tests support the feasibility and strength of our approach to failure management automation and enhanced operational autonomy.

A System for Fault Management and Fault Consequences Analysis for NASA's Deep Space Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombano, Silvano; Spirkovska, Liljana; Baskaran, Vijaykumar; Aaseng, Gordon; McCann, Robert S.; Ossenfort, John; Smith, Irene; Iverson, David L.; Schwabacher, Mark

2013-01-01

NASA's exploration program envisions the utilization of a Deep Space Habitat (DSH) for human exploration of the space environment in the vicinity of Mars and/or asteroids. Communication latencies with ground control of as long as 20+ minutes make it imperative that DSH operations be highly autonomous, as any telemetry-based detection of a systems problem on Earth could well occur too late to assist the crew with the problem. A DSH-based development program has been initiated to develop and test the automation technologies necessary to support highly autonomous DSH operations. One such technology is a fault management tool to support performance monitoring of vehicle systems operations and to assist with real-time decision making in connection with operational anomalies and failures. Toward that end, we are developing Advanced Caution and Warning System (ACAWS), a tool that combines dynamic and interactive graphical representations of spacecraft systems, systems modeling, automated diagnostic analysis and root cause identification, system and mission impact assessment, and mitigation procedure identification to help spacecraft operators (both flight controllers and crew) understand and respond to anomalies more effectively. In this paper, we describe four major architecture elements of ACAWS: Anomaly Detection, Fault Isolation, System Effects Analysis, and Graphic User Interface (GUI), and how these elements work in concert with each other and with other tools to provide fault management support to both the controllers and crew. We then describe recent evaluations and tests of ACAWS on the DSH testbed. The results of these tests support the feasibility and strength of our approach to failure management automation and enhanced operational autonomy

Waste receiving and processing plant control system; system design description

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LANE, M.P.

1999-02-24

The Plant Control System (PCS) is a heterogeneous computer system composed of numerous sub-systems. The PCS represents every major computer system that is used to support operation of the Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) facility. This document, the System Design Description (PCS SDD), includes several chapters and appendices. Each chapter is devoted to a separate PCS sub-system. Typically, each chapter includes an overview description of the system, a list of associated documents related to operation of that system, and a detailed description of relevant system features. Each appendice provides configuration information for selected PCS sub-systems. The appendices are designed asmore » separate sections to assist in maintaining this document due to frequent changes in system configurations. This document is intended to serve as the primary reference for configuration of PCS computer systems. The use of this document is further described in the WRAP System Configuration Management Plan, WMH-350, Section 4.1.« less

The enhanced ASDEX Upgrade pellet centrifuge launcher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plöckl, B.; Lang, P. T.

2013-10-01

Pellets played an important role in the program of ASDEX Upgrade serving both for investigations on efficient particle fuelling and high density scenarios but also for pioneering work on Edge Localised Mode (ELM) pacing and mitigation. Initially designed for launching fuelling pellets from the magnetic low field side, the system was converted already some time ago to inject pellets from the magnetic high field side as much higher fuelling efficiency was found using this configuration. In operation for more than 20 years, the pellet launching system had to undergo a major revision and upgrading, in particular of its control system. Furthermore, the control system installed adjacent to the launcher had to be transferred to a more distant location enforcing a complete galvanic separation from torus potential and a fully remote control solution. Changing from a hybrid system consisting of PLC S5/S7 and some hard wired relay control to a state of the art PLC system allowed the introduction of several new operational options enabling more flexibility in the pellet experiments. This article describes the new system architecture of control hardware and software, the operating procedure, and the extended operational window. First successful applications for ELM pacing and triggering studies are presented as well as utilization for the development of high density scenarios.

The enhanced ASDEX Upgrade pellet centrifuge launcher.

PubMed

Plöckl, B; Lang, P T

2013-10-01

Pellets played an important role in the program of ASDEX Upgrade serving both for investigations on efficient particle fuelling and high density scenarios but also for pioneering work on Edge Localised Mode (ELM) pacing and mitigation. Initially designed for launching fuelling pellets from the magnetic low field side, the system was converted already some time ago to inject pellets from the magnetic high field side as much higher fuelling efficiency was found using this configuration. In operation for more than 20 years, the pellet launching system had to undergo a major revision and upgrading, in particular of its control system. Furthermore, the control system installed adjacent to the launcher had to be transferred to a more distant location enforcing a complete galvanic separation from torus potential and a fully remote control solution. Changing from a hybrid system consisting of PLC S5/S7 and some hard wired relay control to a state of the art PLC system allowed the introduction of several new operational options enabling more flexibility in the pellet experiments. This article describes the new system architecture of control hardware and software, the operating procedure, and the extended operational window. First successful applications for ELM pacing and triggering studies are presented as well as utilization for the development of high density scenarios.

The enhanced ASDEX Upgrade pellet centrifuge launcher

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Plöckl, B.; Lang, P. T.

2013-10-15

Pellets played an important role in the program of ASDEX Upgrade serving both for investigations on efficient particle fuelling and high density scenarios but also for pioneering work on Edge Localised Mode (ELM) pacing and mitigation. Initially designed for launching fuelling pellets from the magnetic low field side, the system was converted already some time ago to inject pellets from the magnetic high field side as much higher fuelling efficiency was found using this configuration. In operation for more than 20 years, the pellet launching system had to undergo a major revision and upgrading, in particular of its control system.more » Furthermore, the control system installed adjacent to the launcher had to be transferred to a more distant location enforcing a complete galvanic separation from torus potential and a fully remote control solution. Changing from a hybrid system consisting of PLC S5/S7 and some hard wired relay control to a state of the art PLC system allowed the introduction of several new operational options enabling more flexibility in the pellet experiments. This article describes the new system architecture of control hardware and software, the operating procedure, and the extended operational window. First successful applications for ELM pacing and triggering studies are presented as well as utilization for the development of high density scenarios.« less

Engine Research Building’s Central Control Room

NASA Image and Video Library

1948-07-21

Operators in the Engine Research Building’s Central Control Room at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The massive 4.25-acre Engine Research Building contains dozens of test cells, test stands, and altitude chambers. A powerful collection of compressors and exhausters located in the central portion of the basement provided process air and exhaust for these test areas. This system is connected to similar process air systems in the laboratory’s other large test facilities. The Central Control Room coordinates this activity and communicates with the local utilities. This photograph was taken just after a major upgrade to the control room in 1948. The panels on the wall contain rudimentary floor plans of the different Engine Research Building sections with indicator lights and instrumentation for each test cell. The process air equipment included 12 exhausters, four compressors, a refrigeration system, cooling water, and an exhaust system. The operators in the control room kept in contact with engineers running the process air system and those conducting the tests in the test cells. The operators also coordinated with the local power companies to make sure enough electricity was available to operate the powerful compressors and exhausters.

