Sample records for performance study design

  1. 77 FR 30016 - Clinical Study Design and Performance of Hospital Glucose Sensors

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-21

    ...] Clinical Study Design and Performance of Hospital Glucose Sensors AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... Sensors.'' The purpose of this public meeting is to discuss clinical study design considerations and performance metrics for innovative glucose sensors intended to be used in hospital point of care settings...

  2. Liquid Rocket Booster (LRB) for the Space Transportation System (STS) systems study. Appendix G: LRB for the STS system study level 2 requirements, revision 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1989-01-01

    Requirements are presented for shuttle system definition; performance and design characteristics; shuttle vehicle end item performance and design characteristics; ground operations complex performance and design characteristics; operability and system design and construction standards; and quality control.

  3. Off-design performance analysis of MHD generator channels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, D. R.; Williams, T. S.

    1980-01-01

    A computer code for performing parametric design point calculations, and evaluating the off-design performance of MHD generators has been developed. The program is capable of analyzing Faraday, Hall, and DCW channels, including the effect of electrical shorting in the gas boundary layers and coal slag layers. Direct integration of the electrode voltage drops is included. The program can be run in either the design or off-design mode. Details of the computer code, together with results of a study of the design and off-design performance of the proposed ETF MHD generator are presented. Design point variations of pre-heat and stoichiometry were analyzed. The off-design study included variations in mass flow rate and oxygen enrichment.

  4. A Critical Review on Tubercles Design for Propellers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seeni, A.; Rajendran, P.; Kutty, H. A.

    2018-05-01

    The design of propellers in aeronautics is still earning high interest. This has led to the application of biomimetic for improving aerodynamic performance. One such design is the usage of tubercles in either leading or trailing edge of airfoils. So the usage of tubercles has so far been in the design of wing or wind-turbines. Recent studies have aimed to study tubercles for the design of a propeller. The studies have so far gained reputations in improving the aerodynamic performance on a few but not all of the airfoil shapes. Similar results have been identified for propeller designs with improvement in thrust at low torque. We have so far led research works on developing new propeller designs with the aim to improve the thrust and torque performance of propeller. A review of recent studies has been performed to study the state-of-the-art. The results of this work will be discussed in this paper.

  5. Space tug point design study. Volume 2: Operations, performance and requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1973-01-01

    A design study to determine the configuration and characteristics of a space tug was conducted. Among the subjects analyzed in the study are: (1) flight and ground operations, (2) vehicle flight performance and performance enhancement techniques, (3) flight requirements, (4) basic design criteria, and (5) functional and procedural interface requirements between the tug and other systems.

  6. Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools: Hot and Dry Climates.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

    This guide contains recommendations for designing high performance, energy efficient schools located in hot and dry climates. A high performance checklist for designers is included along with several case studies of projects that successfully demonstrated high performance design solutions for hot and dry climates. The guide's 10 sections…

  7. Comparative performance of conventional OPC concrete and HPC designed by densified mixture design algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huynh, Trong-Phuoc; Hwang, Chao-Lung; Yang, Shu-Ti

    2017-12-01

    This experimental study evaluated the performance of normal ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete and high-performance concrete (HPC) that were designed by the conventional method (ACI) and densified mixture design algorithm (DMDA) method, respectively. Engineering properties and durability performance of both the OPC and HPC samples were studied using the tests of workability, compressive strength, water absorption, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and electrical surface resistivity. Test results show that the HPC performed good fresh property and further showed better performance in terms of strength and durability as compared to the OPC.

  8. Design study and performance analysis of a high-speed multistage variable-geometry fan for a variable cycle engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sullivan, T. J.; Parker, D. E.

    1979-01-01

    A design technology study was performed to identify a high speed, multistage, variable geometry fan configuration capable of achieving wide flow modulation with near optimum efficiency at the important operating condition. A parametric screening study of the front and rear block fans was conducted in which the influence of major fan design features on weight and efficiency was determined. Key design parameters were varied systematically to determine the fan configuration most suited for a double bypass, variable cycle engine. Two and three stage fans were considered for the front block. A single stage, core driven fan was studied for the rear block. Variable geometry concepts were evaluated to provide near optimum off design performance. A detailed aerodynamic design and a preliminary mechanical design were carried out for the selected fan configuration. Performance predictions were made for the front and rear block fans.

  9. Conceptual design and analysis of a dynamic scale model of the Space Station Freedom

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, D. A.; Gronet, M. J.; Tan, M. K.; Thorne, J.

    1994-01-01

    This report documents the conceptual design study performed to evaluate design options for a subscale dynamic test model which could be used to investigate the expected on-orbit structural dynamic characteristics of the Space Station Freedom early build configurations. The baseline option was a 'near-replica' model of the SSF SC-7 pre-integrated truss configuration. The approach used to develop conceptual design options involved three sets of studies: evaluation of the full-scale design and analysis databases, conducting scale factor trade studies, and performing design sensitivity studies. The scale factor trade study was conducted to develop a fundamental understanding of the key scaling parameters that drive design, performance and cost of a SSF dynamic scale model. Four scale model options were estimated: 1/4, 1/5, 1/7, and 1/10 scale. Prototype hardware was fabricated to assess producibility issues. Based on the results of the study, a 1/4-scale size is recommended based on the increased model fidelity associated with a larger scale factor. A design sensitivity study was performed to identify critical hardware component properties that drive dynamic performance. A total of 118 component properties were identified which require high-fidelity replication. Lower fidelity dynamic similarity scaling can be used for non-critical components.

  10. The impact of visual layout factors on performance in Web pages: a cross-language study.

    PubMed

    Parush, Avi; Shwarts, Yonit; Shtub, Avy; Chandra, M Jeya

    2005-01-01

    Visual layout has a strong impact on performance and is a critical factor in the design of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and Web pages. Many design guidelines employed in Web page design were inherited from human performance literature and GUI design studies and practices. However, few studies have investigated the more specific patterns of performance with Web pages that may reflect some differences between Web page and GUI design. We investigated interactions among four visual layout factors in Web page design (quantity of links, alignment, grouping indications, and density) in two experiments: one with pages in Hebrew, entailing right-to-left reading, and the other with English pages, entailing left-to-right reading. Some performance patterns (measured by search times and eye movements) were similar between languages. Performance was particularly poor in pages with many links and variable densities, but it improved with the presence of uniform density. Alignment was not shown to be a performance-enhancing factor. The findings are discussed in terms of the similarities and differences in the impact of layout factors between GUIs and Web pages. Actual or potential applications of this research include specific guidelines for Web page design.

  11. Near Zero Energy House (NZEH) Design Optimization to Improve Life Cycle Cost Performance Using Genetic Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Latief, Y.; Berawi, M. A.; Koesalamwardi, A. B.; Supriadi, L. S. R.

    2018-03-01

    Near Zero Energy House (NZEH) is a housing building that provides energy efficiency by using renewable energy technologies and passive house design. Currently, the costs for NZEH are quite expensive due to the high costs of the equipment and materials for solar panel, insulation, fenestration and other renewable energy technology. Therefore, a study to obtain the optimum design of a NZEH is necessary. The aim of the optimum design is achieving an economical life cycle cost performance of the NZEH. One of the optimization methods that could be utilized is Genetic Algorithm. It provides the method to obtain the optimum design based on the combinations of NZEH variable designs. This paper discusses the study to identify the optimum design of a NZEH that provides an optimum life cycle cost performance using Genetic Algorithm. In this study, an experiment through extensive design simulations of a one-level house model was conducted. As a result, the study provide the optimum design from combinations of NZEH variable designs, which are building orientation, window to wall ratio, and glazing types that would maximize the energy generated by photovoltaic panel. Hence, the design would support an optimum life cycle cost performance of the house.

  12. A Critical Review on Slotted Design for Propellers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seeni, A.; Rajendran, P.; Kutty, H. A.

    2018-05-01

    The usage of slots has gained renewed interest in aerospace particularly on propeller design. Most of the works have focused on improving the aerodynamic performance and efficiency. Modern research on propeller design aims to design propellers with high thrust performance under low torque conditions without any weight penalty. This paper aims to review recent studies made in slotted designs of aerospace structures as well as other applications such as wind turbines. A review on the usage of slots is performed in order to understand the state-of-the-art in current technology. A review of the various studies has been made and general recommendations are provided in order to perform future research in propeller design.

  13. Feasibility study of a synthesis procedure for array feeds to improve radiation performance of large distorted reflector antennas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stutzman, W. L.; Takamizawa, K.; Werntz, P.; Lapean, J.; Barts, R.; Shen, B.; Dunn, D.

    1992-01-01

    The topics covered include the following: (1) performance analysis of the Gregorian tri-reflector; (2) design and performance of the type 6 reflector antenna; (3) a new spherical main reflector system design; (4) optimization of reflector configurations using physical optics; (5) radiometric array design; and (7) beam efficiency studies.

  14. Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of a Dental Handpiece Air Turbine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsu, Chih-Neng; Chiang, Hsiao-Wei D.; Chang, Ya-Yi

    2011-06-01

    Dental air turbine handpieces have been widely used in clinical dentistry for over 30 years, however, little work has been reported on their performance. In dental air turbine handpieces, the types of flow channel and turbine blade shape can have very different designs. These different designs can have major influence on the torque, rotating speed, and power performance. This research is focused on the turbine blade and the flow channel designs. Using numerical simulation and experiments, the key design parameters which influence the performance of dental hand pieces can be studied. Three types of dental air turbine designs with different turbine blades, nozzle angles, nozzle flow channels, and shroud clearances were tested and analyzed. Very good agreement was demonstrated between the numerical simulation analyses and the experiments. Using the analytical model, parametric studies were performed to identify key design parameters.

  15. Aviation Human-in-the-Loop Simulation Studies: Experimental Planning, Design, and Data Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    Aviation Human-in-the-Loop Simulation Studies: Experimental Planning, Design , and Data Management Kevin W. Williams1 Bonny Christopher2 Gena...Simulation Studies: Experimental Planning, Design , and Data Management January 2014 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing...describe the process by which we designed our human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation study and the methodology used to collect and analyze the results

  16. Configuration study for a 30 GHz monolithic receive array, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nester, W. H.; Cleaveland, B.; Edward, B.; Gotkis, S.; Hesserbacker, G.; Loh, J.; Mitchell, B.

    1984-01-01

    Gregorian, Cassegrain, and single reflector systems were analyzed in configuration studies for communications satellite receive antennas. Parametric design and performance curves were generated. A preliminary design of each reflector/feed system was derived including radiating elements, beam-former network, beamsteering system, and MMIC module architecture. Performance estimates and component requirements were developed for each design. A recommended design was selected for both the scanning beam and the fixed beam case. Detailed design and performance analysis results are presented for the selected Cassegrain configurations. The final design point is characterized in detail and performance measures evaluated in terms of gain, sidelobe level, noise figure, carrier-to-interference ratio, prime power, and beamsteering. The effects of mutual coupling and excitation errors (including phase and amplitude quantization errors) are evaluated. Mechanical assembly drawings are given for the final design point. Thermal design requirements are addressed in the mechanical design.

  17. Inlet design for high-speed propfans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Little, B. H., Jr.; Hinson, B. L.

    1982-01-01

    A two-part study was performed to design inlets for high-speed propfan installation. The first part was a parametric study to select promising inlet concepts. A wide range of inlet geometries was examined and evaluated - primarily on the basis of cruise thrust and fuel burn performance. Two inlet concepts were than chosen for more detailed design studies - one apropriate to offset engine/gearbox arrangements and the other to in-line arrangements. In the second part of this study, inlet design points were chosen to optimize the net installed thrust, and detailed design of the two inlet configurations was performed. An analytical methodology was developed to account for propfan slipstream effects, transonic flow efects, and three-dimensional geometry effects. Using this methodology, low drag cowls were designed for the two inlets.

  18. The Abilities of Understanding Spatial Relations, Spatial Orientation, and Spatial Visualization Affect 3D Product Design Performance: Using Carton Box Design as an Example

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Kun-Hsi

    2017-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) product design is an essential ability that students of subjects related to product design must acquire. The factors that affect designers' performance in 3D design are numerous, one of which is spatial abilities. Studies have reported that spatial abilities can be used to effectively predict people's performance in…

  19. Reducing Design Risk Using Robust Design Methods: A Dual Response Surface Approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Unal, Resit; Yeniay, Ozgur; Lepsch, Roger A. (Technical Monitor)

    2003-01-01

    Space transportation system conceptual design is a multidisciplinary process containing considerable element of risk. Risk here is defined as the variability in the estimated (output) performance characteristic of interest resulting from the uncertainties in the values of several disciplinary design and/or operational parameters. Uncertainties from one discipline (and/or subsystem) may propagate to another, through linking parameters and the final system output may have a significant accumulation of risk. This variability can result in significant deviations from the expected performance. Therefore, an estimate of variability (which is called design risk in this study) together with the expected performance characteristic value (e.g. mean empty weight) is necessary for multidisciplinary optimization for a robust design. Robust design in this study is defined as a solution that minimizes variability subject to a constraint on mean performance characteristics. Even though multidisciplinary design optimization has gained wide attention and applications, the treatment of uncertainties to quantify and analyze design risk has received little attention. This research effort explores the dual response surface approach to quantify variability (risk) in critical performance characteristics (such as weight) during conceptual design.

  20. 75 FR 47592 - Final Test Guideline; Product Performance of Skin-applied Insect Repellents of Insect and Other...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-06

    ... considerations affecting the design and conduct of repellent studies when human subjects are involved. Any... recommendations for the design and execution of studies to evaluate the performance of pesticide products intended... recommends appropriate study designs and methods for selecting subjects, statistical analysis, and reporting...

  1. Parametric Study and Design of Tab Shape for Improving Aerodynamic Performance of Rotor Blade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Jaeseong; Kwon, Oh Joon

    2018-04-01

    In the present study, the parametric study was performed to analyze the effect of the tab on the aerodynamic performance and characteristics of rotor blades. Also, the tab shape was designed to improve the aerodynamic performance of rotor blades. A computational fluid dynamics solver based on three-dimensional Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equation using an unstructured mesh was used for the parametric study and the tab design. For airfoils, the effect of length and angle of a tab was studied on the aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils. In addition, including those parameters, the effect of a span of a tab was studied for rotor blades in hovering flight. The results of the parametric study were analyzed in terms of change of the aerodynamic performance and characteristics to understand the effect of a tab. Considering the analysis, the design of tab shape was conducted to improve the aerodynamic performance of rotor blades. The simply attached tab to trailing edge of the rotor blades increases the thrust of the rotor blades without significant changing of aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor blades in hovering and forward flight.

  2. Sensitivity study of the monogroove with screen heat pipe design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evans, Austin L.; Joyce, Martin

    1988-01-01

    The present sensitivity study of design variable effects on the performance of a monogroove-with-screen heat pipe obtains performance curves for maximum heat-transfer rates vs. operating temperatures by means of a computer code; performance projections for both 1-g and zero-g conditions are obtainable. The variables in question were liquid and vapor channel design, wall groove design, and the number of feed lines in the evaporator and condenser. The effect on performance of three different working fluids, namely ammonia, methanol, and water, were also determined. Greatest sensitivity was to changes in liquid and vapor channel diameters.

  3. Design considerations for rechargeable lithium batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shen, D. H.; Huang, C.-K.; Davies, E.; Perrone, D.; Surampudi, S.; Halpert, Gerald

    1993-01-01

    Viewgraphs of a discussion of design considerations for rechargable lithium batteries. The objective is to determine the influence of cell design parameters on the performance of Li-TiS2 cells. Topics covered include cell baseline design and testing, cell design and testing, cell design parameters studies, and cell cycling performance.

  4. IETM Usability: Using Empirical Studies to Improve Performance Aiding

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-05-14

    is highly graphical . An example screen is shown in Figure 3. Following is a description of the design solutions incorporated in Interface B to...in enabling lesser skilled U.S. Navy maintainers to perform their jobs. This empirical study about the design and effectiveness of high level IETMs...novice preferences and performance were documented to inform future adaptive interface design efforts. The maintainers who participated were

  5. Space tug economic analysis study. Volume 2: Tug concepts analysis. Appendix: Tug design and performance data base

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The tug design and performance data base for the economic analysis of space tug operation are presented. A compendium of the detailed design and performance information from the data base is developed. The design data are parametric across a range of reusable space tug sizes. The performance curves are generated for selected point designs of expendable orbit injection stages and reusable tugs. Data are presented in the form of graphs for various modes of operation.

  6. Design Characteristics Influence Performance of Clinical Prediction Rules in Validation: A Meta-Epidemiological Study

    PubMed Central

    Ban, Jong-Wook; Emparanza, José Ignacio; Urreta, Iratxe; Burls, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Background Many new clinical prediction rules are derived and validated. But the design and reporting quality of clinical prediction research has been less than optimal. We aimed to assess whether design characteristics of validation studies were associated with the overestimation of clinical prediction rules’ performance. We also aimed to evaluate whether validation studies clearly reported important methodological characteristics. Methods Electronic databases were searched for systematic reviews of clinical prediction rule studies published between 2006 and 2010. Data were extracted from the eligible validation studies included in the systematic reviews. A meta-analytic meta-epidemiological approach was used to assess the influence of design characteristics on predictive performance. From each validation study, it was assessed whether 7 design and 7 reporting characteristics were properly described. Results A total of 287 validation studies of clinical prediction rule were collected from 15 systematic reviews (31 meta-analyses). Validation studies using case-control design produced a summary diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 2.2 times (95% CI: 1.2–4.3) larger than validation studies using cohort design and unclear design. When differential verification was used, the summary DOR was overestimated by twofold (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to complete, partial and unclear verification. The summary RDOR of validation studies with inadequate sample size was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to studies with adequate sample size. Study site, reliability, and clinical prediction rule was adequately described in 10.1%, 9.4%, and 7.0% of validation studies respectively. Conclusion Validation studies with design shortcomings may overestimate the performance of clinical prediction rules. The quality of reporting among studies validating clinical prediction rules needs to be improved. PMID:26730980

  7. Design Characteristics Influence Performance of Clinical Prediction Rules in Validation: A Meta-Epidemiological Study.