Design considerations to improve cognitive ergonomic issues of unmanned vehicle interfaces utilizing video game controllers.

PubMed

Oppold, P; Rupp, M; Mouloua, M; Hancock, P A; Martin, J

2012-01-01

Unmanned (UAVs, UCAVs, and UGVs) systems still have major human factors and ergonomic challenges related to the effective design of their control interface systems, crucial to their efficient operation, maintenance, and safety. Unmanned system interfaces with a human centered approach promote intuitive interfaces that are easier to learn, and reduce human errors and other cognitive ergonomic issues with interface design. Automation has shifted workload from physical to cognitive, thus control interfaces for unmanned systems need to reduce mental workload on the operators and facilitate the interaction between vehicle and operator. Two-handed video game controllers provide wide usability within the overall population, prior exposure for new operators, and a variety of interface complexity levels to match the complexity level of the task and reduce cognitive load. This paper categorizes and provides taxonomy for 121 haptic interfaces from the entertainment industry that can be utilized as control interfaces for unmanned systems. Five categories of controllers were based on the complexity of the buttons, control pads, joysticks, and switches on the controller. This allows the selection of the level of complexity needed for a specific task without creating an entirely new design or utilizing an overly complex design.

Operational Experience of the Upgraded Cryogenic Systems at the Nscl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCartney, A. H.; Laumer, H. L.; Jones, S. A.

2010-04-01

The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) is a NSF-supported facility, with additional support from Michigan State University (MSU) for conducting research in nuclear and accelerator science. The facility consists of two superconducting cyclotrons and over fifty individual cryostats, each containing several superconducting magnets that are used in the beam transport system. Beginning in 1999 a major facility upgrade was started. New, larger magnets were added, increasing the total 4.5 K loads, necessitating an increase of the cryogenic capacity. A helium plant (nominal 1750-Watt at 4.5 K) was acquired from the United States Bureau of Mines where it had been operating as a pure liquefier since the early 1980's. It was refurbished for the NSCL with extensive support from the cryogenics group at Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory. The new cryogenic system came online early in 2001. The cold-mass is relatively high in relation to the installed capacity, presenting challenges during cool downs. Reliability over the last five years has been greater than 99%. An overview of the last seven years of operations of our cryogenic systems is presented that includes normal operations, testing of new equipment, noteworthy breakdowns, routine maintenance, and system reliability.

The Conference Proceedings of the 1998 Air Transport Research Group (ATRG) of the WCTR Society. Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oum, Tae Hoon (Editor); Bowen, Brent D. (Editor)

1998-01-01

Contents include the following: Airport choice in a multiple airport region: an empirical analysis for the San Francisco bay area. Liberalization of the westeuropian aviation: choice of a new hub airport for an airline. Austin Bergstrom airport traffic control tower establishment of a major activity level tower. A study to optimize the environmental capacity of Amsterdam airport schiphol.Airport performance in stakeholder involvement and communication strategies: a comparison of major Australian and North American air carrier and general aviation airports. Airport planning and location.Location of international airport and regional development. A simulation technique for analysis of Brasilian airport passanger terminal building.Multimodal airport access in Japan. Planning surface access provision at major airports Airline economics and the inclusion of environmental costs on airport hub pricing: a theoretical analysis. Airport financing and user charge systems in the USA. Optimal demand for operating lease of aircraft. Aircraft leasing industry and social welfare.The development of performance indicators for airports: a management perspective. Study about operational effect of the "security check-in" implantation in Brasilian international airports.Austin Bergstrom west loop cable system.and Optimal resource allocation model for airport passanger terminals.

Concept considerations for a small orbital transfer vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, M.; Sibila, A. I.

1979-01-01

This paper summarizes a study of small orbital transfer vehicles to place payloads in orbits with altitudes above those of the standard Shuttle operations. The overall objective of the study is to examine the role of the small orbital transfer vehicle (SOTV) in Shuttle operations and to identify typical propulsion concepts for accomplishing the mission. Consideration is given to existing and planned systems and upper stages, along with new propulsion stages. The new propulsion concept development examines tandem and clustered solids, controlled solids, monopropellant and bipropellant liquids, and staged solid/liquid combinations. The paper presents considerations of the mission requirements, tradeoffs of the various configurations, and candidate selections. For the selected candidate concepts the performance, support equipment, operational considerations and program costs were determined. The results show that a new modular liquid stage system is cost effective in handling the majority of the payloads considered. The remainder of the payloads can be accomodated by existing systems.

Developing a weather observation routine during ICARUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, F.; Hubbe, J. M.; de Boer, G.; Lawrence, D.; Shupe, M.; Ivey, M.; Dexheimer, D.; Schmid, B.

2016-12-01

Starting in 2014, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program began a major reconfiguration to more tightly link measurements and atmospheric models. As part of this the reconfiguration, ARM's North Slope of Alaska (NSA) site is being upgraded to include additional observations to support modeling and process studies. The Inaugural Campaigns for ARM Research using Unmanned Systems (ICARUS) have been launched in 2016. This internal initiative at Oliktok Point, Alaska focus on developing routine operations of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Tethered Balloon Systems (TBS). The main purpose of ICARUS is to collect spatial data about surface radiation, heat fluxes, and vertical profiles of the basic atmospheric state (temperature, humidity, and horizontal wind). Based on the data collected during ICARUS, we will develop the operation routines for each atmospheric state measurement, and then optimize the operation schedule to maximize the data collection capacity. The statistical representation of important atmospheric state parameters will be discussed.

Analysis of NASA communications (Nascom) II network protocols and performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Omidyar, Guy C.; Butler, Thomas E.

1991-01-01

The NASA Communications (Nascom) Division of the Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate is to undertake a major initiative to develop the Nascom II (NII) network to achieve its long-range service objectives for operational data transport to support the Space Station Freedom Program, the Earth Observing System, and other projects. NII is the Nascom ground communications network being developed to accommodate the operational traffic of the mid-1990s and beyond. The authors describe various baseline protocol architectures based on current and evolving technologies. They address the internetworking issues suggested for reliable transfer of data over heterogeneous segments. They also describe the NII architecture, topology, system components, and services. A comparative evaluation of the current and evolving technologies was made, and suggestions for further study are described. It is shown that the direction of the NII configuration and the subsystem component design will clearly depend on the advances made in the area of broadband integrated services.

A simulation system for Space Station extravehicular activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marmolejo, Jose A.; Shepherd, Chip

1993-01-01

America's next major step into space will be the construction of a permanently manned Space Station which is currently under development and scheduled for full operation in the mid-1990's. Most of the construction of the Space Station will be performed over several flights by suited crew members during an extravehicular activity (EVA) from the Space Shuttle. Once fully operational, EVA's will be performed from the Space Station on a routine basis to provide, among other services, maintenance and repair operations of satellites currently in Earth orbit. Both voice recognition and helmet-mounted display technologies can improve the productivity of workers in space by potentially reducing the time, risk, and cost involved in performing EVA. NASA has recognized this potential and is currently developing a voice-controlled information system for Space Station EVA. Two bench-model helmet-mounted displays and an EVA simulation program have been developed to demonstrate the functionality and practicality of the system.

EOSDIS: Archive and Distribution Systems in the Year 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behnke, Jeanne; Lake, Alla

2000-01-01

Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) is a long-term NASA research mission to study the processes leading to global climate change. The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a NASA campaign of satellite observatories that are a major component of ESE. The EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is another component of ESE that will provide the Earth science community with easy, affordable, and reliable access to Earth science data. EOSDIS is a distributed system, with major facilities at seven Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) located throughout the United States. The EOSDIS software architecture is being designed to receive, process, and archive several terabytes of science data on a daily basis. Thousands of science users and perhaps several hundred thousands of non-science users are expected to access the system. The first major set of data to be archived in the EOSDIS is from Landsat-7. Another EOS satellite, Terra, was launched on December 18, 1999. With the Terra launch, the EOSDIS will be required to support approximately one terabyte of data into and out of the archives per day. Since EOS is a multi-mission program, including the launch of more satellites and many other missions, the role of the archive systems becomes larger and more critical. In 1995, at the fourth convening of NASA Mass Storage Systems and Technologies Conference, the development plans for the EOSDIS information system and archive were described. Five years later, many changes have occurred in the effort to field an operational system. It is interesting to reflect on some of the changes driving the archive technology and system development for EOSDIS. This paper principally describes the Data Server subsystem including how the other subsystems access the archive, the nature of the data repository, and the mass-storage I/O management. The paper reviews the system architecture (both hardware and software) of the basic components of the archive. It discusses the operations concept, code development, and testing phase of the system. Finally, it describes the future plans for the archive.

Deployment and Evaluation of the Helicopter In-Flight Tracking System (HITS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-12-30

The Gulf of Mexico airspace has two major operating regions: low altitude offshore (below 7,000 ft) and high altitude oceanic (above 18,000 ft). Both regions suffer significant inefficiencies due to the lack of continuous surveillance during Instrume...

Deployment and evaluation of the Helicopter In-flight Tracking System (HITS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-12-31

The Gulf of Mexico airspace has two major operating regions: low altitude offshore (below 7,000 ft) and high altitude oceanic (above 18,000 ft). Both regions suffer significant inefficiencies due to the lack of continuous surveillance during Instrume...

Nuclear Power and the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dukert, Joseph M.

Described are the major environmental effects resulting from the production of electricity by nuclear power plants. Discussed are effects of waste heat, radioactivity, radioactive waste elimination, costs, and future prospects. Included are diagrams illustrating cooling tower operation, effects of thermal discharge into water systems, radioactive…

Tracking the deployment of the integrated metropolitan intelligent transportation systems infrastructure in The USA : FY99 results

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-16

One of the new requirements of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 is the requirement that State Departments of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and transit operators conduct a major investment study (MIS)...

U.S. DOT roadway transportation data business plan (phase 2) : data business plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

The work that has been underway for several years to apply Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) will take a major step forward in 1997, primarily through two initiatives sponsored by the Federal Highway Admi...

Affordable Freight Logistics Transport Information Management Optimisation and Asset Tracking Solution Using Smartphone GPS Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muna, Joseph T.; Prescott, Kevin

2011-08-01

Traditionally, freight transport and telematics solutions that exploit the GPS capabilities of in- vehicle devices to provide innovative Location Based Services (LBS) including track and trace transport systems have been the preserve of a select cluster of transport operators and organisations with the financial resources to develop the requisite custom software and hardware on which they are deployed. The average cost of outfitting a typical transport vehicle or truck with the latest Intelligent Transport System (ITS) increases the cost of the vehicle by anything from a couple to several thousand Euros, depending on the complexity and completeness of the solution. Though this does not generally deter large fleet transport owners since they typically get Return on Investment (ROI) based on economies of scale, it presents a barrier for the smaller independent entities that constitute the majority of freight transport operators [1].The North Sea Freight Intelligent Transport Solution (NS FRITS), a project co-funded by the European Commission Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme, aims to make acquisition of such transport solutions easier for those organisations that cannot afford the expensive, bespoke systems used by their larger competitors.The project addresses transport security threats by developing a system capable of informing major actors along the freight logistics supply chain, of changing circumstances within the region's major transport corridors and between transport modes. The project also addresses issues of freight volumes, inter-modality, congestion and eco-mobility [2].