    PubMed

    Ban, Jong-Wook; Emparanza, José Ignacio; Urreta, Iratxe; Burls, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Many new clinical prediction rules are derived and validated. But the design and reporting quality of clinical prediction research has been less than optimal. We aimed to assess whether design characteristics of validation studies were associated with the overestimation of clinical prediction rules' performance. We also aimed to evaluate whether validation studies clearly reported important methodological characteristics. Electronic databases were searched for systematic reviews of clinical prediction rule studies published between 2006 and 2010. Data were extracted from the eligible validation studies included in the systematic reviews. A meta-analytic meta-epidemiological approach was used to assess the influence of design characteristics on predictive performance. From each validation study, it was assessed whether 7 design and 7 reporting characteristics were properly described. A total of 287 validation studies of clinical prediction rule were collected from 15 systematic reviews (31 meta-analyses). Validation studies using case-control design produced a summary diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 2.2 times (95% CI: 1.2-4.3) larger than validation studies using cohort design and unclear design. When differential verification was used, the summary DOR was overestimated by twofold (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to complete, partial and unclear verification. The summary RDOR of validation studies with inadequate sample size was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to studies with adequate sample size. Study site, reliability, and clinical prediction rule was adequately described in 10.1%, 9.4%, and 7.0% of validation studies respectively. Validation studies with design shortcomings may overestimate the performance of clinical prediction rules. The quality of reporting among studies validating clinical prediction rules needs to be improved.

  8. Brayton heat exchange unit development program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morse, C. J.; Richard, C. E.; Duncan, J. D.

    1971-01-01

    A Brayton Heat Exchanger Unit (BHXU), consisting of a recuperator, a heat sink heat exchanger and a gas ducting system, was designed, fabricated, and tested. The design was formulated to provide a high performance unit suitable for use in a long-life Brayton-cycle powerplant. A parametric analysis and design study was performed to establish the optimum component configurations to achieve low weight and size and high reliability, while meeting the requirements of high effectiveness and low pressure drop. Layout studies and detailed mechanical and structural design were performed to obtain a flight-type packaging arrangement. Evaluation testing was conducted from which it is estimated that near-design performance can be expected with the use of He-Xe as the working fluid.

  9. Design and Validation of MAPS for Educators: A Performance Support System to Guide Media Selection for Lesson Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Wei-Chen; Kalota, Faisal

    2013-01-01

    The importance of adopting technology-supported performance systems for on-the-job learning and training is well-recognized in a networked economy. In this study, we present a performance support system (PSS) designed to support technology integration for lesson design. The goal is to support educators in the development of appropriate and…

  10. Thermally adapted design strategy of colonial houses in Surabaya

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antaryama, I. G. N.; Ekasiwi, S. N. N.; Mappajaya, A.; Ulum, M. S.

    2018-03-01

    Colonial buildings, including houses, have been considered as a representation of climate-responsive architecture. The design was thought to be a hybrid model of Dutch and tropical architecture. It was created by way of reinventing tropical and Dutch architecture design principles, and expressed in a new form, i.e. neither resembling Dutch nor tropical building. Aside from this new image, colonial house does show good climatic responses. Previous researches on colonial house generally focus on qualitative assessment of climate performance of the building. Yet this kind of study tends to concentrate on building elements, e.g. wall, window, etc. The present study is designed to give more complete picture of architecture design strategy of the house by exploring and analysing thermal performance of colonial buildings and their related architecture design strategies. Field measurements are conducted during the dry season in several colonial building in Surabaya. Air temperature and humidity are both taken, representing internal and external thermal conditions of the building. These data are then evaluated to determine thermal performance of the house. Finally, various design strategies are examined in order to reveal their significant contributions to its thermal performance. Results of the study in Surabaya confirm findings of the previous researches that are conducted in other locations, which stated that thermal performance of the house is generally good. Passive design strategies such as mass effect and ventilation play an important role in determining performance of the building.

  11. Parametric studies of phase change thermal energy storage canisters for Space Station Freedom

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerslake, Thomas W.

    1991-01-01

    Phase Change Materials (PCM) canister parametric studies are discussed wherein the thermal-structural effects of changing various canister dimensions and contained PCM mass values are examined. With the aim of improving performance, 11 modified canister designs are analyzed and judged relative to a baseline design using five quantitative performance indicators. Consideration is also given to qualitative factors such as fabrication/inspection, canister mass production, and PCM containment redundancy. Canister thermal analyses are performed using the finite-difference based computer program NUCAM-2DV. Thermal-stresses are calculated using closed-form solutions and simplifying assumptions. Canister wall thickness, outer radius, length, and contained PCM mass are the parameters considered for this study. Results show that singular canister design modifications can offer improvements on one or two performance indicators. Yet, improvement in one indicator is often realized at the expense of another. This confirms that the baseline canister is well designed. However, two alternative canister designs, which incorporate multiple modifications, are presented that offer modest improvements in mass or thermal performance, respectively.

  12. Using Importance-Performance Analysis to Guide Instructional Design of Experiential Learning Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Sheri; Hsu, Yu-Chang; Kinney, Judy

    2016-01-01

    Designing experiential learning activities requires an instructor to think about what they want the students to learn. Using importance-performance analysis can assist with the instructional design of the activities. This exploratory study used importance-performance analysis in an online introduction to criminology course. There is limited…

  13. Integrating Advance Organizers and Multidimensional Information Display in Electronic Performance Support Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Wei-Chen; Chao, Chia-An

    2007-01-01

    This study has reviewed major design approaches for electronic performance support systems and identified two common problems: users' inability to comprehend screen-based material and poorly designed instructional scaffolds. This paper presents a design approach, called the "Matrix-Aided Performance System" ("MAPS"), which enables these problems…

  14. Design geometry and design/off-design performance computer codes for compressors and turbines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glassman, Arthur J.

    1995-01-01

    This report summarizes some NASA Lewis (i.e., government owned) computer codes capable of being used for airbreathing propulsion system studies to determine the design geometry and to predict the design/off-design performance of compressors and turbines. These are not CFD codes; velocity-diagram energy and continuity computations are performed fore and aft of the blade rows using meanline, spanline, or streamline analyses. Losses are provided by empirical methods. Both axial-flow and radial-flow configurations are included.

  15. Pavement design and performance studies : progress report no. 4 on phase A, performance study of typical Virginia pavements.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1970-01-01

    The performance of in-service typical Virginia flexible and rigid pavements in all areas of the state is under evaluation. The objectives are to provide a ready reference for designers and field engineers and to provide background information for des...

  16. Performance and Feasibility Analysis of a Wind Turbine Power System for Use on Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lichter, Matthew D.; Viterna, Larry

    1999-01-01

    A wind turbine power system for future missions to the Martian surface was studied for performance and feasibility. A C++ program was developed from existing FORTRAN code to analyze the power capabilities of wind turbines under different environments and design philosophies. Power output, efficiency, torque, thrust, and other performance criteria could be computed given design geometries, atmospheric conditions, and airfoil behavior. After reviewing performance of such a wind turbine, a conceptual system design was modeled to evaluate feasibility. More analysis code was developed to study and optimize the overall structural design. Findings of this preliminary study show that turbine power output on Mars could be as high as several hundred kilowatts. The optimized conceptual design examined here would have a power output of 104 kW, total mass of 1910 kg, and specific power of 54.6 W/kg.

  17. The Effect of School Design on Student Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ariani, Mohsen Ghasemi; Mirdad, Fatemeh

    2016-01-01

    The present study aims at exploring the influence of school design on student performance. The participants consisted of 150 students who studied at two Iranian public school and private school in Mashhad City. School Design and Planning Laboratory (SDPL) model of Georgia University (and Tanner (2009)) was used as an appraisal indicator of school…

  18. Effects of Newly Designed Hospital Buildings on Staff Perceptions: A Pre-Post Study to Validate Design Decisions.

    PubMed

    Schreuder, Eliane; van Heel, Liesbeth; Goedhart, Rien; Dusseldorp, Elise; Schraagen, Jan Maarten; Burdorf, Alex

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates effects of the newly built nonpatient-related buildings of a large university medical center on staff perceptions and whether the design objectives were achieved. The medical center is gradually renewing its hospital building area of 200,000 m.(2) This redevelopment is carefully planned and because lessons learned can guide design decisions of the next phase, the medical center is keen to evaluate the performance of the new buildings. A pre- and post-study with a control group was conducted. Prior to the move to the new buildings an occupancy evaluation was carried out in the old setting (n = 729) (pre-study). Post occupation of the new buildings another occupancy evaluation (post-study) was carried out in the new setting (intervention group) and again in some old settings (control group) (n = 664). The occupancy evaluation consisted of an online survey that measured the perceived performance of different aspects of the building. Longitudinal multilevel analysis was used to compare the performance of the old buildings with the new buildings. Significant improvements were found in indoor climate, perceived safety, working environment, well-being, facilities, sustainability, and overall satisfaction. Commitment to the employer, working atmosphere, orientation, work performance, and knowledge sharing did not improve. The results were interpreted by relating them to specific design choices. We showed that it is possible to measure the performance improvements of a complex intervention being a new building design and validate design decisions. A focused design process aiming for a safe, pleasant and sustainable building resulted in actual improvements in some of the related performance measures. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. Integrated command, control, communication and computation system design study. Summary of tasks performed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    A summary of tasks performed on an integrated command, control, communication, and computation system design study is given. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System command and control system study, an automated real-time operations study, and image processing work are discussed.

  20. Ceramic automotive Stirling engine study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Musikant, S.; Chiu, W.; Darooka, D.; Mullings, D. M.; Johnson, C. A.

    1985-01-01

    A conceptual design study for a Ceramic Automotive Stirling Engine (CASE) is performed. Year 1990 structural ceramic technology is assumed. Structural and performance analyses of the conceptual design are performed as well as a manufacturing and cost analysis. The general conclusions from this study are that such an engine would be 10-26% more efficient over its performance map than the current metal Automotive Stirling Reference Engine (ASRE). Cost of such a ceramic engine is likely to be somewhat higher than that of the ASRE but engine cost is very sensitive to the ultimate cost of the high purity, ceramic powder raw materials required to fabricate high performance parts. When the design study is projected to the year 2000 technology, substantinal net efficiency improvements, on the order of 25 to 46% over the ASRE, are computed.

  1. Conceptual Design and Performance Analysis for a Large Civil Compound Helicopter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Russell, Carl; Johnson, Wayne

    2012-01-01

    A conceptual design study of a large civil compound helicopter is presented. The objective is to determine how a compound helicopter performs when compared to both a conventional helicopter and a tiltrotor using a design mission that is shorter than optimal for a tiltrotor and longer than optimal for a helicopter. The designs are generated and analyzed using conceptual design software and are further evaluated with a comprehensive rotorcraft analysis code. Multiple metrics are used to determine the suitability of each design for the given mission. Plots of various trade studies and parameter sweeps as well as comprehensive analysis results are presented. The results suggest that the compound helicopter examined for this study would not be competitive with a tiltrotor or conventional helicopter, but multiple possibilities are identified for improving the performance of the compound helicopter in future research.

  2. Investigation of Fundamental Modeling and Thermal Performance Issues for a Metallic Thermal Protection System Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blosser, Max L.

    2002-01-01

    A study was performed to develop an understanding of the key factors that govern the performance of metallic thermal protection systems for reusable launch vehicles. A current advanced metallic thermal protection system (TPS) concept was systematically analyzed to discover the most important factors governing the thermal performance of metallic TPS. A large number of relevant factors that influence the thermal analysis and thermal performance of metallic TPS were identified and quantified. Detailed finite element models were developed for predicting the thermal performance of design variations of the advanced metallic TPS concept mounted on a simple, unstiffened structure. The computational models were also used, in an automated iterative procedure, for sizing the metallic TPS to maintain the structure below a specified temperature limit. A statistical sensitivity analysis method, based on orthogonal matrix techniques used in robust design, was used to quantify and rank the relative importance of the various modeling and design factors considered in this study. Results of the study indicate that radiation, even in small gaps between panels, can reduce significantly the thermal performance of metallic TPS, so that gaps should be eliminated by design if possible. Thermal performance was also shown to be sensitive to several analytical assumptions that should be chosen carefully. One of the factors that was found to have the greatest effect on thermal performance is the heat capacity of the underlying structure. Therefore the structure and TPS should be designed concurrently.

  3. Life Events and Academic Performance: Instrument Design.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Janet; Cartwright, Noel

    In April 1987, a pilot study was undertaken to develop an instrument designed to assess the effects of life events on undergraduate students' academic performance. Focus was on the design and construction of the instrument--the Life Events and Academic Performance Questionnaire (LEAPQ). Subjects were 75 male and 75 female undergraduates at a large…

  4. 1L Mark-IV Target Design Review

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

    Koehler, Paul E.

    This presentation includes General Design Considerations; Current (Mark-III) Lower Tier; Mark-III Upper Tier; Performance Metrics; General Improvements for Material Science; General Improvements for Nuclear Science; Improving FOM for Nuclear Science; General Design Considerations Summary; Design Optimization Studies; Expected Mark-IV Performance: Material Science; Expected Mark-IV Performance: Nuclear Science (Disk); Mark IV Enables Much Wider Range of Nuclear-Science FOM Gains than Mark III; Mark-IV Performance Summary; Rod or Disk? Center or Real FOV?; and Project Cost and Schedule.

  5. Performance Trades Study for Robust Airfoil Shape Optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Li, Wu; Padula, Sharon

    2003-01-01

    From time to time, existing aircraft need to be redesigned for new missions with modified operating conditions such as required lift or cruise speed. This research is motivated by the needs of conceptual and preliminary design teams for smooth airfoil shapes that are similar to the baseline design but have improved drag performance over a range of flight conditions. The proposed modified profile optimization method (MPOM) modifies a large number of design variables to search for nonintuitive performance improvements, while avoiding off-design performance degradation. Given a good initial design, the MPOM generates fairly smooth airfoils that are better than the baseline without making drastic shape changes. Moreover, the MPOM allows users to gain valuable information by exploring performance trades over various design conditions. Four simulation cases of airfoil optimization in transonic viscous ow are included to demonstrate the usefulness of the MPOM as a performance trades study tool. Simulation results are obtained by solving fully turbulent Navier-Stokes equations and the corresponding discrete adjoint equations using an unstructured grid computational fluid dynamics code FUN2D.

  6. Minimum energy, liquid hydrogen supersonic cruise vehicle study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brewer, G. D.; Morris, R. E.

    1975-01-01

    The potential was examined of hydrogen-fueled supersonic vehicles designed for cruise at Mach 2.7 and at Mach 2.2. The aerodynamic, weight, and propulsion characteristics of a previously established design of a LH2 fueled, Mach 2.7 supersonic cruise vehicle (SCV) were critically reviewed and updated. The design of a Mach 2.2 SCV was established on a corresponding basis. These baseline designs were then studied to determine the potential of minimizing energy expenditure in performing their design mission, and to explore the effect of fuel price and noise restriction on their design and operating performance. The baseline designs of LH2 fueled aircraft were than compared with equivalent designs of jet A (conventional hydrocarbon) fueled SCV's. Use of liquid hydrogen for fuel for the subject aircraft provides significant advantages in performance, cost, noise, pollution, sonic boom, and energy utilization.

  7. Energy Performance of Daylit Schools in North Carolina.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nicklas, Michael; Bailey, Gary

    This study analyzes the energy performance and cost of daylit schools designed by Innovative Design in Johnston County, North Carolina. The analysis compares the first-year energy performances of the Clayton and Selma Middle Schools and the K-5 Four Oaks School with similar but non-daylit schools in Johnston County. The study analyses the…

  8. Preliminary design studies of an advanced general aviation aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barrett, Ron; Demoss, Shane; Dirkzwager, AB; Evans, Darryl; Gomer, Charles; Keiter, Jerry; Knipp, Darren; Seier, Glen; Smith, Steve; Wenninger, ED

    1991-01-01

    The preliminary design results are presented of the advanced aircraft design project. The goal was to take a revolutionary look into the design of a general aviation aircraft. Phase 1 of the project included the preliminary design of two configurations, a pusher, and a tractor. Phase 2 included the selection of only one configuration for further study. The pusher configuration was selected on the basis of performance characteristics, cabin noise, natural laminar flow, and system layouts. The design was then iterated to achieve higher levels of performance.

  9. Components for digitally controlled aircraft engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meador, J. D.

    1981-01-01

    Control system components suitable for use in digital electronic control systems are defined. Compressor geometry actuation concepts and fuel handling system concepts suitable for use in large high performance turbofan/turbojet engines are included. Eight conceptual system designs were formulated for the actuation of the compressor geometry. Six conceptual system designs were formulated for the engine fuel handling system. Assessment criteria and weighting factors were established and trade studies performed on their candidate systems to establish the relative merits of the various concepts. Fuel pumping and metering systems for small turboshaft engines were also studied. Seven conceptual designs were formulated, and trade studies performed. A simplified bypassing fuel metering scheme was selected and a preliminary design defined.