Ground operations demonstration unit for liquid hydrogen initial test results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Notardonato, W. U.; Johnson, W. L.; Swanger, A. M.; Tomsik, T.

2015-12-01

NASA operations for handling cryogens in ground support equipment have not changed substantially in 50 years, despite major technology advances in the field of cryogenics. NASA loses approximately 50% of the hydrogen purchased because of a continuous heat leak into ground and flight vessels, transient chill down of warm cryogenic equipment, liquid bleeds, and vent losses. NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) needs to develop energy-efficient cryogenic ground systems to minimize propellant losses, simplify operations, and reduce cost associated with hydrogen usage. The GODU LH2 project has designed, assembled, and started testing of a prototype storage and distribution system for liquid hydrogen that represents an advanced end-to-end cryogenic propellant system for a ground launch complex. The project has multiple objectives including zero loss storage and transfer, liquefaction of gaseous hydrogen, and densification of liquid hydrogen. The system is unique because it uses an integrated refrigeration and storage system (IRAS) to control the state of the fluid. This paper will present and discuss the results of the initial phase of testing of the GODU LH2 system.

Ground Operations Demonstration Unit for Liquid Hydrogen Initial Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Notardonato, W. U.; Johnson, W. L.; Swanger, A. M.; Tomsik, T.

2015-01-01

NASA operations for handling cryogens in ground support equipment have not changed substantially in 50 years, despite major technology advances in the field of cryogenics. NASA loses approximately 50% of the hydrogen purchased because of a continuous heat leak into ground and flight vessels, transient chill down of warm cryogenic equipment, liquid bleeds, and vent losses. NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) needs to develop energy-efficient cryogenic ground systems to minimize propellant losses, simplify operations, and reduce cost associated with hydrogen usage. The GODU LH2 project has designed, assembled, and started testing of a prototype storage and distribution system for liquid hydrogen that represents an advanced end-to-end cryogenic propellant system for a ground launch complex. The project has multiple objectives including zero loss storage and transfer, liquefaction of gaseous hydrogen, and densification of liquid hydrogen. The system is unique because it uses an integrated refrigeration and storage system (IRAS) to control the state of the fluid. This paper will present and discuss the results of the initial phase of testing of the GODU LH2 system.

The reusable launch vehicle technology program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, S.

Today's launch systems have major shortcomings that will increase in significance in the future, and thus are principal drivers for seeking major improvements in space transportation. They are too costly; insufficiently reliable, safe, and operable; and increasingly losing market share to international competition. For the United States to continue its leadership in the human exploration and wide ranging utilization of space, the first order of business must be to achieve low cost, reliable transportatin to Earth orbit. NASA's Access to Space Study, in 1993, recommended the development of a fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) rocket vehicle as an Agency goal. The goal of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology program is to mature the technologies essential for a next-generation reusable launch system capable of reliably serving National space transportation needs at substantially reduced costs. The primary objectives of the RLV technology program are to (1) mature the technologies required for the next-generation system, (2) demonstrate the capability to achieve low development and operational cost, and rapid launch turnaround times and (3) reduce business and technical risks to encourage significant private investment in the commercial development and operation of the next-generation system. Developing and demonstrating the technologies required for a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) rocket is a focus of the program becuase past studies indicate that it has the best potential for achieving the lowest space access cost while acting as an RLV technology driver (since it also encompasses the technology requirements of reusable rocket vehicles in general).

The reusable launch vehicle technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, S.

1995-01-01

Today's launch systems have major shortcomings that will increase in significance in the future, and thus are principal drivers for seeking major improvements in space transportation. They are too costly; insufficiently reliable, safe, and operable; and increasingly losing market share to international competition. For the United States to continue its leadership in the human exploration and wide ranging utilization of space, the first order of business must be to achieve low cost, reliable transportatin to Earth orbit. NASA's Access to Space Study, in 1993, recommended the development of a fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) rocket vehicle as an Agency goal. The goal of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology program is to mature the technologies essential for a next-generation reusable launch system capable of reliably serving National space transportation needs at substantially reduced costs. The primary objectives of the RLV technology program are to (1) mature the technologies required for the next-generation system, (2) demonstrate the capability to achieve low development and operational cost, and rapid launch turnaround times and (3) reduce business and technical risks to encourage significant private investment in the commercial development and operation of the next-generation system. Developing and demonstrating the technologies required for a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) rocket is a focus of the program becuase past studies indicate that it has the best potential for achieving the lowest space access cost while acting as an RLV technology driver (since it also encompasses the technology requirements of reusable rocket vehicles in general).

Cocurrent scrubber evaluation TVA's Colbert Lime--Limestone Wet-Scrubbing Pilot Plant. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robards, R.F.; Moore, N.D.; Kelso, T.M.

1979-01-01

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is actively engaged in a pilot plant program to develop and/or evaluate wet-scrubbing processes for removing sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) from boiler flue gas. The physical size and general arrangement of flue gas scrubbing systems have a major impact on capital investment and operating cost, as do potential operating and maintenance advantages inherent to some systems. The equipment configuration for a cocurrent scrubber reflects some of these advantages. EPRI funded TVA to perform preliminary screening tests of TVA's 1 MW pilot plant (Colbert Steam Plant) to develop operating data on the cocurrent design for usemore » in designing and operating a 10 MW prototype cocurrent scrubber at TVA's Shawnee Scrubber Test Facility. Results of the Colbert tests showed excellent sulfur dioxide removal efficiencies, generally greater than 85%, low pressure drop, and high particulate removal efficiencies. This report covers these screening tests.« less

Conceptual design of a multiple cable crane for planetary surface operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikulas, Martin M., Jr.; Yang, Li-Farn

1991-01-01

A preliminary design study is presented of a mobile crane suitable for conducting remote, automated construction operations on planetary surfaces. A cursory study was made of earth based mobile cranes and the needs for major improvements were identified. Current earth based cranes have a single cable supporting the payload, and precision positioning is accomplished by the use of construction workers controlling the payload by the use of tethers. For remote, autonomous operations on planetary surfaces it will be necessary to perform the precision operations without the use of humans. To accomplish this the payload must be stabilized relative to the crane. One approach for accomplishing this is to suspend the payload on multiple cable. A 3-cable suspension system crane concept is discussed. An analysis of the natural frequency of the system is presented which verifies the legitimacy of the concept.

Computer assisted operations in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Hinai, S.H.; Mutimer, K.

1995-10-01

Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) currently produces some 750,000 bopd and 900,000 bwpd from some 74 fields in a large geographical area and diverse operating conditions. A key corporate objective is to reduce operating costs by exploiting productivity gains from proven technology. Automation is seen as a means of managing the rapid growth of well population and production facilities. the overall objective is to improve field management through continuous monitoring of wells and facilities and dissemination of data throughout the whole organization. A major upgrade of PDO`s field Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is complete providing a platform tomore » exploit new initiatives particularly for production optimization of artificial lift systems and automatic well testing using multi selector valves, coriolis flow meter measurements and multi component (oil, gas, water) flowmeter. The paper describes PDO`s experience including benefits and challenges which have to be managed when developing Computer Assisted Operations (CAO).« less

National Airspace System Plan: Facilities, Equipment, Associated Development and Other Capital Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

yes include: 0 Air carrier routes and services will reflect a * Having an operating National Airspace System better balance between trip frequency and... balanced workload. " A major improvement and integration of the FAA communications system will be imple- 0 Reliable equipment, which minimizes the stress...them in this will lead to the development of production level balancing sector staffing levels, specifications in FY 97. * Trial flight plan function

Controlled ecological life support system breadboard project, 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knott, W. M.

1990-01-01

The Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Breadboard Project, NASA's effort to develop the technology required to produce a functioning bioregenerative system, is discussed. The different phases of the project and its current status are described. The relationship between the project components are shown, and major project activities for fiscal years 1989 to 1993 are listed. The Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) became operational and tests of wheat as a single crop are nearing completion.

Space station data system analysis/architecture study. Task 4: System definition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Functional/performance requirements for the Space Station Data System (SSDS) are analyzed and architectural design concepts are derived and evaluated in terms of their performance and growth potential, technical feasibility and risk, and cost effectiveness. The design concepts discussed are grouped under five major areas: SSDS top-level architecture overview, end-to-end SSDS design and operations perspective, communications assumptions and traffic analysis, onboard SSDS definition, and ground SSDS definition.

The National Disaster Medical System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reutershan, Thomas P.

1991-01-01

The Emergency Mobilization Preparedness Board developed plans for improved national preparedness in case of major catastrophic domestic disaster or the possibility of an overseas conventional conflict. Within the health and medical arena, the working group on health developed the concept and system design for the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). A description of NDMS is presented including the purpose, key components, medical response, patient evacuation, definitive medical care, NDMS activation and operations, and summary and benefits.

The B-747 flight control system maintenance and reliability data base for cost effectiveness tradeoff studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Primary and automatic flight controls are combined for a total flight control reliability and maintenance cost data base using information from two previous reports and additional cost data gathered from a major airline. A comparison of the current B-747 flight control system effects on reliability and operating cost with that of a B-747 designed for an active control wing load alleviation system is provided.

10-MWe solar-thermal central-receiver pilot plant. Operating and maintenance manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-08-01

Information required to perform the initial program loading and operation of the Heliostat Array Controller (HAC) is provided. Operating activities are described as required for heliostat control. All computer console command steps, from power up to power down are described. Detailed steps are provided to wake up the system and direct heliostat beams to standby, on target, standby to stow and power down. Maintenance requirements (preventive and corrective), reparability (reparable - non-reparable decisions), spares identification, spares storage location, replacement levels, replacement location and repair location are established. Individual system breakdown block diagrams are provided for each system/assembly/subassembly. Maintenance and repairmore » description sheets are provided for each maintenance significant item. The manual provides support of the following equipment: (a) helostat assembly; (b) heliostat control assembly; and (c) maintenance and installation equipment. The safety requirements for the operating and maintenance functions are established. These procedures will assist in eliminating or controlling the accident potentials caused by human error, environment, or component malfunctions or interactions that could result in major injury or fatality to operating or visiting personnel, or damage to subsystem components or support equipment. These procedures are for normal and test operating conditions and emergency situations, and apply to all Martin Marietta Corporation, governmental, operating and visitor personnel. (LEW)« less

Plan for CELSS test bed project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knott, W. M.

1986-01-01

The Closed Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) testbed project will achieve two major goals: It will develop the knowledge and technology needed to build and test biological or combined biological physiochemical regenerative life support systems. It will fabricate, test, and operate ground based facilities to accomplish proof-of-concent testing and evaluation leading to flight experimentation. The project will combine basic research and applied research/engineering to achieve a phased, integrated development of hardware, systems, and techniques for food and oxygen production, food processing, and waste processing in closed systems. The project will design, fabricate, and operate within three years a botanical production system scaled to a sufficient size to verify oxygen and nutrient load production (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) at a useable level. It will develop within five years a waste management system compatible with the botanical production system and a food processing system that converts available biomass into edible products. It will design, construct, and operate within ten years a ground based candidate CELSS that includes man as an active participant in the system. It will design a flight CELSS module within twelve years and construct and conduct initial flight tests within fifteen years.