  10. Development Research of a Teachers' Educational Performance Support System: The Practices of Design, Development, and Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Wei-Chen; Smith, Thomas J.; Harris, Marian S.; Lockard, James

    2010-01-01

    This study adopted design and development research methodology (Richey & Klein, "Design and development research: Methods, strategies, and issues," 2007) to systematically investigate the process of applying instructional design principles, human-computer interaction, and software engineering to a performance support system (PSS) for behavior…

  11. Design and Manufacturing of Composite Tower Structure for Wind Turbine Equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Hyunbum

    2018-02-01

    This study proposes the composite tower design process for large wind turbine equipment. In this work, structural design of tower and analysis using finite element method was performed. After structural design, prototype blade manufacturing and test was performed. The used material is a glass fiber and epoxy resin composite. And also, sand was used in the middle part. The optimized structural design and analysis was performed. The parameter for optimized structural design is weight reduction and safety of structure. Finally, structure of tower will be confirmed by structural test.

  12. Rotor design for maneuver performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berry, John D.; Schrage, Daniel

    1986-01-01

    A method of determining the sensitivity of helicopter maneuver performance to changes in basic rotor design parameters is developed. Maneuver performance is measured by the time required, based on a simplified rotor/helicopter performance model, to perform a series of specified maneuvers. This method identifies parameter values which result in minimum time quickly because of the inherent simplicity of the rotor performance model used. For the specific case studied, this method predicts that the minimum time required is obtained with a low disk loading and a relatively high rotor solidity. The method was developed as part of the winning design effort for the American Helicopter Society student design competition for 1984/1985.

  13. Supersonic civil airplane study and design: Performance and sonic boom

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheung, Samson

    1995-01-01

    Since aircraft configuration plays an important role in aerodynamic performance and sonic boom shape, the configuration of the next generation supersonic civil transport has to be tailored to meet high aerodynamic performance and low sonic boom requirements. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be used to design airplanes to meet these dual objectives. The work and results in this report are used to support NASA's High Speed Research Program (HSRP). CFD tools and techniques have been developed for general usages of sonic boom propagation study and aerodynamic design. Parallel to the research effort on sonic boom extrapolation, CFD flow solvers have been coupled with a numeric optimization tool to form a design package for aircraft configuration. This CFD optimization package has been applied to configuration design on a low-boom concept and an oblique all-wing concept. A nonlinear unconstrained optimizer for Parallel Virtual Machine has been developed for aerodynamic design and study.

  14. Systems cost/performance analysis (study 2.3). Volume 2: Systems cost/performance model. [unmanned automated payload programs and program planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Campbell, B. H.

    1974-01-01

    A methodology which was developed for balanced designing of spacecraft subsystems and interrelates cost, performance, safety, and schedule considerations was refined. The methodology consists of a two-step process: the first step is one of selecting all hardware designs which satisfy the given performance and safety requirements, the second step is one of estimating the cost and schedule required to design, build, and operate each spacecraft design. Using this methodology to develop a systems cost/performance model allows the user of such a model to establish specific designs and the related costs and schedule. The user is able to determine the sensitivity of design, costs, and schedules to changes in requirements. The resulting systems cost performance model is described and implemented as a digital computer program.

  15. ACSYNT inner loop flight control design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bortins, Richard; Sorensen, John A.

    1993-01-01

    The NASA Ames Research Center developed the Aircraft Synthesis (ACSYNT) computer program to synthesize conceptual future aircraft designs and to evaluate critical performance metrics early in the design process before significant resources are committed and cost decisions made. ACSYNT uses steady-state performance metrics, such as aircraft range, payload, and fuel consumption, and static performance metrics, such as the control authority required for the takeoff rotation and for landing with an engine out, to evaluate conceptual aircraft designs. It can also optimize designs with respect to selected criteria and constraints. Many modern aircraft have stability provided by the flight control system rather than by the airframe. This may allow the aircraft designer to increase combat agility, or decrease trim drag, for increased range and payload. This strategy requires concurrent design of the airframe and the flight control system, making trade-offs of performance and dynamics during the earliest stages of design. ACSYNT presently lacks means to implement flight control system designs but research is being done to add methods for predicting rotational degrees of freedom and control effector performance. A software module to compute and analyze the dynamics of the aircraft and to compute feedback gains and analyze closed loop dynamics is required. The data gained from these analyses can then be fed back to the aircraft design process so that the effects of the flight control system and the airframe on aircraft performance can be included as design metrics. This report presents results of a feasibility study and the initial design work to add an inner loop flight control system (ILFCS) design capability to the stability and control module in ACSYNT. The overall objective is to provide a capability for concurrent design of the aircraft and its flight control system, and enable concept designers to improve performance by exploiting the interrelationships between aircraft and flight control system design parameters.

  16. Preliminary Performance Analyses of the Constellation Program ARES 1 Crew Launch Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, Mark; Hanson, John; Shmitt, Terri; Dukemand, Greg; Hays, Jim; Hill, Ashley; Garcia, Jessica

    2007-01-01

    By the time NASA's Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) report had been released to the public in December 2005, engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center had already initiated the first of a series of detailed design analysis cycles (DACs) for the Constellation Program Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), which has been given the name Ares I. As a major component of the Constellation Architecture, the CLV's initial role will be to deliver crew and cargo aboard the newly conceived Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to a staging orbit for eventual rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS). However, the long-term goal and design focus of the CLV will be to provide launch services for a crewed CEV in support of lunar exploration missions. Key to the success of the CLV design effort and an integral part of each DAC is a detailed performance analysis tailored to assess nominal and dispersed performance of the vehicle, to determine performance sensitivities, and to generate design-driving dispersed trajectories. Results of these analyses provide valuable design information to the program for the current design as well as provide feedback to engineers on how to adjust the current design in order to maintain program goals. This paper presents a condensed subset of the CLV performance analyses performed during the CLV DAC-1 cycle. Deterministic studies include development of the CLV DAC-1 reference trajectories, identification of vehicle stage impact footprints, an assessment of launch window impacts to payload performance, and the computation of select CLV payload partials. Dispersion studies include definition of input uncertainties, Monte Carlo analysis of trajectory performance parameters based on input dispersions, assessment of CLV flight performance reserve (FPR), assessment of orbital insertion accuracy, and an assessment of bending load indicators due to dispersions in vehicle angle of attack and side slip angle. A short discussion of the various customers for the dispersion results, along with results and ramifications of each study, are also provided.

  17. TRISO Fuel Performance: Modeling, Integration into Mainstream Design Studies, and Application to a Thorium-fueled Fusion-Fission Hybrid Blanket

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powers, Jeffrey J.

    2011-12-01

    This study focused on creating a new tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel performance model and demonstrating the integration of this model into an existing system of neutronics and heat transfer codes, creating a user-friendly option for including fuel performance analysis within system design optimization and system-level trade-off studies. The end product enables both a deeper understanding and better overall system performance of nuclear energy systems limited or greatly impacted by TRISO fuel performance. A thorium-fueled hybrid fusion-fission Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) blanket design was used for illustrating the application of this new capability and demonstrated both the importance of integrating fuel performance calculations into mainstream design studies and the impact that this new integrated analysis had on system-level design decisions. A new TRISO fuel performance model named TRIUNE was developed and verified and validated during this work with a novel methodology established for simulating the actual lifetime of a TRISO particle during repeated passes through a pebble bed. In addition, integrated self-consistent calculations were performed for neutronics depletion analysis, heat transfer calculations, and then fuel performance modeling for a full parametric study that encompassed over 80 different design options that went through all three phases of analysis. Lastly, side studies were performed that included a comparison of thorium and depleted uranium (DU) LIFE blankets as well as some uncertainty quantification work to help guide future experimental work by assessing what material properties in TRISO fuel performance modeling are most in need of improvement. A recommended thorium-fueled hybrid LIFE engine design was identified with an initial fuel load of 20MT of thorium, 15% TRISO packing within the graphite fuel pebbles, and a 20cm neutron multiplier layer with beryllium pebbles in flibe molten salt coolant. It operated at a system power level of 2000 MWth, took about 3.5 years to reach full plateau power, and was capable of an End of Plateau burnup of 38.7 %FIMA if considering just the neutronic constraints in the system design; however, fuel performance constraints led to a maximum credible burnup of 12.1 %FIMA due to a combination of internal gas pressure and irradiation effects on the TRISO materials (especially PyC) leading to SiC pressure vessel failures. The optimal neutron spectrum for the thorium-fueled blanket options evaluated seemed to favor a hard spectrum (low but non-zero neutron multiplier thicknesses and high TRISO packing fractions) in terms of neutronic performance but the fuel performance constraints demonstrated that a significantly softer spectrum would be needed to decrease the rate of accumulation of fast neutron fluence in order to improve the maximum credible burnup the system could achieve.

  18. Multi-fuel rotary engine for general aviation aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, C.; Ellis, D. R.; Meng, P. R.

    1983-01-01

    Design studies of advanced multifuel general aviation and commuter aircraft rotary stratified charge engines are summarized. Conceptual design studies were performed at two levels of technology, on advanced general aviation engines sized to provide 186/250 shaft kW/hp under cruise conditions at 7620 (25000 m/ft) altitude. A follow on study extended the results to larger (2500 hp max.) engine sizes suitable for applications such as commuter transports and helicopters. The study engine designs were derived from relevant engine development background including both prior and recent engine test results using direct injected unthrottled rotary engine technology. Aircraft studies, using these resultant growth engines, define anticipated system effects of the performance and power density improvements for both single engine and twin engine airplanes. The calculated results indicate superior system performance and 27 to 33 percent fuel economy improvement for the rotary engine airplanes as compared to equivalent airframe concept designs with current baseline engines. The research and technology activities required to attain the projected engine performance levels are also discussed.

  19. Power Systems Design and Studies | Grid Modernization | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Design and Studies Power Systems Design and Studies NREL develops new tools, algorithms, and market design and performance evaluations; and planning, operations, and protection studies. Photo of two researchers looking at a screen showing a distribution grid map Current design and planning tools for the

  20. Enabling people with developmental disabilities to actively perform designated occupational activities according to simple instructions with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller by controlling environmental stimulation.

    PubMed

    Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Wang, Shu-Hui; Chang, Man-Ling; Shih, Ching-Hsiang

    2012-01-01

    The latest researches have adopted software technology, turning the Nintendo Wii Remote Controller into a high performance three-dimensional object orientation detector. This study extended Wii Remote Controller functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated simple occupational activities according to simple instructions by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller. This study was conducted using ABAB designs. The data showed that both participants significantly increased their target response (performing a designated occupational activity) by activating the control system to produce their preferred environmental stimulation during the intervention phases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Trade Studies for a Manned High-Power Nuclear Electric Propulsion Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    SanSoucie, Michael; Hull, Patrick V.; Irwin, Ryan W.; TInker, Michael L.; Patton, Bruce W.

    2005-01-01

    Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) vehicles will be needed for future manned missions to Mars and beyond. Candidate vehicles must be identified through trade studies for further detailed design from a large array of possibilities. Genetic algorithms have proven their utility in conceptual design studies by effectively searching a large design space to pinpoint unique optimal designs. This research combines analysis codes for NEP subsystems with genetic algorithm-based optimization. Trade studies for a NEP reference mission to the asteroids were conducted to identify important trends, and to determine the effects of various technologies and subsystems on vehicle performance. It was found that the electric thruster type and thruster performance have a major impact on the achievable system performance, and that significant effort in thruster research and development is merited.

  2. Brayton heat exchanger unit development program (alternate design)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duncan, J. D.; Gibson, J. C.; Graves, R. F.; Morse, C. J.; Richard, C. E.

    1973-01-01

    A Brayton Heat Exchanger Unit Alternate Design (BHXU-Alternate) consisting of a recuperator, a heat sink heat exchanger, and a gas ducting system, was designed and fabricated. The design was formulated to provide a high performance unit suitable for use in a long-life Brayton-cycle powerplant. Emphasis was on double containment against external leakage and leakage of the organic coolant into the gas stream. A parametric analysis and design study was performed to establish the optimum component configurations to achieve low weight and size and high reliability, while meeting the requirements of high effectiveness and low pressure drop. Layout studies and detailed mechanical and structural design were performed to obtain a flight-type packaging arrangement, including the close-coupled integration of the BHXU-Alternate with the Brayton Rotating Unit (BRU).

  3. Influence of architecture and material properties on vanadium redox flow battery performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Houser, Jacob; Clement, Jason; Pezeshki, Alan; Mench, Matthew M.

    2016-01-01

    This publication reports a design optimization study of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs), including performance testing, distributed current measurements, and flow visualization. Additionally, a computational flow simulation is used to support the conclusions made from the experimental results. This study demonstrates that optimal flow field design is not simply related to the best architecture, but is instead a more complex interplay between architecture, electrode properties, electrolyte properties, and operating conditions which combine to affect electrode convective transport. For example, an interdigitated design outperforms a serpentine design at low flow rates and with a thin electrode, accessing up to an additional 30% of discharge capacity; but a serpentine design can match the available discharge capacity of the interdigitated design by increasing the flow rate or the electrode thickness due to differing responses between the two flow fields. The results of this study should be useful to design engineers seeking to optimize VRB systems through enhanced performance and reduced pressure drop.

  4. Compliant mechanism road bicycle brake: a rigid-body replacement case study

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

    Olsen, Brian M; Howell, Larry L; Magleby, Spencer P

    2011-01-19

    The design of high-performance bicycle brakes is complicated by the competing design objectives of increased performance and low weight. But this challenge also provides a good case study to demonstrate the design of compliant mechanisms to replace current rigid-link mechanisms. This paper briefly reviews current road brake designs, demonstrates the use of rigid-body replacement synthesis to design a compliant mechanism, and illustrates the combination of compliant mechanism design tools. The resulting concept was generated from the modified dual-pivot brake design and is a partially compliant mechanism where one pin has the dual role of a joint and a mounting pin.more » The pseudo-rigid-body model, finite element analysis, and optimization algorithms are used to generate design dimensions, and designs are considered for both titanium and E-glass flexures. The resulting design has the potential of reducing the part count and overall weight while maintaining a performance similar to the benchmark.« less

  5. IPAC-Inlet Performance Analysis Code

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barnhart, Paul J.

    1997-01-01

    A series of analyses have been developed which permit the calculation of the performance of common inlet designs. The methods presented are useful for determining the inlet weight flows, total pressure recovery, and aerodynamic drag coefficients for given inlet geometric designs. Limited geometric input data is required to use this inlet performance prediction methodology. The analyses presented here may also be used to perform inlet preliminary design studies. The calculated inlet performance parameters may be used in subsequent engine cycle analyses or installed engine performance calculations for existing uninstalled engine data.

  6. Enroute flight planning: The design of cooperative planning systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Philip J.; Layton, Chuck; Mccoy, Elaine

    1990-01-01

    Design concepts and principles to guide in the building of cooperative problem solving systems are being developed and evaluated. In particular, the design of cooperative systems for enroute flight planning is being studied. The investigation involves a three stage process, modeling human performance in existing environments, building cognitive artifacts, and studying the performance of people working in collaboration with these artifacts. The most significant design concepts and principles identified thus far are the principle focus.

  7. Coupled Solid Rocket Motor Ballistics and Trajectory Modeling for Higher Fidelity Launch Vehicle Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ables, Brett

    2014-01-01

    Multi-stage launch vehicles with solid rocket motors (SRMs) face design optimization challenges, especially when the mission scope changes frequently. Significant performance benefits can be realized if the solid rocket motors are optimized to the changing requirements. While SRMs represent a fixed performance at launch, rapid design iterations enable flexibility at design time, yielding significant performance gains. The streamlining and integration of SRM design and analysis can be achieved with improved analysis tools. While powerful and versatile, the Solid Performance Program (SPP) is not conducive to rapid design iteration. Performing a design iteration with SPP and a trajectory solver is a labor intensive process. To enable a better workflow, SPP, the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST), and the interfaces between them have been improved and automated, and a graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed. The GUI enables real-time visual feedback of grain and nozzle design inputs, enforces parameter dependencies, removes redundancies, and simplifies manipulation of SPP and POST's numerous options. Automating the analysis also simplifies batch analyses and trade studies. Finally, the GUI provides post-processing, visualization, and comparison of results. Wrapping legacy high-fidelity analysis codes with modern software provides the improved interface necessary to enable rapid coupled SRM ballistics and vehicle trajectory analysis. Low cost trade studies demonstrate the sensitivities of flight performance metrics to propulsion characteristics. Incorporating high fidelity analysis from SPP into vehicle design reduces performance margins and improves reliability. By flying an SRM designed with the same assumptions as the rest of the vehicle, accurate comparisons can be made between competing architectures. In summary, this flexible workflow is a critical component to designing a versatile launch vehicle model that can accommodate a volatile mission scope.

  8. Increasing money-counting skills with a student with brain injury: skill and performance deficits.

    PubMed

    Fienup, Daniel M; Mudgal, Dipti; Pace, Gary

    2013-01-01

    Two studies examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase money-counting skills of a student with brain injury. Both skill and performance hypotheses were examined. Single subject designs were used to evaluate interventions, including a multiple-baseline across counting paper and coin money (study 1) and a changing criterion design (study 2). In study 1, it was hypothesized that the student had a skill deficit; thus, the participant was taught organizational strategies for counting money. In study 2, a performance deficit was hypothesized and the effects of contingent rewards were evaluated. In study 1, organizational strategies increased organized counting of money, but did not affect counting accuracy. In study 2, contingent rewards increased accurate money counting. When dealing with multi-step behaviours, different components of behaviour can be controlled by different variables, such as skill and performance deficits. Effective academic interventions may need to consider both types of deficits.

  9. Beyond Magnet® Designation: Perspectives From Nurse Managers on Factors of Sustainability and High-Performance Programming.

    PubMed

    Hayden, Margaret A; Wolf, Gail A; Zedreck-Gonzalez, Judith F

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to identify patterns of high-performing behaviors and nurse manager perceptions of the factors of Magnet® sustainability at a multidesignated Magnet organization. The Magnet program recognizes exemplary professional nursing practice and is challenging to achieve and sustain. Only 10% (n = 42) of Magnet hospitals sustained designation for 12 years or longer. This study explored the perspectives of Magnet nurse managers regarding high-performing teams and the sustainability of Magnet designation. A qualitative study of nurse managers was conducted at 1 multidesignated Magnet organization (n = 13). Interview responses were analyzed using pattern recognition of Magnet model domains and characteristics of high-performing teams and then related to factors of Magnet sustainability. Transformational leadership is both an essential factor for sustainability and a potential barrier to sustainability of Magnet designation. Transformational nursing leaders lead high-performing teams and should be in place at all levels as an essential factor in sustaining Magnet redesignation.

  10. Signal design study for shuttle/TDRSS Ku-band uplink

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1976-01-01

    The adequacy of the signal design approach chosen for the TDRSS/orbiter uplink was evaluated. Critical functions and/or components associated with the baseline design were identified, and design alternatives were developed for those areas considered high risk. A detailed set of RF and signal processing performance specifications for the orbiter hardware associated with the TDRSS/orbiter Ku band uplink was analyzed. Performances of a detailed design of the PN despreader, the PSK carrier synchronization loop, and the symbol synchronizer are identified. The performance of the downlink signal by means of computer simulation to obtain a realistic determination of bit error rate degradations was studied. The three channel PM downlink signal was detailed by means of analysis and computer simulation.

  11. Structural Design of Ares V Interstage Composite Structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sleigh, David W.; Sreekantamurthy, Thammaiah; Kosareo, Daniel N.; Martin, Robert A.; Johnson, Theodore F.

    2011-01-01

    Preliminary and detailed design studies were performed to mature composite structural design concepts for the Ares V Interstage structure as a part of NASA s Advanced Composite Technologies Project. Aluminum honeycomb sandwich and hat-stiffened composite panel structural concepts were considered. The structural design and analysis studies were performed using HyperSizer design sizing software and MSC Nastran finite element analysis software. System-level design trade studies were carried out to predict weight and margins of safety for composite honeycomb-core sandwich and composite hat-stiffened skin design concepts. Details of both preliminary and detailed design studies are presented in the paper. For the range of loads and geometry considered in this work, the hat-stiffened designs were found to be approximately 11-16 percent lighter than the sandwich designs. A down-select process was used to choose the most favorable structural concept based on a set of figures of merit, and the honeycomb sandwich design was selected as the best concept based on advantages in manufacturing cost.

  12. Methodological considerations in a pilot study on the effects of a berry enriched smoothie on children’s performance in school

    PubMed Central

    Rosander, Ulla; Rumpunen, Kimmo; Olsson, Viktoria; Åström, Mikael; Rosander, Pia; Wendin, Karin

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Berries contain bioactive compounds that may affect children’s cognitive function positively, while hunger and thirst during lessons before lunch affect academic performance negatively. This pilot study addresses methodological challenges in studying if a berry smoothie, offered to schoolchildren as a mid-morning beverage, affects academic performance. The objective was to investigate if a cross-over design can be used to study these effects in a school setting. Therefore, in order to investigate assay sensitivity, 236 Swedish children aged 10–12 years were administered either a berry smoothie (active) or a fruit-based control beverage after their mid-morning break. Both beverages provided 5% of child daily energy intake. In total, 91% of participants completed the study. Academic performance was assessed using the d2 test of attention. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test in StatXact v 10.3. The results showed that the children consumed less of the active berry smoothie than the control (154 g vs. 246 g). Both beverages increased attention span and concentration significantly (p = 0.000). However, as there was no significant difference (p = 0.938) in the magnitude of this effect between the active and control beverages, the assay sensitivity of the study design was not proven. The effect of the beverages on academic performance was attributed the supplementation of water and energy. Despite careful design, the active smoothie was less accepted than the control. This could be explained by un-familiar sensory characteristics and peer influence, stressing the importance of sensory similarity and challenges to perform a study in school settings. The employed cross-over design did not reveal any effects of bioactive compound consumption on academic performance. In future studies, the experimental set up should be modified or replaced by e.g. the parallel study design, in order to provide conclusive results. PMID:29230155

  13. Methodological considerations in a pilot study on the effects of a berry enriched smoothie on children's performance in school.

    PubMed

    Rosander, Ulla; Rumpunen, Kimmo; Olsson, Viktoria; Åström, Mikael; Rosander, Pia; Wendin, Karin

    2017-01-01

    Berries contain bioactive compounds that may affect children's cognitive function positively, while hunger and thirst during lessons before lunch affect academic performance negatively. This pilot study addresses methodological challenges in studying if a berry smoothie, offered to schoolchildren as a mid-morning beverage, affects academic performance. The objective was to investigate if a cross-over design can be used to study these effects in a school setting. Therefore, in order to investigate assay sensitivity, 236 Swedish children aged 10-12 years were administered either a berry smoothie (active) or a fruit-based control beverage after their mid-morning break. Both beverages provided 5% of child daily energy intake. In total, 91% of participants completed the study. Academic performance was assessed using the d2 test of attention. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test in StatXact v 10.3. The results showed that the children consumed less of the active berry smoothie than the control (154 g vs. 246 g). Both beverages increased attention span and concentration significantly (p = 0.000). However, as there was no significant difference (p = 0.938) in the magnitude of this effect between the active and control beverages, the assay sensitivity of the study design was not proven. The effect of the beverages on academic performance was attributed the supplementation of water and energy. Despite careful design, the active smoothie was less accepted than the control. This could be explained by un-familiar sensory characteristics and peer influence, stressing the importance of sensory similarity and challenges to perform a study in school settings. The employed cross-over design did not reveal any effects of bioactive compound consumption on academic performance. In future studies, the experimental set up should be modified or replaced by e.g. the parallel study design, in order to provide conclusive results.

  14. SOLERAS - Solar Controlled Environment Agriculture Project. Final report, Volume 4. Saudi Engineering Solar Energy Applications System Design Study

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

    Not Available

    1985-01-01

    Literature summarizing a study on the Saudi Arabian solar controlled environment agriculture system is presented. Specifications and performance requirements for the system components are revealed. Detailed performance and cost analyses are used to determine the optimum design. A preliminary design of an engineering field test is included. Some weather data are provided for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (BCS)

  15. Results from conceptual design study of potential early commercial MHD/steam power plants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hals, F.; Kessler, R.; Swallom, D.; Westra, L.; Zar, J.; Morgan, W.; Bozzuto, C.

    1981-01-01

    This paper presents conceptual design information for a potential early MHD power plant developed in the second phase of a joint study of such plants. Conceptual designs of plant components and equipment with performance, operational characteristics and costs are reported on. Plant economics and overall performance including full and part load operation are reviewed. Environmental aspects and the methods incorporated in plant design for emission control of sulfur and nitrogen oxides are reviewed. Results from reliability/availability analysis conducted are also included.

  16. Power System Overview for the Small RPS Centaur Flyby and the Mars Polar Hard Lander NASA COMPASS Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cataldo, Robert L.

    2014-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Radioisotope Power System Program Office (RPSPO) sponsored two studies lead by their mission analysis team. The studies were performed by NASA GRCs Collaborative Modeling for Parametric Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) team. Typically a complete toplevel design reference mission (DRM) is performed assessing conceptual spacecraft design, launch mass, trajectory, science strategy and sub-system design such as, power, propulsion, structure and thermal.

  17. Enabling people with developmental disabilities to actively follow simple instructions and perform designated physical activities according to simple instructions with Nintendo Wii Balance Boards by controlling environmental stimulation.

    PubMed

    Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Chung, Chiao-Chen; Shih, Ching-Tien; Chen, Ling-Che

    2011-01-01

    The latest researches have adopted software technology turning the Nintendo Wii Balance Board into a high performance standing location detector. This study extended Wii Balance Board functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated physical activities according to simple instructions by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using Nintendo Wii Balance Boards. This study was carried out according to an A-B-A-B design. Data showed that both participants significantly increased their target response (performing a designated physical activity) by activating the control system to produce their preferred environmental stimulation during the intervention phases. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Integrated source and channel encoded digital communication system design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alem, W. K.; Huth, G. K.; Simon, M. K.

    1978-01-01

    The particular Ku-band carrier, PN despreading, and symbol synchronization strategies, which were selected for implementation in the Ku-band transponder aboard the orbiter, were assessed and evaluated from a systems performance viewpoint, verifying that system specifications were met. A study was performed of the design and implementation of tracking techniques which are suitable for incorporation into the Orbiter Ku-band communication system. Emphasis was placed on maximizing tracking accuracy and communication system flexibility while minimizing cost, weight, and system complexity of Orbiter and ground systems hardware. The payload communication study assessed the design and performance of the forward link and return link bent-pipe relay modes for attached and detached payloads. As part of this study, a design for a forward link bent-pipe was proposed which employs a residual carrier but which is tracked by the existing Costas loop.

  19. Design and Experimental Study on Spinning Solid Rocket Motor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xue, Heng; Jiang, Chunlan; Wang, Zaicheng

    The study on spinning solid rocket motor (SRM) which used as power plant of twice throwing structure of aerial submunition was introduced. This kind of SRM which with the structure of tangential multi-nozzle consists of a combustion chamber, propellant charge, 4 tangential nozzles, ignition device, etc. Grain design, structure design and prediction of interior ballistic performance were described, and problem which need mainly considered in design were analyzed comprehensively. Finally, in order to research working performance of the SRM, measure pressure-time curve and its speed, static test and dynamic test were conducted respectively. And then calculated values and experimental data were compared and analyzed. The results indicate that the designed motor operates normally, and the stable performance of interior ballistic meet demands. And experimental results have the guidance meaning for the pre-research design of SRM.

  20. Robust tracking control of a magnetically suspended rigid body

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lim, Kyong B.; Cox, David E.

    1994-01-01

    This study is an application of H-infinity and micro-synthesis for designing robust tracking controllers for the Large Angle Magnetic Suspension Test Facility. The modeling, design, analysis, simulation, and testing of a control law that guarantees tracking performance under external disturbances and model uncertainties is investigated. The type of uncertainties considered and the tracking performance metric used is discussed. This study demonstrates the tradeoff between tracking performance at low frequencies and robustness at high frequencies. Two sets of controllers were designed and tested. The first set emphasized performance over robustness, while the second set traded off performance for robustness. Comparisons of simulation and test results are also included. Current simulation and experimental results indicate that reasonably good robust tracking performance can be attained for this system using multivariable robust control approach.

  1. Relationships Between Design Characteristics of Avionics Subsystems and Training Cost, Training Difficulty, and Job Performance. Final Report, Covering Activity from 1 July 1971 Through 1 September 1972.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lintz, Larry M.; And Others

    A study investigated the relationship between avionics subsystem design characteristics and training time, training cost, and job performance. A list of design variables believed to affect training and job performance was established and supplemented with personnel variables, including aptitude test scores and the amount of training and…

  2. Using a shock control bump to improve the performance of an axial compressor blade section

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazaheri, K.; Khatibirad, S.

    2017-03-01

    Here, we use numerical analysis to study the effects of a shock control bump (SCB) on the performance of a transonic axial compressor blade section and to optimize its shape and location to improve the compressor performance. A section of the NASA rotor 67 blade is used for this study. Two Bézier curves, each consisting of seven control points, are used to model the suction and pressure surfaces of the blade section. The SCB is modeled with the Hicks-Henne function and, using five design parameters, is added to the suction side. The total pressure loss through a cascade of blade sections is selected as the cost function. A continuous adjoint optimization method is used along with a RANS solver to find a new blade section shape. A grid independence study is performed, and all optimization and flow solver algorithms are validated. Two single-point optimizations are performed in the design condition and in an off-design condition. It is shown that both optimized shapes have overall better performance for both on-design and off-design conditions. An analysis is given regarding how the SCB has changed the wave structure between blade sections resulting in a more favorable flow pattern.

  3. Efficient Computing Budget Allocation for Finding Simplest Good Designs

    PubMed Central

    Jia, Qing-Shan; Zhou, Enlu; Chen, Chun-Hung

    2012-01-01

    In many applications some designs are easier to implement, require less training data and shorter training time, and consume less storage than the others. Such designs are called simple designs, and are usually preferred over complex ones when they all have good performance. Despite the abundant existing studies on how to find good designs in simulation-based optimization (SBO), there exist few studies on finding simplest good designs. We consider this important problem in this paper, and make the following contributions. First, we provide lower bounds for the probabilities of correctly selecting the m simplest designs with top performance, and selecting the best m such simplest good designs, respectively. Second, we develop two efficient computing budget allocation methods to find m simplest good designs and to find the best m such designs, respectively; and show their asymptotic optimalities. Third, we compare the performance of the two methods with equal allocations over 6 academic examples and a smoke detection problem in wireless sensor networks. We hope that this work brings insight to finding the simplest good designs in general. PMID:23687404

  4. Integrated design of the CSI evolutionary structure: A verification of the design methodology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maghami, Peiman G.; Joshi, S. M.; Elliott, Kenny B.; Walz, J. E.

    1993-01-01

    One of the main objectives of the Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI) program is to develop and evaluate integrated controls-structures design methodology for flexible space structures. Thus far, integrated design methodologies for a class of flexible spacecraft, which require fine attitude pointing and vibration suppression with no payload articulation, have been extensively investigated. Various integrated design optimization approaches, such as single-objective optimization, and multi-objective optimization, have been implemented with an array of different objectives and constraints involving performance and cost measures such as total mass, actuator mass, steady-state pointing performance, transient performance, control power, and many more. These studies have been performed using an integrated design software tool (CSI-DESIGN CODE) which is under development by the CSI-ADM team at the NASA Langley Research Center. To date, all of these studies, irrespective of the type of integrated optimization posed or objectives and constraints used, have indicated that integrated controls-structures design results in an overall spacecraft design which is considerably superior to designs obtained through a conventional sequential approach. Consequently, it is believed that validation of some of these results through fabrication and testing of a structure which is designed through an integrated design approach is warranted. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the efforts that have been taken thus far for the validation of the integrated design methodology.

  5. A biopolymer-like metal enabled hybrid material with exceptional mechanical prowess

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Junsong; Cui, Lishan; Jiang, Daqiang; ...

    2015-02-10

    In this study, the design principles for naturally occurring biological materials have inspired us to develop next-generation engineering materials with remarkable performance. Nacre, commonly referred to as nature's armor, is renowned for its unusual combination of strength and toughness. Nature's wisdom in nacre resides in its elaborate structural design and the judicious placement of a unique organic biopolymer with intelligent deformation features. However, up to now, it is still a challenge to transcribe the biopolymer's deformation attributes into a stronger substitute in the design of new materials. In this study, we propose a new design strategy that employs shape memorymore » alloy to transcribe the "J-curve'' mechanical response and uniform molecular/atomic level deformation of the organic biopolymer in the design of high-performance hybrid materials. This design strategy is verified in a TiNi-Ti 3Sn model material system. The model material demonstrates an exceptional combination of mechanical properties that are superior to other high-performance metal-based lamellar composites known to date. Our design strategy creates new opportunities for the development of high-performance bio-inspired materials.« less

  6. Investigation of a 0.6 hub-tip radius-ratio transonic turbine designed for secondary-flow study I : design and experimental performance of standard turbine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rohlik, Harold E; Wintucky, William T; Scibbe, Herbert W

    1957-01-01

    Detailed design information including overall performance parameters, velocity diagrams, and blade surface velocities is presented. Experimental performance includes maps based on rating as well as total-pressure ratios showing the effect of exit whirl. Also included are results of surveys at the stator exit and downstream of the rotor at design speed and specific work. This information will be used as a standard for comparison with subsequent secondary-flow work.

  7. Variable-Speed Power-Turbine for the Large Civil Tilt Rotor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Suchezky, Mark; Cruzen, G. Scott

    2012-01-01

    Turbine design concepts were studied for application to a large civil tiltrotor transport aircraft. The concepts addressed the need for high turbine efficiency across the broad 2:1 turbine operating speed range representative of the notional mission for the aircraft. The study focused on tailoring basic turbine aerodynamic design design parameters to avoid the need for complex, heavy, and expensive variable geometry features. The results of the study showed that good turbine performance can be achieved across the design speed range if the design focuses on tailoring the aerodynamics for good tolerance to large swings in incidence, as opposed to optimizing for best performance at the long range cruise design point. A rig design configuration and program plan are suggested for a dedicated experiment to validate the proposed approach.

  8. AASHTO mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide parametric study.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-03-01

    This study focuses on assessing the robustness of the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG v 1.1) for rigid pavement : design projects in Wisconsin. The primary tasks conducted in this study included performing sensitivity analys...