Techniques utilized in the simulated altitude testing of a 2D-CD vectoring and reversing nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, H. Bruce; Bryant, Lively; Dicus, John H.; Moore, Allan S.; Burns, Maureen E.; Solomon, Robert F.; Sheer, Irving

1988-01-01

Simulated altitude testing of a two-dimensional, convergent-divergent, thrust vectoring and reversing exhaust nozzle was accomplished. An important objective of this test was to develop test hardware and techniques to properly operate a vectoring and reversing nozzle within the confines of an altitude test facility. This report presents detailed information on the major test support systems utilized, the operational performance of the systems and the problems encountered, and test equipment improvements recommended for future tests. The most challenging support systems included the multi-axis thrust measurement system, vectored and reverse exhaust gas collection systems, and infrared temperature measurement systems used to evaluate and monitor the nozzle. The feasibility of testing a vectoring and reversing nozzle of this type in an altitude chamber was successfully demonstrated. Supporting systems performed as required. During reverser operation, engine exhaust gases were successfully captured and turned downstream. However, a small amount of exhaust gas spilled out the collector ducts' inlet openings when the reverser was opened more than 60 percent. The spillage did not affect engine or nozzle performance. The three infrared systems which viewed the nozzle through the exhaust collection system worked remarkably well considering the harsh environment.

Technology review of flight crucial flight controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rediess, H. A.; Buckley, E. C.

1984-01-01

The results of a technology survey in flight crucial flight controls conducted as a data base for planning future research and technology programs are provided. Free world countries were surveyed with primary emphasis on the United States and Western Europe because that is where the most advanced technology resides. The survey includes major contemporary systems on operational aircraft, R&D flight programs, advanced aircraft developments, and major research and technology programs. The survey was not intended to be an in-depth treatment of the technology elements, but rather a study of major trends in systems level technology. The information was collected from open literature, personal communications and a tour of several companies, government organizations and research laboratories in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Component-Based Visualization System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Francisco

2005-01-01

A software system has been developed that gives engineers and operations personnel with no "formal" programming expertise, but who are familiar with the Microsoft Windows operating system, the ability to create visualization displays to monitor the health and performance of aircraft/spacecraft. This software system is currently supporting the X38 V201 spacecraft component/system testing and is intended to give users the ability to create, test, deploy, and certify their subsystem displays in a fraction of the time that it would take to do so using previous software and programming methods. Within the visualization system there are three major components: the developer, the deployer, and the widget set. The developer is a blank canvas with widget menu items that give users the ability to easily create displays. The deployer is an application that allows for the deployment of the displays created using the developer application. The deployer has additional functionality that the developer does not have, such as printing of displays, screen captures to files, windowing of displays, and also serves as the interface into the documentation archive and help system. The third major component is the widget set. The widgets are the visual representation of the items that will make up the display (i.e., meters, dials, buttons, numerical indicators, string indicators, and the like). This software was developed using Visual C++ and uses COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) software where possible.

West Chester Work Center Solar Space Heating Demonstration Project. Interim test and evaluation report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-07-01

This document reports on the test and evaluation stage of a solar space heating demonstration project. It describes an integrated system providing solar energy space heating for a 9982 sq ft, newly built, one-story building. The building is located at 966 Matlack Street, West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Functionally, the building consists of two sections: an office and a storeroom. The office section is heated by solar-assisted water-to-air heat pump units. The storeroom section is heated by an air-handling unit, containing a water-to-air coil. The system design was based on solar energy providing 62% of the heating load, withmore » the balance to be supplied by a back-up electric boiler. The system includes 1900 active (2112 gross) square feet of flat-plate solar collectors, and a 6000 gallon above-ground indoor storage tank. Freeze protection is provided by a gravity drain-down scheme combined with nitrogen pressurization in a closed circuit. System operation during the 1977 to 1978 heating season disclosed some major deficiencies in both the design and installation of the system, which caused the system to freeze and required it to be shut down for prolonged periods. Several major modifications and repairs were undergone during 1978 and are described in detail. System operation during the 1978 to 1979 heating season showed noticeable gradual improvement.« less

From Here to Autonomy.

PubMed

Endsley, Mica R

2017-02-01

As autonomous and semiautonomous systems are developed for automotive, aviation, cyber, robotics and other applications, the ability of human operators to effectively oversee and interact with them when needed poses a significant challenge. An automation conundrum exists in which as more autonomy is added to a system, and its reliability and robustness increase, the lower the situation awareness of human operators and the less likely that they will be able to take over manual control when needed. The human-autonomy systems oversight model integrates several decades of relevant autonomy research on operator situation awareness, out-of-the-loop performance problems, monitoring, and trust, which are all major challenges underlying the automation conundrum. Key design interventions for improving human performance in interacting with autonomous systems are integrated in the model, including human-automation interface features and central automation interaction paradigms comprising levels of automation, adaptive automation, and granularity of control approaches. Recommendations for the design of human-autonomy interfaces are presented and directions for future research discussed.

A Mathematical Framework for the Analysis of Cyber-Resilient Control Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melin, Alexander M; Ferragut, Erik M; Laska, Jason A

2013-01-01

The increasingly recognized vulnerability of industrial control systems to cyber-attacks has inspired a considerable amount of research into techniques for cyber-resilient control systems. The majority of this effort involves the application of well known information security (IT) techniques to control system networks. While these efforts are important to protect the control systems that operate critical infrastructure, they are never perfectly effective. Little research has focused on the design of closed-loop dynamics that are resilient to cyber-attack. The majority of control system protection measures are concerned with how to prevent unauthorized access and protect data integrity. We believe that the abilitymore » to analyze how an attacker can effect the closed loop dynamics of a control system configuration once they have access is just as important to the overall security of a control system. To begin to analyze this problem, consistent mathematical definitions of concepts within resilient control need to be established so that a mathematical analysis of the vulnerabilities and resiliencies of a particular control system design methodology and configuration can be made. In this paper, we propose rigorous definitions for state awareness, operational normalcy, and resiliency as they relate to control systems. We will also discuss some mathematical consequences that arise from the proposed definitions. The goal is to begin to develop a mathematical framework and testable conditions for resiliency that can be used to build a sound theoretical foundation for resilient control research.« less

Lessons Learned From the Development, Operation, and Review of Mechanical Systems on the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dinsel, Alison; Jermstad, Wayne; Robertson, Brandan

2006-01-01

The Mechanical Design and Analysis Branch at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is responsible for the technical oversight of over 30 mechanical systems flying on the Space Shuttle Orbiter and the International Space Station (ISS). The branch also has the responsibility for reviewing all mechanical systems on all Space Shuttle and International Space Station payloads, as part of the payload safety review process, through the Mechanical Systems Working Group (MSWG). These responsibilities give the branch unique insight into a large number of mechanical systems, and problems encountered during their design, testing, and operation. This paper contains narrative descriptions of lessons learned from some of the major problems worked on by the branch during the last two years. The problems are grouped into common categories and lessons learned are stated.