  9. A fuselage/tank structure study for actively cooled hypersonic cruise vehicles, summary. [aircraft design of aircraft fuel systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pirrello, C. J.; Baker, A. H.; Stone, J. E.

    1976-01-01

    A detailed analytical study was made to investigate the effects of fuselage cross section (circular and elliptical) and the structural arrangement (integral and nonintegral tanks) on aircraft performance. The vehicle was a 200 passenger, liquid hydrogen fueled Mach 6 transport designed to meet a range goal of 9.26 Mn (5000 NM). A variety of trade studies were conducted in the area of configuration arrangement, structural design, and active cooling design in order to maximize the performance of each of three point design aircraft: (1) circular wing-body with nonintegral tanks, (2) circular wing-body with integral tanks and (3) elliptical blended wing-body with integral tanks. Aircraft range and weight were used as the basis for comparison. The resulting design and performance characteristics show that the blended body integral tank aircraft weights the least and has the greatest range capability, however, producibility and maintainability factors favor nonintegral tank concepts.

  10. Space shuttle Ku-band integrated rendezvous radar/communications system study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1976-01-01

    The results are presented of work performed on the Space Shuttle Ku-Band Integrated Rendezvous Radar/Communications System Study. The recommendations and conclusions are included as well as the details explaining the results. The requirements upon which the study was based are presented along with the predicted performance of the recommended system configuration. In addition, shuttle orbiter vehicle constraints (e.g., size, weight, power, stowage space) are discussed. The tradeoffs considered and the operation of the recommended configuration are described for an optimized, integrated Ku-band radar/communications system. Basic system tradeoffs, communication design, radar design, antenna tradeoffs, antenna gimbal and drive design, antenna servo design, and deployed assembly packaging design are discussed. The communications and radar performance analyses necessary to support the system design effort are presented. Detailed derivations of the communications thermal noise error, the radar range, range rate, and angle tracking errors, and the communications transmitter distortion parameter effect on crosstalk between the unbalanced quadriphase signals are included.

  11. Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Slusser, R. A.; Chapman, C. P.; Brennand, J. P.

    1985-01-01

    ELVEC computer program provides vehicle designer with simulation tool for detailed studies of electric and hybrid vehicle performance and cost. ELVEC simulates performance of user-specified electric or hybrid vehicle under user specified driving schedule profile or operating schedule. ELVEC performs vehicle design and life cycle cost analysis.

  12. TRISO Fuel Performance: Modeling, Integration into Mainstream Design Studies, and Application to a Thorium-fueled Fusion-Fission Hybrid Blanket

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

    Powers, Jeffrey James

    2011-11-30

    This study focused on creating a new tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel performance model and demonstrating the integration of this model into an existing system of neutronics and heat transfer codes, creating a user-friendly option for including fuel performance analysis within system design optimization and system-level trade-off studies. The end product enables both a deeper understanding and better overall system performance of nuclear energy systems limited or greatly impacted by TRISO fuel performance. A thorium-fueled hybrid fusion-fission Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) blanket design was used for illustrating the application of this new capability and demonstrated both the importancemore » of integrating fuel performance calculations into mainstream design studies and the impact that this new integrated analysis had on system-level design decisions. A new TRISO fuel performance model named TRIUNE was developed and verified and validated during this work with a novel methodology established for simulating the actual lifetime of a TRISO particle during repeated passes through a pebble bed. In addition, integrated self-consistent calculations were performed for neutronics depletion analysis, heat transfer calculations, and then fuel performance modeling for a full parametric study that encompassed over 80 different design options that went through all three phases of analysis. Lastly, side studies were performed that included a comparison of thorium and depleted uranium (DU) LIFE blankets as well as some uncertainty quantification work to help guide future experimental work by assessing what material properties in TRISO fuel performance modeling are most in need of improvement. A recommended thorium-fueled hybrid LIFE engine design was identified with an initial fuel load of 20MT of thorium, 15% TRISO packing within the graphite fuel pebbles, and a 20cm neutron multiplier layer with beryllium pebbles in flibe molten salt coolant. It operated at a system power level of 2000 MW th, took about 3.5 years to reach full plateau power, and was capable of an End of Plateau burnup of 38.7 %FIMA if considering just the neutronic constraints in the system design; however, fuel performance constraints led to a maximum credible burnup of 12.1 %FIMA due to a combination of internal gas pressure and irradiation effects on the TRISO materials (especially PyC) leading to SiC pressure vessel failures. The optimal neutron spectrum for the thorium-fueled blanket options evaluated seemed to favor a hard spectrum (low but non-zero neutron multiplier thicknesses and high TRISO packing fractions) in terms of neutronic performance but the fuel performance constraints demonstrated that a significantly softer spectrum would be needed to decrease the rate of accumulation of fast neutron fluence in order to improve the maximum credible burnup the system could achieve.« less

  13. Design integration and noise studies for jet STOL aircraft. Volume 1: Program summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Okeefe, V. O.; Kelley, G. S.

    1972-01-01

    This program was undertaken to develop, through analysis, design, experimental static testing, wind tunnel testing, and design integration studies, an augmentor wing jet flap configuration for a jet STOL transport aircraft having maximum propulsion and aerodynamic performance with minimum noise generation. The program had three basic elements: (1) static testing of a scale wing section to demonstrate augmentor performance and noise characteristics; (2) two-dimensional wind tunnel testing to determine flight speed effects on performance; and (3) system design and evaluation which integrated the augmentor information obtained into a complete system and ensured that the design was compatible with the requirements for a large STOL transport having a 500-ft sideline noise of 95 PNdB or less. This objective has been achieved.

  14. Multi-fuel rotary engine for general aviation aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, C.; Ellis, D. R.; Meng, P. R.

    1983-01-01

    Design studies of advanced multifuel general aviation and commuter aircraft rotary stratified charge engines are summarized. Conceptual design studies were performed at two levels of technology, an advanced general aviation engines sized to provide 186/250 shaft kW/hp under cruise conditions at 7620 (25,000 m/ft) altitude. A follow on study extended the results to larger (2500 hp max.) engine sizes suitable for applications such as commuter transports and helicopters. The study engine designs were derived from relevant engine development background including both prior and recent engine test results using direct injected unthrottled rotary engine technology. Aircraft studies, using these resultant growth engines, define anticipated system effects of the performance and power density improvements for both single engine and twin engine airplanes. The calculated results indicate superior system performance and 27 to 33 percent fuel economy improvement for the rotary engine airplanes as compared to equivalent airframe concept designs with current baseline engines. The research and technology activities required to attain the projected engine performance levels are also discussed. Previously announced in STAR as N83-18910

  15. A Qualitative Study about Performance Based Assesment Methods Used in Information Technologies Lesson

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daghan, Gökhan; Akkoyunlu, Buket

    2014-01-01

    In this study, Information Technologies teachers' views and usage cases on performance based assesment methods (PBAMs) are examined. It is aimed to find out which of the PBAMs are used frequently or not used, preference reasons of these methods and opinions about the applicability of them. Study is designed with the phenomenological design which…

  16. The Impact of a Professional Learning Intervention Designed to Enhance Year Six Students' Computational Estimation Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mildenhall, Paula; Hackling, Mark

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on the analysis of a study of a professional learning intervention focussing on computational estimation. Using a multiple case study design it was possible to describe the impact of the intervention of students' beliefs and computational estimation performance. The study revealed some noteworthy impacts on computational…

  17. Reusable Launch Vehicle Tank/Intertank Sizing Trade Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dorsey, John T.; Myers, David E.; Martin, Carl J.

    2000-01-01

    A tank and intertank sizing tool that includes effects of major design drivers, and which allows parametric studies to be performed, has been developed and calibrated against independent representative results. Although additional design features, such as bulkheads and field joints, are not currently included in the process, the improved level of fidelity has allowed parametric studies to be performed which have resulted in understanding of key tank and intertank design drivers, design sensitivities, and definition of preferred design spaces. The sizing results demonstrated that there were many interactions between the configuration parameters of internal/external payload, vehicle fineness ratio (half body angle), fuel arrangement (LOX-forward/LOX-aft), number of tanks, and tank shape/arrangement (number of lobes).

  18. Exploring Advanced Technology Gas Turbine Engine Design and Performance for the Large Civil Tiltrotor (LCTR)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Snyder, Christopher A.

    2014-01-01

    A Large Civil Tiltrotor (LCTR) conceptual design was developed as part of the NASA Heavy Lift Rotorcraft Systems Investigation in order to establish a consistent basis for evaluating the benefits of advanced technology for large tiltrotors. The concept has since evolved into the second-generation LCTR2, designed to carry 90 passengers for 1,000 nautical miles at 300 knots, with vertical takeoff and landing capability. This paper explores gas turbine component performance and cycle parameters to quantify performance gains possible for additional improvements in component and material performance beyond those identified in previous LCTR2 propulsion studies and to identify additional research areas. The vehicle-level characteristics from this advanced technology generation 2 propulsion architecture will help set performance levels as additional propulsion and power systems are conceived to meet ever-increasing requirements for mobility and comfort, while reducing energy use, cost, noise and emissions. The Large Civil Tiltrotor vehicle and mission will be discussed as a starting point for this effort. A few, relevant engine and component technology studies, including previous LCTR2 engine study results will be summarized to help orient the reader on gas turbine engine architecture, performance and limitations. Study assumptions and methodology used to explore engine design and performance, as well as assess vehicle sizing and mission performance will then be discussed. Individual performance for present and advanced engines, as well as engine performance effects on overall vehicle size and mission fuel usage, will be given. All results will be summarized to facilitate understanding the importance and interaction of various component and system performance on overall vehicle characteristics.

  19. Process innovation in high-performance systems: From polymeric composites R&D to design and build of airplane showers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yi-Jui

    In the aerospace industry reducing aircraft weight is key because it increases flight performance and drives down operating costs. With fierce competition in the commercial aircraft industry, companies that focused primarily on exterior aircraft performance design issues are turning more attention to the design of aircraft interior. Simultaneously, there has been an increase in the number of new amenities offered to passengers especially in first class travel and executive jets. These new amenities present novel and challenging design parameters that include integration into existing aircraft systems without sacrificing flight performance. The objective of this study was to design a re-circulating shower system for an aircraft that weighs significantly less than pre-existing shower designs. This was accomplished by integrating processes from polymeric composite materials, water filtration, and project management. Carbon/epoxy laminates exposed to hygrothermal cycling conditions were evaluated and compared to model calculations. Novel materials and a variety of fabrication processes were developed to create new types of paper for honeycomb applications. Experiments were then performed on the properties and honeycomb processability of these new papers. Standard water quality tests were performed on samples taken from the re-circulating system to see if current regulatory standards were being met. These studies were executed and integrated with tools from project management to design a better shower system for commercial aircraft applications.

  20. Maydays and Murphies: A Study of the Effect of Organizational Design, Task, and Stress on Organizational Performance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Zhiang; Carley, Kathleen

    How should organizations of intelligent agents be designed so that they exhibit high performance even during periods of stress? A formal model of organizational performance given a distributed decision-making environment in which agents encounter a radar detection task is presented. Using this model the performance of organizations with various…

  1. Extended performance electric propulsion power processor design study. Volume 2: Technical summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Biess, J. J.; Inouye, L. Y.; Schoenfeld, A. D.

    1977-01-01

    Electric propulsion power processor technology has processed during the past decade to the point that it is considered ready for application. Several power processor design concepts were evaluated and compared. Emphasis was placed on a 30 cm ion thruster power processor with a beam power rating supply of 2.2KW to 10KW for the main propulsion power stage. Extension in power processor performance were defined and were designed in sufficient detail to determine efficiency, component weight, part count, reliability and thermal control. A detail design was performed on a microprocessor as the thyristor power processor controller. A reliability analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the control electronics redesign. Preliminary electrical design, mechanical design and thermal analysis were performed on a 6KW power transformer for the beam supply. Bi-Mod mechanical, structural and thermal control configurations were evaluated for the power processor and preliminary estimates of mechanical weight were determined.

  2. Effect of a workplace design and training intervention on individual performance, group effectiveness and collaboration: the role of environmental control.

    PubMed

    Robertson, Michelle M; Huang, Yueng-Hsiang

    2006-01-01

    The effects of a workplace design and training intervention and the relationships between perceived satisfaction of office workplace design factors (layout and storage) and work performance measures (individual performance, group collaboration and effectiveness) were studied with 120 office workers using the Workplace Environment Questionnaire. Further, we examined whether environmental control had a direct effect on work performance, and then explored whether environmental control mediated or moderated the relationship between workplace design factors and work performance. Results showed a significant, positive impact of the intervention on environmental satisfaction for workstation layout. Satisfaction with workstation layout had a significant relationship with individual performance, group collaboration and effectiveness; and satisfaction with workstation storage had a significant relationship with individual performance and group collaboration. Environmental control had a direct impact on individual performance and group collaboration; whereas, the mediating and moderating effects of environmental control on the relationship between workplace design factors and outcome variables were not significant.

  3. Performance potential of air turbo-ramjet employing supersonic through-flow fan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kepler, C. E.; Champagne, G. A.

    1989-01-01

    A study was conducted to assess the performance potential of a supersonic through-flow fan in an advanced engine designed to power a Mach-5 cruise vehicle. It included a preliminary evaluation of fan performance requirements and the desirability of supersonic versus subsonic combustion, the design and performance of supersonic fans, and the conceptual design of a single-pass air-turbo-rocket/ramjet engine for a Mach 5 cruise vehicle. The study results showed that such an engine could provide high thrust over the entire speed range from sea-level takeoff to Mach 5 cruise, especially over the transonic speed range, and high fuel specific impulse at the Mach 5 cruise condition, with the fan windmilling.

  4. Systematic review of acute physically active learning and classroom movement breaks on children's physical activity, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour: understanding critical design features.

    PubMed

    Daly-Smith, Andy J; Zwolinsky, Stephen; McKenna, Jim; Tomporowski, Phillip D; Defeyter, Margaret Anne; Manley, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    To examine the impact of acute classroom movement break (CMB) and physically active learning (PAL) interventions on physical activity (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Systematic review. PubMed, EBSCO, Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS and Web of Science. Studies investigating school-based acute bouts of CMB or PAL on (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. The Downs and Black checklist assessed risk of bias. Ten PAL and eight CMB studies were identified from 2929 potentially relevant articles. Risk of bias scores ranged from 33% to 64.3%. Variation in study designs drove specific, but differing, outcomes. Three studies assessed PA using objective measures. Interventions replaced sedentary time with either light PA or moderate-to-vigorous PA dependent on design characteristics (mode, duration and intensity). Only one study factored individual PA outcomes into analyses. Classroom behaviour improved after longer moderate-to-vigorous (>10 min), or shorter more intense (5 min), CMB/PAL bouts (9 out of 11 interventions). There was no support for enhanced cognition or academic performance due to limited repeated studies. Low-to-medium quality designs predominate in investigations of the acute impacts of CMB and PAL on PA, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Variable quality in experimental designs, outcome measures and intervention characteristics impact outcomes making conclusions problematic. CMB and PAL increased PA and enhanced time on task. To improve confidence in study outcomes, future investigations should combine examples of good practice observed in current studies. CRD42017070981.

  5. A feasibility study of a hypersonic real-gas facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gully, J. H.; Driga, M. D.; Weldon, W. F.

    1987-01-01

    A four month feasibility study of a hypersonic real-gas free flight test facility for NASA Langley Research Center (LARC) was performed. The feasibility of using a high-energy electromagnetic launcher (EML) to accelerate complex models (lifting and nonlifting) in the hypersonic, real-gas facility was examined. Issues addressed include: design and performance of the accelerator; design and performance of the power supply; design and operation of the sabot and payload during acceleration and separation; effects of high current, magnetic fields, temperature, and stress on the sabot and payload; and survivability of payload instrumentation during acceleration, flight, and soft catch.

  6. Design options for improved performance with high-density carbon ablators and low-gas fill hohlraum targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berzak Hopkins, L.; Divol, L.; Lepape, S.; Meezan, N. B.; Dewald, E.; Ho, D.; Khan, S.; Pak, A.; Ralph, J.; Ross, J. S.

    2016-10-01

    Recent simulation-based and experimental work using high-density carbon ablators in unlined uranium hohlraums with 0.3 mg/cc helium fill have demonstrated round implosions with minimal evolution of Legendre moment P2 during burn. To extend this promising work, design studies have been performed to explore potential performance improvements with larger capsules, while maintaining similar case-to-capsule target ratios. We present here the results of these design studies, which will motivate a series of upcoming experiments at the National Ignition Facility. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

  7. Analytical design and performance studies of nuclear furnace tests of small nuclear light bulb models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Latham, T. S.; Rodgers, R. J.

    1972-01-01

    Analytical studies were continued to identify the design and performance characteristics of a small-scale model of a nuclear light bulb unit cell suitable for testing in a nuclear furnace reactor. Emphasis was placed on calculating performance characteristics based on detailed radiant heat transfer analyses, on designing the test assembly for ease of insertion, connection, and withdrawal at the reactor test cell, and on determining instrumentation and test effluent handling requirements. In addition, a review of candidate test reactors for future nuclear light bulb in-reactor tests was conducted.

  8. Parametric study of a canard-configured transport using conceptual design optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arbuckle, P. D.; Sliwa, S. M.

    1985-01-01

    Constrained-parameter optimization is used to perform optimal conceptual design of both canard and conventional configurations of a medium-range transport. A number of design constants and design constraints are systematically varied to compare the sensitivities of canard and conventional configurations to a variety of technology assumptions. Main-landing-gear location and canard surface high-lift performance are identified as critical design parameters for a statically stable, subsonic, canard-configured transport.

  9. Safety performance functions incorporating design consistency variables.

    PubMed

    Montella, Alfonso; Imbriani, Lella Liana

    2015-01-01

    Highway design which ensures that successive elements are coordinated in such a way as to produce harmonious and homogeneous driver performances along the road is considered consistent and safe. On the other hand, an alignment which requires drivers to handle high speed gradients and does not meet drivers' expectancy is considered inconsistent and produces higher crash frequency. To increase the usefulness and the reliability of existing safety performance functions and contribute to solve inconsistencies of existing highways as well as inconsistencies arising in the design phase, we developed safety performance functions for rural motorways that incorporate design consistency measures. Since the design consistency variables were used only for curves, two different sets of models were fitted for tangents and curves. Models for the following crash characteristics were fitted: total, single-vehicle run-off-the-road, other single vehicle, multi vehicle, daytime, nighttime, non-rainy weather, rainy weather, dry pavement, wet pavement, property damage only, slight injury, and severe injury (including fatal). The design consistency parameters in this study are based on operating speed models developed through an instrumented vehicle equipped with a GPS continuous speed tracking from a field experiment conducted on the same motorway where the safety performance functions were fitted (motorway A16 in Italy). Study results show that geometric design consistency has a significant effect on safety of rural motorways. Previous studies on the relationship between geometric design consistency and crash frequency focused on two-lane rural highways since these highways have the higher crash rates and are generally characterized by considerable inconsistencies. Our study clearly highlights that the achievement of proper geometric design consistency is a key design element also on motorways because of the safety consequences of design inconsistencies. The design consistency measures which are significant explanatory variables of the safety performance functions developed in this study are: (1) consistency in driving dynamics, i.e., difference between side friction assumed with respect to the design speed and side friction demanded at the 85th percentile speed; (2) operating speed consistency, i.e., absolute value of the 85th percentile speed reduction through successive elements of the road; (3) inertial speed consistency, i.e., difference between the operating speed in the curve and the average operating speed along the 5 km preceding the beginning of the curve; and (4) length of tangent preceding the curve (only for run-off-the-road crashes). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. TPF coronagraph instrument design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shaklan, S B.; Balasubramanian, K.; Ceperly, D.; Green, J.; Hoppe, D.; Lay, O. P.; Lisman, P. D.; Mouroulis, P. Z.

    2005-01-01

    For the past 2 years, NASA has invested substantial resources to study the design and performance of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C). The work, led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with collaboration from Goddard Space Flight Center and several university and commercial entities, encompasses observatory design, performance modeling, materials characterization, primary mirror studies, and a significant technology development effort including a high-contrast imaging testbed that has achieved 1e-9 contrast in a laboratory experiment.

  11. Dual arm master controller development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuban, D. P.; Perkins, G. S.

    1985-01-01

    The advanced servomanipulator (ASM) slave was designed with an anthropomorphic stance gear/torque tube power drives, and modular construction. These features resulted in increased inertia, friction, and backlash relative to tape driven manipulators. Studies were performed which addressed to human factor design and performance tradeoffs associated with the corresponding master controller best suited for the ASM. The results of these studies, as well as the conceptual design of the dual arm master controller, are presented.

  12. Conceptual design of reduced energy transports

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ardema, M. D.; Harper, M.; Smith, C. L.; Waters, M. H.; Williams, L. J.

    1975-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a conceptual design study of new, near-term fuel-conservative aircraft. A parametric study was made to determine the effects of cruise Mach number and fuel cost on the 'optimum' configuration characteristics and on economic performance. Supercritical wing technology and advanced engine cycles were assumed. For each design, the wing geometry was optimized to give maximum return on investment at a particular fuel cost. Based on the results of the parametric study, a reduced energy configuration was selected. Compared with existing transport designs, the reduced energy design has a higher aspect ratio wing with lower sweep, and cruises at a lower Mach number. It yields about 30% more seat-miles/gal than current wide-body aircraft. At the higher fuel costs anticipated in the future, the reduced energy design has about the same economic performance as existing designs.

  13. Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph Observatory summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ford, Virginia; Levine-Westa, Marie; Kissila, Andy; Kwacka, Eug; Hoa, Tim; Dumonta, Phil; Lismana, Doug; Fehera, Peter; Cafferty, Terry

    2005-01-01

    Creating an optical space telescope observatory capable of detecting and characterizing light from extra-solar terrestrial planets poses technical challenges related to extreme wavefront stability. The Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph design team has been developing an observatory based on trade studies, modeling and analysis that has guided us towards design choices to enable this challenging mission. This paper will describe the current flight baseline design of the observatory and the trade studies that have been performed. The modeling and analysis of this design will be described including predicted performance and the tasks yet to be done.

  14. Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 infrared interferometer spectrometer (MJS' 77) design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    A design study of the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer and Radiometer (IRIS) instrument for the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 mission was conducted. The objective of the study was to investigate a number a potential problem areas identified in previous studies and to develop the instrument system designs along the lines providing for the optimum performance obtainable with the allowable budgets. The considerations for the optical design, mechanical design, and electronic design are examined.

  15. Metabolomics: A Window for Understanding Long Term Physical Consequences of Distrubed Sleep and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Function in Posttraumatic Stress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-01

    performed on pre -collected plasma samples from a study that had a two- group cross-sectional design in which main comparisons were with medically...controls. Approach Metabolomic analysis will be performed on pre -collected plasma samples from a study that had a two- group cross-sectional design in...disturbances, and health. Metabolomic analysis will be performed on pre -collected plasma samples from a study that had a two- group cross-sectional

  16. [Design and study of parallel computing environment of Monte Carlo simulation for particle therapy planning using a public cloud-computing infrastructure].

    PubMed

    Yokohama, Noriya

    2013-07-01

    This report was aimed at structuring the design of architectures and studying performance measurement of a parallel computing environment using a Monte Carlo simulation for particle therapy using a high performance computing (HPC) instance within a public cloud-computing infrastructure. Performance measurements showed an approximately 28 times faster speed than seen with single-thread architecture, combined with improved stability. A study of methods of optimizing the system operations also indicated lower cost.

  17. Toward Eco Product Development with Qualitative and CAE Design Process - Case Study of Flame Guiding Module

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, W. L.; Chao, F. L.

    2018-04-01

    Sustainable products become increasingly important for company in addressing eco-performance to satisfy global environmental regulations. Case study of flame guiding module reviewed design process and concerns related to the torch design. For enhancing flame height, the torch was embedded with an airflow guidance structure. The design process and design methodologies were investigated as an eco-design case study. Combine qualitative and CAE simulation were proposed to fulfil its main and auxiliary functions including reduction of impact during use. The design guidelines help prevent mistake arrangements, CAE helps understand combustion phenomenon. The flow field simulation enables fine tune of geometric design. Functional test and measurement are carried out to confirm the product features. On Eco-performance, we choose 5 items for evaluation the status of previous and redesign module, namely function need, low impact material, few manufacturing steps, low energy consumption, and safety. The radar diagram indicates that eco-performance of redesign module is better. Life cycle assessment calculated the carbon footprint of the manufacturing and processing stage with Eco-it. By using recycled steel in the flame module, it reduces raw material stage carbon footprint significantly.

  18. Design and optimization of a self-deploying PV tent array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colozza, Anthony J.

    A study was performed to design a self-deploying tent shaped PV (photovoltaic) array and optimize the design for maximum specific power. Each structural component of the design was analyzed to determine the size necessary to withstand the various forces it would be subjected to. Through this analysis the component weights were determined. An optimization was performed to determine the array dimensions and blanket geometry which produce the maximum specific power for a given PV blanket. This optimization was performed for both Lunar and Martian environmental conditions. The performance specifications for the array at both locations and with various PV blankets were determined.

  19. Comparison of Thermal Performances between Low Porosity Perforate Plate and Flat Plate Solar Air Collector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Hoy-Yen; Vinson, A. A.; Baljit, S. S. S.; Ruslan, M. H.

    2018-04-01

    Flat plate solar air collector is the most common collector design, which is relatively simpler to fabricate and lower cost. In the present study, perforated plate solar collector was developed to improve the system thermal performance. A glazed perforated plate of 6mm holes diameter with square geometry was designed and installed as the absorber of the collector. The influences of solar radiation intensity and mass flow rate on the thermal performance were investigated. The perforated collector was compared with the flat plate solar collector under the same operating conditions. The highest values of thermal efficiency in this study for the perforated plate (PP) and the flat plate (FP) solar collectors were 59% and 36% respectively, at solar radiation intensity of 846 Wm-2 and mass flow rate of 0.02 kgs-1. Furthermore, PP collector gave better thermal performance compared to FP collector; and compared to previous studies, the present perforated design was compatible with the flat plate with double pass designs.

  20. Sensitivity of Space Station alpha joint robust controller to structural modal parameter variations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kumar, Renjith R.; Cooper, Paul A.; Lim, Tae W.

    1991-01-01

    The photovoltaic array sun tracking control system of Space Station Freedom is described. A synthesis procedure for determining optimized values of the design variables of the control system is developed using a constrained optimization technique. The synthesis is performed to provide a given level of stability margin, to achieve the most responsive tracking performance, and to meet other design requirements. Performance of the baseline design, which is synthesized using predicted structural characteristics, is discussed and the sensitivity of the stability margin is examined for variations of the frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios of dominant structural modes. The design provides enough robustness to tolerate a sizeable error in the predicted modal parameters. A study was made of the sensitivity of performance indicators as the modal parameters of the dominant modes vary. The design variables are resynthesized for varying modal parameters in order to achieve the most responsive tracking performance while satisfying the design requirements. This procedure of reoptimization design parameters would be useful in improving the control system performance if accurate model data are provided.

  1. What are you trying to learn? Study designs and the appropriate analysis for your research question

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    One fundamental necessity in the entire process of a well-performed study is the experimental design. A well-designed study can help researchers understand and have confidence in their results and analyses, and additionally the agreement or disagreement with the stated hypothesis. This well-designed...

  2. Movement-Based VR Gameplay Therapy For A Child With Cerebral Palsy.

    PubMed

    Stansfield, Sharon; Dennis, Carole; Larin, Hélène; Gallagher, Courtney

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a single-subject feasibility study of a motion-based VR game designed to provide benefits similar to constraint-induced movement therapy for children with cerebral palsy, while providing a more enjoyable experience. The game was designed to encourage the child to perform the desired therapeutic movements by allowing him to interact with the game using only his more-affected arm. The study used an AB design: Performance across baseline and intervention phases was assessed to determine whether the intervention resulted in changes to repeated measures. Results of the study showed that compared with baseline measurements done prior to his game experience, the participant's post-intervention performance showed improvement in speed of reach, dissociated movement, and bilateral integration of upper extremities in functional tasks. The child's mother, as well as one of his therapists, reported better performance outside of the study environment as well.

  3. Model for Predicting the Performance of Planetary Suit Hip Bearing Designs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cowley, Matthew S.; Margerum, Sarah; Hharvill, Lauren; Rajulu, Sudhakar

    2012-01-01

    Designing a space suit is very complex and often requires difficult trade-offs between performance, cost, mass, and system complexity. During the development period of the suit numerous design iterations need to occur before the hardware meets human performance requirements. Using computer models early in the design phase of hardware development is advantageous, by allowing virtual prototyping to take place. A virtual design environment allows designers to think creatively, exhaust design possibilities, and study design impacts on suit and human performance. A model of the rigid components of the Mark III Technology Demonstrator Suit (planetary-type space suit) and a human manikin were created and tested in a virtual environment. The performance of the Mark III hip bearing model was first developed and evaluated virtually by comparing the differences in mobility performance between the nominal bearing configurations and modified bearing configurations. Suited human performance was then simulated with the model and compared to actual suited human performance data using the same bearing configurations. The Mark III hip bearing model was able to visually represent complex bearing rotations and the theoretical volumetric ranges of motion in three dimensions. The model was also able to predict suited human hip flexion and abduction maximums to within 10% of the actual suited human subject data, except for one modified bearing condition in hip flexion which was off by 24%. Differences between the model predictions and the human subject performance data were attributed to the lack of joint moment limits in the model, human subject fitting issues, and the limited suit experience of some of the subjects. The results demonstrate that modeling space suit rigid segments is a feasible design tool for evaluating and optimizing suited human performance. Keywords: space suit, design, modeling, performance

  4. Which intervention design factors influence performance of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries? A systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Kok, Maryse C; Dieleman, Marjolein; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Broerse, Jacqueline EW; Kane, Sumit S; Ormel, Hermen; Tijm, Mandy M; de Koning, Korrie AM

    2015-01-01

    Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as an integral component of the health workforce needed to achieve public health goals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many factors influence CHW performance. A systematic review was conducted to identify intervention design related factors influencing performance of CHWs. We systematically searched six databases for quantitative and qualitative studies that included CHWs working in promotional, preventive or curative primary health services in LMICs. One hundred and forty studies met the inclusion criteria, were quality assessed and double read to extract data relevant to the design of CHW programmes. A preliminary framework containing factors influencing CHW performance and characteristics of CHW performance (such as motivation and competencies) guided the literature search and review. A mix of financial and non-financial incentives, predictable for the CHWs, was found to be an effective strategy to enhance performance, especially of those CHWs with multiple tasks. Performance-based financial incentives sometimes resulted in neglect of unpaid tasks. Intervention designs which involved frequent supervision and continuous training led to better CHW performance in certain settings. Supervision and training were often mentioned as facilitating factors, but few studies tested which approach worked best or how these were best implemented. Embedment of CHWs in community and health systems was found to diminish workload and increase CHW credibility. Clearly defined CHW roles and introduction of clear processes for communication among different levels of the health system could strengthen CHW performance. When designing community-based health programmes, factors that increased CHW performance in comparable settings should be taken into account. Additional intervention research to develop a better evidence base for the most effective training and supervision mechanisms and qualitative research to inform policymakers in development of CHW interventions are needed. PMID:25500559

  5. A Case Study of Online Degree Course Design and Performance of Online Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saul, Robert

    2013-01-01

    The increasing demand of learners in online higher education courses currently presents a challenge to online course designs in increasing the performance of learners. The online course design process involves many challenges, including a new delivery system, understanding online drivers for success, and an emerging profession of online…

  6. Electrochemical energy storage subsystems study, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, F. Q.; Richardson, P. W.; Graff, C. L.; Jordan, M. V.; Patterson, V. L.

    1981-01-01

    The effects on life cycle costs (LCC) of major design and performance technology parameters for multi kW LEO and GEO energy storage subsystems using NiCd and NiH2 batteries and fuel cell/electrolysis cell devices were examined. Design, performance and LCC dynamic models are developed based on mission and system/subsystem requirements and existing or derived physical and cost data relationships. The models define baseline designs and costs. The major design and performance parameters are each varied to determine their influence on LCC around the baseline values.

  7. Electrochemical Energy Storage Subsystems Study, Volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, F. Q.; Richardson, P. W.; Graff, C. L.; Jordan, M. V.; Patterson, V. L.

    1981-01-01

    The effects on life cycle costs (LCC) of major design and performance technology parameters for multi kW LEO and GEO energy storage subsystems using NiCd and NiH2 batteries and fuel cell/electrolysis cell devices were examined. Design, performance and LCC dynamic models are developed based on mission and system/subsystem requirements and existing or derived physical and cost data relationships. The models are exercised to define baseline designs and costs. Then the major design and performance parameters are each varied to determine their influence on LCC around the baseline values.

  8. Off-Design Performance of a Streamline-Traced, External-Compression Supersonic Inlet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Slater, John W.

    2017-01-01

    A computational study was performed to explore the aerodynamic performance of a streamline-traced, external-compression inlet designed for Mach 1.664 at off-design conditions of freestream Mach number, angle-of-attack, and angle-of-sideslip. Serious degradation of the inlet performance occurred for negative angles-of-attack and angles-of-sideslip greater than 3 degrees. At low subsonic speeds, the swept leading edges of the inlet created a pair of vortices that propagated to the engine face. Increasing the bluntness of the cowl lip showed no real improvement in the inlet performance at the low speeds, but did improve the inlet performance at the design conditions. Reducing the inlet flow rate improved the inlet performance, but at the likely expense of reduced thrust of the propulsion system. Deforming the cowl lip for low-speed operation of the inlet increased the inlet capture area and improved the inlet performance.

  9. The multi-disciplinary design study: A life cycle cost algorithm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, R. R.; Pichi, F. J.

    1988-01-01

    The approach and results of a Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis of the Space Station Solar Dynamic Power Subsystem (SDPS) including gimbal pointing and power output performance are documented. The Multi-Discipline Design Tool (MDDT) computer program developed during the 1986 study has been modified to include the design, performance, and cost algorithms for the SDPS as described. As with the Space Station structural and control subsystems, the LCC of the SDPS can be computed within the MDDT program as a function of the engineering design variables. Two simple examples of MDDT's capability to evaluate cost sensitivity and design based on LCC are included. MDDT was designed to accept NASA's IMAT computer program data as input so that IMAT's detailed structural and controls design capability can be assessed with expected system LCC as computed by MDDT. No changes to IMAT were required. Detailed knowledge of IMAT is not required to perform the LCC analyses as the interface with IMAT is noninteractive.

  10. Multiprocessor architectural study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kosmala, A. L.; Stanten, S. F.; Vandever, W. H.