Computer based guidance in the modern operating room: a historical perspective.

PubMed

Bova, Frank

2010-01-01

The past few decades have seen the introduction of many different and innovative approaches aimed at enhancing surgical technique. As microprocessors have decreased in size and increased in processing power, more sophisticated systems have been developed. Some systems have attempted to provide enhanced instrument control while others have attempted to provide tools for surgical guidance. These systems include robotics, image enhancements, and frame-based and frameless guidance procedures. In almost every case the system's design goals were achieved and surgical outcomes were enhanced, yet a vast majority of today's surgical procedures are conducted without the aid of these advances. As new tools are developed and existing tools refined, special attention to the systems interface and integration into the operating room environment will be required before increased utilization of these technologies can be realized.

The application of mobile satellite services to emergency response communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freibaum, J.

1980-01-01

The application of an integrated satellite/terrestrial emergency response communications system in disaster relief operations is discussed. Large area coverage communications capability, full-time availability, a high degree of mobility, plus reliability, are pointed out as criteria for an effective emergency communications system. Response time is seen as a major factor determining the possible survival and/or protection of property. These criteria, can not be met by existing communications systems and complete blackouts were experienced during the past decades caused by either interruption or destruction of existing power lines, and overload or inadequacy of remaining lines. Several emergency cases, caused by either hurricanes, tornados, or floods, during which communication via satellite was instrumental to inform rescue and relief teams, are described in detail. Seismic Risk Maps and charts of Major Tectonic Plates Earthquake Epicenters are given, and it is noted that, 35 percent of the U.S. population is living in critical areas. National and international agreements for the implementation of a satellite-aided global Search and Rescue Program is mentioned. Technological and economic breakthroughs are still needed in large multibeam antennas, switching circuits, and low cost mobile ground terminals. A pending plan of NASA to initiate a multiservice program in 1982/83, with a Land Mobile Satellite capability operating in the 806 - 890 MHz band as a major element, may help to accelerate the needed breakthroughs.

The planned Alaska SAR Facility - An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carsey, Frank; Weeks, Wilford

1987-01-01

The Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) is described in an overview fashion. The facility consists of three major components, a Receiving Ground System, a SAR Processing System and an Analysis and Archiving System; the ASF Program also has a Science Working Team and the requisite management and operations systems. The ASF is now an approved and fully funded activity; detailed requirements and science background are presented for the facility to be implemented for data from the European ERS-1, the Japanese ERS-1 and Radarsat.

The role of the hospital and health care system characteristics in readmissions after major surgery in California.

PubMed

Chen, Joy C; Shaw, Jeremy D; Ma, Yifei; Rhoads, Kim F

2016-02-01

Hospital readmission after major surgery is a costly problem that has been associated with patient characteristics. Because hospitals are incentivized to join accountable care organizations, interventions on a hospital or health care system level may help reduce readmissions. Our objective was to identify hospital- and systems-level characteristics associated with readmissions after major operative procedures. Retrospective analysis of California discharge abstracts with record linkage numbers for adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), colectomy or total hip/knee arthroplasty (TJA) in California acute, nonfederal hospitals in 2011. The record linkage number showed where patients were readmitted. Hierarchic logistic regression estimated the odds of readmission by hospital characteristics. There were 91,205 records analyzed: CABG (6.4%), colectomy (12.0%), and TJA (82.3%). There were 120 hospitals that performed CABG surgery; 296 performed colectomy; and 298 performed TJA. Readmission rates after CABG was 9.7%, colectomy 7.7%, and TJA 3.9%. After adjustment for patient factors, rural location was predictive of readmission after colectomy (odds ratio [OR] 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-3.08). Low-volume (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.13-2.10) and minority-serving hospitals (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05-1.33) were associated with greater odds of readmission after TJA. Select hospital characteristics are associated with readmissions after major operative procedures. Because financial penalties may worsen performance in vulnerable or low-resource settings, policies aimed at reducing readmissions should be attentive to the potential unintended consequences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cryo Tank Fill at Pad 39B

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-26

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, center, talks to engineers at Launch Pad 39B at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Blackwell-Thompson will observe the first major tanking operation of liquid oxygen, or LO2, into the giant storage sphere at the northwest corner of the pad to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During the operation, several Praxair trucks will slowly offload LO2 to gradually chill down the sphere from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.

Cryo Tank Fill at Pad 39B

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-26

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at right, greets engineers and technicians at Launch Pad 39B at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Blackwell-Thompson will observe the first major tanking operation of liquid oxygen, or LO2, into the giant storage sphere at the northwest corner of the pad to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During the operation, several Praxair trucks will slowly offload LO2 to gradually chill down the sphere from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.