    1972-01-01

    An architectural design study was made of a multiprocessor computing system intended to meet functional and performance specifications appropriate to a manned space station application. Intermetrics, previous experience, and accumulated knowledge of the multiprocessor field is used to generate a baseline philosophy for the design of a future SUMC* multiprocessor. Interrupts are defined and the crucial questions of interrupt structure, such as processor selection and response time, are discussed. Memory hierarchy and performance is discussed extensively with particular attention to the design approach which utilizes a cache memory associated with each processor. The ability of an individual processor to approach its theoretical maximum performance is then analyzed in terms of a hit ratio. Memory management is envisioned as a virtual memory system implemented either through segmentation or paging. Addressing is discussed in terms of various register design adopted by current computers and those of advanced design.

  11. Results of the 1979 NACUBO Comparative Performance Study and Investment Questionnaire.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dresner, Bruce M.

    Results of the 1979 Comparative Performance Study of the National Association of College and Business Officers are presented. The study is designed to aid administrators in evaluating the performance of their investment pools. The report covers comparative performance information and related investment performance statistics and other endowment…

  12. Student Achievement in High Performing, Suburban Middle Schools and Low Performing, Urban Middle Schools: Plausible Explanations for the Differences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Kathleen M.; Anfara, Vincent A., Jr.; Roney, Kathleen

    2004-01-01

    Utilizing a qualitative, multisite case study design and the theoretical framework of Hoy and Hannum (1997), the design and execution of this research investigates plausible explanations for the difference in student achievement between high performing (HPS) suburban middle schools and low performing (LPS) urban middle schools. Aside from the…

  13. Organizational Socialization and Its Relation with Organizational Performance in High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balci, Ali; Ozturk, Inci; Polatcan, Mahmut; Saylik, Ahmet; Bil, Erkut

    2016-01-01

    This study is designed to explore organizational socialization and organizational performance levels of secondary school teachers and the relation between the two variables mentioned. The study is designed as correlational research. The target population of the research consists of 5744 teachers who work in public and private Anatolian high…

  14. Predictors of Achievement When Virtual Manipulatives Are Used for Mathematics Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Baker, Joseph; Westenskow, Arla; Anderson-Pence, Katie L.; Shumway, Jessica F.; Jordan, Kerry E.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine variables that predict performance when virtual manipulatives are used for mathematics instruction. This study used a quasi-experimental design. This design was used to determine variables that predict student performance on tests of fraction knowledge for third- and fourth-grade students in two treatment…

  15. Effect of high negative incidence on the performance of a centrifugal compressor stage with conventional vaned diffusers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaatinen, Ahti; Grönman, Aki; Turunen-Saaresti, Teemu; Backman, Jari

    2011-06-01

    Three vaned diffusers, designed to have high negative incidence (-8°) at the design operating point, are studied experimentally. The overall performance (efficiency and pressure ratio) are measured at three rotational speeds, and flow angles before and after the diffuser are measured at the design rotational speed and with three mass flow rates. The results are compared to corresponding results of the original vaneless diffuser design. Attention is paid to the performance at lower mass flows than the design mass flow. The results show that it is possible to improve the performance at mass flows lower than the design mass flow with a vaned diffuser designed with high negative incidence. However, with the vaned diffusers, the compressor still stalls at higher mass flow rates than with the vaneless one. The flow angle distributions after the diffuser are more uniform with the vaned diffusers.

  16. Habitat Utilization Assessment - Building in Behaviors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitmore, Mihriban; Blume, Jennifer

    2004-01-01

    Habitability, and the associated architectural and design attributes of an environment, is a powerful performance shaping factor. By identifying how inhabitants use an area, we can draw conclusions about what design or architectural attributes cause what behaviors and systematically design in desired human performance. We are analyzing how a crew uses a long duration habitat and work environment during a four-day underwater mission and identifying certain architectural and design attributes that are related to, and potential enablers of, certain crew behaviors. By identifying how inhabitants use the habitat, we can draw conclusions about what habitability attributes cause what behaviors and systematically design in desired human performance (applicable to NASA's Bioastronautics Human Behavior and Performance Critical Path Roadmap question 6.12). This assessment replicates a methodology reported in a chapter titled "Sociokinetic Analysis as a Tool for Optimization of Environmental Design" by C. Adams.' That study collected video imagery of certain areas of a closed habitat during a 91 day test and from that data calculated time spent in different volumes during the mission, and characterized the behaviors occurring in certain habitat volumes thus concluding various rules for design of such habitats. This study assesses the utilization of the Aquarius Habitat, an underwater station, which will support six Aquanauts for a fourteen-day mission during which the crew will perform specific scientific and engineering studies. Video is recorded for long uninterrupted periods of time during the mission and from that data the time spent in each area is calculated. In addition, qualitative and descriptive analysis of the types of behaviors in each area is performed with the purpose of identifying any behaviors that are not typical of a certain area. If a participant uses an area in a way different from expected, a subsequent analysis of the features of that area may result in conclusions of performance shaping factors. With the addition of this study, we can make comparisons between the two different habitats and begin drawing correlation judgments about design features and behavior. Ideally, this methodology should be repeated in additional Aquarius missions and other analog environments because the real information will come from comparisons between habitats.

  17. DRACO Flowpath Performance and Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Komar, D. R.; McDonald, Jon

    1999-01-01

    The Advanced Space Transportation (AST) project office has challenged NASA to design, manufacture, ground-test and flight-test an axisymmetric, hydrocarbon-fueled, flight-weight, ejector-ramjet engine system testbed no later than 2005. To accomplish this, a multi-center NASA team has been assembled. The goal of this team, led by NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is to develop propulsion technologies that demonstrate rocket and airbreathing combined-cycle operation (DRACO). Current technical activities include flowpath conceptual design, engine systems conceptual design, and feasibility studies investigating the integration and operation of the DRACO engine with a Lockheed D-21B drone. This paper focuses on the activities of the Flowpath Systems Product Development Team (PDT), led by NASA-Glenn Research Center (GRC) and supported by NASA-MSFC and TechLand Research, Inc. The objective of the Flowpath PDT at the start of the DRACO program was to establish a conceptual design of the flowpath aerodynamic lines, determine the preliminary performance, define the internal environments, and support the DRACO testbed concept feasibility studies. To accomplish these tasks, the PDT convened to establish a baseline flowpath concept. With the conceptual lines defined, cycle analysis tasks were planned and the flowpath performance and internal environments were defined. Additionally, sensitivity studies investigating the effects of inlet reference area, combustion performance, and combustor/nozzle materials selection were performed to support the Flowpath PDT design process. Results of these tasks are the emphasis of this paper and are intended to verify the feasibility of the DRACO flowpath and engine system as well as identify the primary technical challenges inherent in the flight-weight design of an advanced propulsion technology demonstration engine. Preliminary cycle performance decks were developed to support the testbed concept feasibility studies but are not discussed further in this paper.

  18. Energy efficient engine high-pressure turbine component rig performance test report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leach, K. P.

    1983-01-01

    A rig test of the cooled high-pressure turbine component for the Energy Efficient Engine was successfully completed. The principal objective of this test was to substantiate the turbine design point performance as well as determine off-design performance with the interaction of the secondary flow system. The measured efficiency of the cooled turbine component was 88.5 percent, which surpassed the rig design goal of 86.5 percent. The secondary flow system in the turbine performed according to the design intent. Characterization studies showed that secondary flow system performance is insensitive to flow and pressure variations. Overall, this test has demonstrated that a highly-loaded, transonic, single-stage turbine can achieve a high level of operating efficiency.

  19. Power supply standardization and optimization study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ware, C. L.; Ragusa, E. V.

    1972-01-01

    A comprehensive design study of a power supply for use in the space shuttle and other space flight applications is presented. The design specifications are established for a power supply capable of supplying over 90 percent of the anticipated voltage requirements for future spacecraft avionics systems. Analyses and tradeoff studies were performed on several alternative design approaches to assure that the selected design would provide near optimum performance of the planned applications. The selected design uses a dc-to-dc converter incorporating regenerative current feedback with a time-ratio controlled duty cycle to achieve high efficiency over a wide variation in input voltage and output loads. The packaging concept uses an expandable mainframe capable of accommodating up to six inverter/regulator modules with one common input filter module.

  20. Design and analysis of a supersonic penetration/maneuvering fighter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Child, R. D.

    1975-01-01

    The design of three candidate air combat fighters which would cruise effectively at freestream Mach numbers of 1.6, 2.0, and 2.5 while maintaining good transonic maneuvering capability, is considered. These fighters were designed to deliver aerodynamically controlled dogfight missiles at the design Mach numbers. Studies performed by Rockwell International in May 1974 and guidance from NASA determined the shape and size of these missiles. The principle objective of this study is the aerodynamic design of the vehicles; however, configurations are sized to have realistic structures, mass properties, and propulsion systems. The results of this study show that air combat fighters in the 15,000 to 23,000 pound class would cruise supersonically on dry power and still maintain good transonic maneuvering performance.

  1. Indoor Air Quality in 24 California Residences Designed as High-Performance Homes

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

    Less, Brennan; Mullen, Nasim; Singer, Brett

    2015-07-01

    Today’s high performance green homes are reaching previously unheard of levels of airtightness and are using new materials, technologies and strategies, whose impacts on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) cannot be fully anticipated from prior studies. This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

  2. Effects of Rating Purpose and Rater Self-Esteem on Performance Ratings.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-03-01

    examined in a laboratory study, using a 2x2 analysis of variance design. Results indicate that low self - esteem raters assign significantly higher...design. Results indicate that low self - esteem raters assign significantly higher performance ratings when performance appraisal information will be used...studies indicated that individuals low in self - esteem have less self -confidence, feel less competent, and rely more on others’ opinions than do individuals

  3. Affordable Design: A Methodolgy to Implement Process-Based Manufacturing Cost into the Traditional Performance-Focused Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bao, Han P.; Samareh, J. A.

    2000-01-01

    The primary objective of this paper is to demonstrate the use of process-based manufacturing and assembly cost models in a traditional performance-focused multidisciplinary design and optimization process. The use of automated cost-performance analysis is an enabling technology that could bring realistic processbased manufacturing and assembly cost into multidisciplinary design and optimization. In this paper, we present a new methodology for incorporating process costing into a standard multidisciplinary design optimization process. Material, manufacturing processes, and assembly processes costs then could be used as the objective function for the optimization method. A case study involving forty-six different configurations of a simple wing is presented, indicating that a design based on performance criteria alone may not necessarily be the most affordable as far as manufacturing and assembly cost is concerned.

  4. Effects of Performance-Based Financial Incentives on Work Performance: A Study of Technical-Level Employees in the Private Sector in Sri Lanka

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wickramasinghe, Vathsala; Dabere, Sampath

    2012-01-01

    The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of performance-based financial incentives on work performance. The study hypothesized that the design features of performance-based financial incentive schemes themselves may influence individuals' work performance. For the study, survey methodology was used and 93 technical-level employees…

  5. The GlueX central drift chamber: Design and performance

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

    Van Haarlem, Y; Barbosa, F; Dey, B

    2010-10-01

    Tests and studies concerning the design and performance of the GlueX Central Drift Chamber (CDC) are presented. A full-scale prototype was built to test and steer the mechanical and electronic design. Small scale prototypes were constructed to test for sagging and to do timing and resolution studies of the detector. These studies were used to choose the gas mixture and to program a Monte Carlo simulation that can predict the detector response in an external magnetic field. Particle identification and charge division possibilities were also investigated.

  6. Aerodynamic design optimization of a fuel efficient high-performance, single-engine, business airplane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holmes, B. J.

    1980-01-01

    A design study has been conducted to optimize a single-engine airplane for a high-performance cruise mission. The mission analyzed included a cruise speed of about 300 knots, a cruise range of about 1300 nautical miles, and a six-passenger payload (5340 N (1200 lb)). The purpose of the study is to investigate the combinations of wing design, engine, and operating altitude required for the mission. The results show that these mission performance characteristics can be achieved with fuel efficiencies competitive with present-day high-performance, single- and twin-engine, business airplanes. It is noted that relaxation of the present Federal Aviation Regulation, Part 23, stall-speed requirement for single-engine airplanes facilitates the optimization of the airplane for fuel efficiency.

  7. The Five-Factor Model Personality Assessment for Improved Student Design Team Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogot, Madara; Okudan, Gul E.

    2006-01-01

    Researchers have long noted the correlation of various personality traits and team performance. Studies relating aggregate team personality traits to team performance are scattered in the literature and may not always be relevant to engineering design teams. This paper synthesizes the results from applicable Five-Factor Model (FFM)-based…

  8. Performance Appraisal in an Academic Library: A Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Verna E.

    Well-designed performance appraisals should provide employees with feedback concerning their performance, serve as a basis for modifying behavior toward more effective work habits, and provide managers with data which they can use to judge future job assignments and compensation. Poorly-designed ones, used as short-term control systems, can create…

  9. Correlating Trainee Attributes to Performance in 3D CAD Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamade, Ramsey F.; Artail, Hassan A.; Sikstrom, Sverker

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study is to identify trainee attributes relevant for development of skills in 3D computer-aided design (CAD). Design/methodology/approach: Participants were trained to perform cognitive tasks of comparable complexity over time. Performance data were collected on the time needed to construct test models, and…

  10. Job design, employment practices and well-being: a systematic review of intervention studies.

    PubMed

    Daniels, Kevin; Gedikli, Cigdem; Watson, David; Semkina, Antonina; Vaughn, Oluwafunmilayo

    2017-09-01

    There is inconsistent evidence that deliberate attempts to improve job design realise improvements in well-being. We investigated the role of other employment practices, either as instruments for job redesign or as instruments that augment job redesign. Our primary outcome was well-being. Where studies also assessed performance, we considered performance as an outcome. We reviewed 33 intervention studies. We found that well-being and performance may be improved by: training workers to improve their own jobs; training coupled with job redesign; and system wide approaches that simultaneously enhance job design and a range of other employment practices. We found insufficient evidence to make any firm conclusions concerning the effects of training managers in job redesign and that participatory approaches to improving job design have mixed effects. Successful implementation of interventions was associated with worker involvement and engagement with interventions, managerial commitment to interventions and integration of interventions with other organisational systems. Practitioner Summary: Improvements in well-being and performance may be associated with system-wide approaches that simultaneously enhance job design, introduce a range of other employment practices and focus on worker welfare. Training may have a role in initiating job redesign or augmenting the effects of job design on well-being.

  11. Analysis of Combined Data from Heterogeneous Study Designs: A Methodological Proposal from the Patient Navigation Research program

    PubMed Central

    Roetzheim, Richard G.; Freund, Karen M.; Corle, Don K.; Murray, David M.; Snyder, Frederick R.; Kronman, Andrea C.; Jean-Pierre, Pascal; Raich, Peter C.; Holden, Alan E. C.; Darnell, Julie S.; Warren-Mears, Victoria; Patierno, Steven; Design, PNRP; Committee, Analysis

    2013-01-01

    Background The Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) is a cooperative effort of nine research projects, each employing its own unique study design. To evaluate projects such as PNRP, it is desirable to perform a pooled analysis to increase power relative to the individual projects. There is no agreed upon prospective methodology, however, for analyzing combined data arising from different study designs. Expert opinions were thus solicited from members of the PNRP Design and Analysis Committee Purpose To review possible methodologies for analyzing combined data arising from heterogeneous study designs. Methods The Design and Analysis Committee critically reviewed the pros and cons of five potential methods for analyzing combined PNRP project data. Conclusions were based on simple consensus. The five approaches reviewed included: 1) Analyzing and reporting each project separately, 2) Combining data from all projects and performing an individual-level analysis, 3) Pooling data from projects having similar study designs, 4) Analyzing pooled data using a prospective meta analytic technique, 5) Analyzing pooled data utilizing a novel simulated group randomized design. Results Methodologies varied in their ability to incorporate data from all PNRP projects, to appropriately account for differing study designs, and in their impact from differing project sample sizes. Limitations The conclusions reached were based on expert opinion and not derived from actual analyses performed. Conclusions The ability to analyze pooled data arising from differing study designs may provide pertinent information to inform programmatic, budgetary, and policy perspectives. Multi-site community-based research may not lend itself well to the more stringent explanatory and pragmatic standards of a randomized controlled trial design. Given our growing interest in community-based population research, the challenges inherent in the analysis of heterogeneous study design are likely to become more salient. Discussion of the analytic issues faced by the PNRP and the methodological approaches we considered may be of value to other prospective community-based research programs. PMID:22273587

  12. Analysis of combined data from heterogeneous study designs: an applied example from the patient navigation research program.