Developing a Crew Time Model for Human Exploration Missions to Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Battfeld, Bryan; Stromgren, Chel; Shyface, Hilary; Cirillo, William; Goodliff, Kandyce

2015-01-01

Candidate human missions to Mars require mission lengths that could extend beyond those that have previously been demonstrated during crewed Lunar (Apollo) and International Space Station (ISS) missions. The nature of the architectures required for deep space human exploration will likely necessitate major changes in how crews operate and maintain the spacecraft. The uncertainties associated with these shifts in mission constructs - including changes to habitation systems, transit durations, and system operations - raise concerns as to the ability of the crew to complete required overhead activities while still having time to conduct a set of robust exploration activities. This paper will present an initial assessment of crew operational requirements for human missions to the Mars surface. The presented results integrate assessments of crew habitation, system maintenance, and utilization to present a comprehensive analysis of potential crew time usage. Destination operations were assessed for a short (approx. 50 day) and long duration (approx. 500 day) surface habitation case. Crew time allocations are broken out by mission segment, and the availability of utilization opportunities was evaluated throughout the entire mission progression. To support this assessment, the integrated crew operations model (ICOM) was developed. ICOM was used to parse overhead, maintenance and system repair, and destination operations requirements within each mission segment - outbound transit, Mars surface duration, and return transit - to develop a comprehensive estimation of exploration crew time allocations. Overhead operational requirements included daily crew operations, health maintenance activities, and down time. Maintenance and repair operational allocations are derived using the Exploration Maintainability and Analysis Tool (EMAT) to develop a probabilistic estimation of crew repair time necessary to maintain systems functionality throughout the mission.

Modeling and Simulation of the ITER First Wall/Blanket Primary Heat Transfer System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ying, Alice; Popov, Emilian L

2011-01-01

ITER inductive power operation is modeled and simulated using a thermal-hydraulics system code (RELAP5) integrated with a 3-D CFD (SC-Tetra) code. The Primary Heat Transfer System (PHTS) functions are predicted together with the main parameters operational ranges. The control algorithm strategy and derivation are summarized as well. The First Wall and Blanket modules are the primary components of PHTS, used to remove the major part of the thermal heat from the plasma. The modules represent a set of flow channels in solid metal structure that serve to absorb the radiation heat and nuclear heating from the fusion reactions and tomore » provide shield for the vacuum vessel. The blanket modules are water cooled. The cooling is forced convective with constant blanket inlet temperature and mass flow rate. Three independent water loops supply coolant to the three blanket sectors. The main equipment of each loop consists of a pump, a steam pressurizer and a heat exchanger. A major feature of ITER is the pulsed operation. The plasma does not burn continuously, but on intervals with large periods of no power between them. This specific feature causes design challenges to accommodate the thermal expansion of the coolant during the pulse period and requires active temperature control to maintain a constant blanket inlet temperature.« less

Modern techniques and technologies for unbundled access in the local loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacis Vasile, Irina Bristena; Schiopu, Paul; Marghescu, Cristina

2015-02-01

The efficient and unbundled use of the existing telecommunications infrastructure represents a major goal for the development of the services offered by telecommunications providers. A major telecommunications operator can provide services to a subscriber using a copper wire pair or part of the frequency spectrum of a copper wire pair, together with other operators, through a process of unbundling access in the local loop. Since access to the vocal band is an already solved problem, concerns turn to the broadband access with xDSL service delivery on ungrouped subscriber loops; besides the legal and economic aspects involved this has become an engineering problem also. The local loop unbundling methods have a substantial technical impact. This impact should be taken into account right from the design stage and then in the standardization stage of broadband systems intended to operate on copper wire pairs in the local loop. These systems are known under the generic term of xDSL and began to be analyzed in the late 90s. xDSL became the dominant solution for providing Internet at a reasonable price for both residential and business subscribers. In this massive development scenario, certain problems will arise from the early stages of deployment, and another type of problems will occur later on when a large number of systems will be installed in a single beam.

The evolution of Earth Observation satellites in Europe and its impact on the performance of emergency response services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denis, Gil; de Boissezon, Hélène; Hosford, Steven; Pasco, Xavier; Montfort, Bruno; Ranera, Franck

2016-10-01

The paper reviews the evolution of Earth Observation systems in Europe and Worldwide and analyses the potential impact of their performance in support of emergency response services. Earth Observation satellites play already a significant role in supporting the action of first responders in case of major disasters. The main principle is the coordinated use of satellites in order to ensure a rapid response and the timely delivery of images and geospatial information of the area affected by the event. The first part of the paper reviews the main instruments and evaluates their current performance. The International Charter ;Space and Major Disasters;, signed in October 2000, was the first international initiative aimed at establishing a unified system for the acquisition of space data. The charter is a cooperation agreement between space agencies and operators of space systems. At regional level, a similar instrument exists in Asia: Sentinel-Asia. In the frame of the European programme Copernicus, the emergency management service was launched in 2009. Geo-information products derived from space imagery are delivered during all phases of the emergency management cycle, in either rush or non-rush mode, free of charge for the users. In both cases, the capacities were historically drawn from national missions, funded with public money and directly operated by the space agencies or by national operators.

Results of the Boeing/DOE DECC Phase 1 stirling engine project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

STONE,KENNETH W.; CLARK,TERRY; NELVING,HANS

2000-03-02

Phase I of Boeing Company/DOE Dish Engine Critical Component (DECC) Project started in April of 1998 and was completed in 1999. The Phase I objectives, schedule, and test results are presented in this paper. These data shows the power, energy, and mirror performance are comparable to that when the hardware was first manufactured 15 years ago. During the Phase I and initial Phase II test period the on-sun system accumulated over 3,800 hours of solar-powered operating time, accumulated over 4,500 hours of concentrator solar tracking time, and generated over 50,000 kWh of grid-compatible electrical energy. The data also shows thatmore » the system was available 95 {percent} of the time when the sun's insolation level was above approximately 300 w/m{sup 2}, and achieved a daily energy efficiency between 20{percent} and 26{percent}. A second concentrator was refurbished during Phase I and accumulated over 2,200 hours of solar track time. A second Stirling engine operated 24 hours a day in a test cell in Sweden and accumulated over 6,000 test hours. Discussion of daily operation shows no major problems encountered during the testing that would prevent commercialization of the technology. Further analysis of the test data shows that system servicing with hydrogen, coolant and lubricating oil should not be a major O and M cost.« less