    PubMed

    Roetzheim, Richard G; Freund, Karen M; Corle, Don K; Murray, David M; Snyder, Frederick R; Kronman, Andrea C; Jean-Pierre, Pascal; Raich, Peter C; Holden, Alan Ec; Darnell, Julie S; Warren-Mears, Victoria; Patierno, Steven

    2012-04-01

    The Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) is a cooperative effort of nine research projects, with similar clinical criteria but with different study designs. To evaluate projects such as PNRP, it is desirable to perform a pooled analysis to increase power relative to the individual projects. There is no agreed-upon prospective methodology, however, for analyzing combined data arising from different study designs. Expert opinions were thus solicited from the members of the PNRP Design and Analysis Committee. To review possible methodologies for analyzing combined data arising from heterogeneous study designs. The Design and Analysis Committee critically reviewed the pros and cons of five potential methods for analyzing combined PNRP project data. The conclusions were based on simple consensus. The five approaches reviewed included the following: (1) analyzing and reporting each project separately, (2) combining data from all projects and performing an individual-level analysis, (3) pooling data from projects having similar study designs, (4) analyzing pooled data using a prospective meta-analytic technique, and (5) analyzing pooled data utilizing a novel simulated group-randomized design. Methodologies varied in their ability to incorporate data from all PNRP projects, to appropriately account for differing study designs, and to accommodate differing project sample sizes. The conclusions reached were based on expert opinion and not derived from actual analyses performed. The ability to analyze pooled data arising from differing study designs may provide pertinent information to inform programmatic, budgetary, and policy perspectives. Multisite community-based research may not lend itself well to the more stringent explanatory and pragmatic standards of a randomized controlled trial design. Given our growing interest in community-based population research, the challenges inherent in the analysis of heterogeneous study design are likely to become more salient. Discussion of the analytic issues faced by the PNRP and the methodological approaches we considered may be of value to other prospective community-based research programs.

  13. SRB/SLEEC (Solid Rocket Booster/Shingle Lap Extendible Exit Cone) feasibility study, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baker, William H., Jr.

    1986-01-01

    A preliminary design and analysis was completed for a SLEEC (Shingle Lap Extendible Exit Cone) which could be incorporated on the Space Transportation System (STS) Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). Studies were completed which predicted weights and performance increases and development plans were prepared for the full-scale bench and static test of SLEEC. In conjunction with the design studies, a series of supporting analyses were performed to assure the validity and feasibility of performance, fabrication, cost, and reliability for the selected design. The feasibility and required amounts of bench, static firing, and flight tests considered necessary for the successful incorporation of SLEEC on the Shuttle SRBs were determined. Preliminary plans were completed which define both a follow on study effort and a development program.

  14. Synthesis of major economic studies of residential photovoltaics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1984-01-01

    Six studies that analyze the cost effectiveness of grid connected residential photovoltaic systems are reviewed. These six studies were selected based on two criteria. First, the reports share common emphases on developing photovoltaic systems with certain engineering design goals in mind, and on performing economic analyses to assess the long term economic potential of the system design. The economic analyses presented are performed from the consumer's perspective.

  15. A Spreadsheet Simulation Tool for Terrestrial and Planetary Balloon Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Raquea, Steven M.

    1999-01-01

    During the early stages of new balloon design and development, it is necessary to conduct many trade studies. These trade studies are required to determine the design space, and aid significantly in determining overall feasibility. Numerous point designs then need to be generated as details of payloads, materials, mission, and manufacturing are determined. To accomplish these numerous designs, transient models are both unnecessary and time intensive. A steady state model that uses appropriate design inputs to generate system-level descriptive parameters can be very flexible and fast. Just such a steady state model has been developed and has been used during both the MABS 2001 Mars balloon study and the Ultra Long Duration Balloon Project. Using Microsoft Excel's built-in iteration routine, a model was built. Separate sheets were used for performance, structural design, materials, and thermal analysis as well as input and output sheets. As can be seen from figure 1, the model takes basic performance requirements, weight estimates, design parameters, and environmental conditions and generates a system level balloon design. Figure 2 shows a sample output of the model. By changing the inputs and a few of the equations in the model, balloons on earth or other planets can be modeled. There are currently several variations of the model for terrestrial and Mars balloons, as well there are versions of the model that perform crude material design based on strength and weight requirements. To perform trade studies, the Visual Basic language built into Excel was used to create an automated matrix of designs. This trade study module allows a three dimensional trade surface to be generated by using a series of values for any two design variables. Once the fixed and variable inputs are defined, the model automatically steps through the input matrix and fills a spreadsheet with the resulting point designs. The proposed paper will describe the model in detail, including current variations. The assumptions, governing equations, and capabilities will be addressed. Detailed examples of the model in practice will also be used.

  16. Taking Word Clouds Apart: An Empirical Investigation of the Design Space for Keyword Summaries.

    PubMed

    Felix, Cristian; Franconeri, Steven; Bertini, Enrico

    2018-01-01

    In this paper we present a set of four user studies aimed at exploring the visual design space of what we call keyword summaries: lists of words with associated quantitative values used to help people derive an intuition of what information a given document collection (or part of it) may contain. We seek to systematically study how different visual representations may affect people's performance in extracting information out of keyword summaries. To this purpose, we first create a design space of possible visual representations and compare the possible solutions in this design space through a variety of representative tasks and performance metrics. Other researchers have, in the past, studied some aspects of effectiveness with word clouds, however, the existing literature is somewhat scattered and do not seem to address the problem in a sufficiently systematic and holistic manner. The results of our studies showed a strong dependency on the tasks users are performing. In this paper we present details of our methodology, the results, as well as, guidelines on how to design effective keyword summaries based in our discoveries.

  17. Design, Development and Analysis of Centrifugal Blower

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baloni, Beena Devendra; Channiwala, Salim Abbasbhai; Harsha, Sugnanam Naga Ramannath

    2018-06-01

    Centrifugal blowers are widely used turbomachines equipment in all kinds of modern and domestic life. Manufacturing of blowers seldom follow an optimum design solution for individual blower. Although centrifugal blowers are developed as highly efficient machines, design is still based on various empirical and semi empirical rules proposed by fan designers. There are different methodologies used to design the impeller and other components of blowers. The objective of present study is to study explicit design methodologies and tracing unified design to get better design point performance. This unified design methodology is based more on fundamental concepts and minimum assumptions. Parametric study is also carried out for the effect of design parameters on pressure ratio and their interdependency in the design. The code is developed based on a unified design using C programming. Numerical analysis is carried out to check the flow parameters inside the blower. Two blowers, one based on the present design and other on industrial design, are developed with a standard OEM blower manufacturing unit. A comparison of both designs is done based on experimental performance analysis as per IS standard. The results suggest better efficiency and more flow rate for the same pressure head in case of the present design compared with industrial one.

  18. Impacts of Performance Pay under the Teacher Incentive Fund: Study Design Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glazerman, Steven; Chiang, Hanley; Wellington, Alison; Constantine, Jill; Player, Dan

    2011-01-01

    The body of research on the design, implementation, and effects of performance-based compensation systems has influenced the design and evaluation of the 2010 Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants. In the sections presented here, the authors describe the key components of 2010 TIF grants and the conceptual framework for the evaluation. The remainder…

  19. Design, Construction and Testing of Annular Diffusers for High Speed Civil Transportation Combustor Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Okhio, Cyril B.

    1996-01-01

    A theoretical and an experimental design study of subsonic flow through curved-wall annular diffusers has been initiated under this award in order to establish the most pertinent design parameters and hence performance characteristics for such devices, an the implications of their application in the design of engine components in the aerospace industries. The diffusers under this study are expected to contain appreciable regions of stall and the effects of swirl on their performance are being studied. The experimental work involves the application of Computer Aided Design software tool to the development of a suitable annular diffuse geometry and the subsequent downloading of such data to a CNC machine at Central State University (CSU). Two experimental run segments have been completed so far during FY-95 involving flow visualization and diffuser performance evaluation based on Kinetic Energy Dissipation. The method of calculation of the performance of diffusers based on pressure recovery coefficient has been shown to have some shortcomings and so the kinetic energy dissipation approach has been introduced in the run segment two with some success. The application of the discretized, full Navier Stokes and Continuity equations to the numerical study of the problem described above for the time-mean flow is expected to follow. Various models of turbulence are being evaluated for adoption throughout the study and comparisons would be made with experimental data where they exist. Assessment of diffuser performance based on the dissipated mechanical energy would also be made. The result of the investigations are expected to indicate that more cost effective component design of such devices as diffusers which normally contain complex flows can still be achieved.

  20. An Overview of Demise Calculations, Conceptual Design Studies, and Hydrazine Compatibility Testing for the GPM Core Spacecraft Propellant Tank

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Estes, Robert H.; Moore, N. R.

    2007-01-01

    NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is an ongoing Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) project whose basic objective is to improve global precipitation measurements. It has been decided that the GPM spacecraft is to be a "design for demise" spacecraft. This requirement resulted in the need for a propellant tank that would also demise or ablate to an appropriate degree upon re-entry. This paper will describe GSFC-performed spacecraft and tankage demise analyses, vendor conceptual design studies, and vendor performed hydrazine compatibility and wettability tests performed on 6061 and 2219 aluminum alloys.

  1. Design study of technology requirements for high performance single-propeller-driven business airplanes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kohlman, D. L.; Hammer, J.

    1985-01-01

    Developments in aerodyamic, structural and propulsion technologies which influence the potential for significant improvements in performance and fuel efficiency of general aviation business airplanes are discussed. The advancements include such technolgies as natural laminar flow, composite materials, and advanced intermittent combustion engines. The design goal for this parameter design study is a range of 1300 nm at 300 knots true airspeed with a payload of 1200lbs at 35,000 ft cruise altitude. The individual and synergistic effects of various advanced technologies on the optimization of this class of high performance, single engine, propeller driven business airplanes are identified.

  2. Performance of Subsurface Tube Drainage System in Saline Soils: A Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pali, A. K.

    2015-06-01

    In order to improve the saline and water logged soils caused due to groundwater table rise, installation of subsurface drainage system is considered as one of the best remedies. However, the design of the drainage system has to be accurate so that the field performance results conform to the designed results. In this investigation, the field performance of subsurface tube drainage system installed at the study area was evaluated. The performance was evaluated on the basis of comparison of the designed value of water table drop as 30 cm after 2 days of drainage and predicted and field measured hydraulic heads for a consecutive drainage period of 14 days. The investigation revealed that the actual drop of water table after 2 days of drainage was 25 cm, about 17 % less than the designed value of 30 cm after 2 days of drainage. The comparison of hydraulic heads predicted by Van Schilfgaarde equation of unsteady drainage with the field-measured hydraulic heads showed that the deviation of predicted hydraulic heads varied within a range of ±8 % indicating high acceptability of Van Schlifgaarde equation for designing subsurface drainage system in saline and water logged soils resembling to that of the study area.

  3. Continued Monitoring of Indiana's SPS9-A Site

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-07-01

    This study was initiated to continue monitoring the performance of five test sections placed in 1997 to compare the performance of : Superpave asphalt mixtures with different binder grades and one test section designed using the Marshall mix design m...

  4. Developments in REDES: The rocket engine design expert system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidian, Kenneth O.

    1990-01-01

    The Rocket Engine Design Expert System (REDES) is being developed at the NASA-Lewis to collect, automate, and perpetuate the existing expertise of performing a comprehensive rocket engine analysis and design. Currently, REDES uses the rigorous JANNAF methodology to analyze the performance of the thrust chamber and perform computational studies of liquid rocket engine problems. The following computer codes were included in REDES: a gas properties program named GASP, a nozzle design program named RAO, a regenerative cooling channel performance evaluation code named RTE, and the JANNAF standard liquid rocket engine performance prediction code TDK (including performance evaluation modules ODE, ODK, TDE, TDK, and BLM). Computational analyses are being conducted by REDES to provide solutions to liquid rocket engine thrust chamber problems. REDES is built in the Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE) expert system shell and runs on a Sun 4/110 computer.

  5. Developments in REDES: The Rocket Engine Design Expert System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidian, Kenneth O.

    1990-01-01

    The Rocket Engine Design Expert System (REDES) was developed at NASA-Lewis to collect, automate, and perpetuate the existing expertise of performing a comprehensive rocket engine analysis and design. Currently, REDES uses the rigorous JANNAF methodology to analyze the performance of the thrust chamber and perform computational studies of liquid rocket engine problems. The following computer codes were included in REDES: a gas properties program named GASP; a nozzle design program named RAO; a regenerative cooling channel performance evaluation code named RTE; and the JANNAF standard liquid rocket engine performance prediction code TDK (including performance evaluation modules ODE, ODK, TDE, TDK, and BLM). Computational analyses are being conducted by REDES to provide solutions to liquid rocket engine thrust chamber problems. REDES was built in the Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE) expert system shell and runs on a Sun 4/110 computer.

  6. Personal Access Satellite System (PASS) study. Fiscal year 1989 results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sue, Miles K. (Editor)

    1990-01-01

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is exploring the potential and feasibility of a personal access satellite system (PASS) that will offer the user greater freedom and mobility than existing or currently planned communications systems. Studies performed in prior years resulted in a strawman design and the identification of technologies that are critical to the successful implementation of PASS. The study efforts in FY-89 were directed towards alternative design options with the objective of either improving the system performance or alleviating the constraints on the user terminal. The various design options and system issues studied this year and the results of the study are presented.

  7. Effect of Polya Problem-Solving Model on Senior Secondary School Students' Performance in Current Electricity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olaniyan, Ademola Olatide; Omosewo, Esther O.; Nwankwo, Levi I.

    2015-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate the Effect of Polya Problem-Solving Model on Senior School Students' Performance in Current Electricity. It was a quasi experimental study of non- randomized, non equivalent pre-test post-test control group design. Three research questions were answered and corresponding three research hypotheses were tested…

  8. The Effect of Choosing versus Receiving Feedback on College Students' Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutumisu, Maria; Schwartz, Daniel L.

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the effect of choosing versus receiving feedback on the learning performance of n = 98 post-secondary students from California on a digital poster design task. The study employs a yoked experimental design where college students are randomly assigned to play a choice-based assessment game, Posterlet, in one of two conditions,…

  9. The Mediator Effects of Conceiving Imagination on Academic Performance of Design Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Wei-Sheng; Hsu, Yuling; Liang, Chaoyun

    2014-01-01

    Three studies were combined to examine the effects of creativity and imagination on the academic performance of design students. Study 1 conducted an exploratory factor analysis to determine the most appropriate structure of the Creativity Capability Scale (CCS) in a sample of 313 college students. The scale was a new self-report measure, and it…

  10. Media Usage, Religiosity and Gender as Determinant of Performance in Chemistry Subject

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oloyede, Ganiyat Kehinde; Mercy, Ofole Ndidi

    2016-01-01

    This research was designed to investigate the effect of media usage, religiosity and gender on performance in chemistry subject. This study employed survey research design. Two hundred participants (66 males and 134 females) drawn from public Senior Secondary Schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State constituted the study's sample.…

  11. Evaluation of study design variables and their impact on food-maintained operant responding in mice.

    PubMed

    Haluk, Desirae M; Wickman, Kevin

    2010-03-05

    Operant conditioning paradigms are useful for studying factors involved in reward, particularly when combined with the tools of genetic manipulation in mice. Published operant studies involving mice vary widely with respect to design, and insight into the consequences of design choices on performance in mice is limited. Here, we evaluated the impact of five design variables on the performance of inbred male mice in operant tasks involving solid food pellets as reinforcing agents. We found that the use of lever-press or nose-poke during FR1 sessions did not impact the performance of C57BL/6 mice, but that the lever-press approach correlated with enhanced performance during PR testing. While FR1 session duration had a notable impact on the rate of acquisition of food-maintained responding, performance during FR1 and PR sessions was largely unaffected. Higher order schedules of reinforcement (FR3 and FR5) led to elevated responding during both FR and PR sessions, and improved the correspondence between rewards earned and consumed. Single and group-housed mice performed indistinguishably during FR1 and PR sessions, while environmental enrichment combined with group housing accelerated the rate of acquisition of food-maintained responding while decreasing responding during PR testing. Finally, while C57BL/6 and 129/Sv mice exhibited comparable behavior during FR1 sessions, C57BL/6 mice tended to acquire food-maintained responding faster than 129/Sv counterparts, and exhibited elevated responding during PR testing. Altogether, our findings indicate that while operant performance for food in mice is relatively insensitive to many study parameters, experimental outcomes can be shaped predictably with proper design decisions. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Meaning profiles of dwellings, pathways, and metaphors in design: implications for education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casakin, Hernan; Kreitler, Shulamith

    2017-11-01

    The study deals with the roles and interrelations of the meaning-based assessments of dwellings, pathways and metaphors in design performance. It is grounded in the Meaning Theory [Kreitler, S., and H. Kreitler. 1990. The Cognitive Foundations of Personality Traits. New York: Plenum], which enables identifying the cognitive contents and processes underlying cognitive performance in different domains, thus rendering them more accessible to educational training. The objectives were to identify the components of the meaning profiles of dwellings, pathways, and metaphors as perceived by design students; to analyse their interrelations; and to examine which of the identified components of these constructs serve as best predictors of design performance aided by the use of metaphors. Participants were administered a design task and questionnaires about the Dimensional Profiles of Dwellings, Pathways, and Metaphors, based on the meaning system. Factors based on the factor analyses of the responses to the three questionnaires were used in regression analyses as predictors of the performance score in a design task. The following three factors of the dimensional meaning profiles of metaphors were significant predictors of design performance: sensory, functional, and structural evaluations. Implications for design education are discussed, primarily concerning the important role of metaphor in design problem-solving.

  13. Integrated flight/propulsion control system design based on a decentralized, hierarchical approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mattern, Duane; Garg, Sanjay; Bullard, Randy

    1989-01-01

    A sample integrated flight/propulsion control system design is presented for the piloted longitudinal landing task with a modern, statistically unstable fighter aircraft. The design procedure is summarized. The vehicle model used in the sample study is described, and the procedure for partitioning the integrated system is presented along with a description of the subsystems. The high-level airframe performance specifications and control design are presented and the control performance is evaluated. The generation of the low-level (engine) subsystem specifications from the airframe requirements are discussed, and the engine performance specifications are presented along with the subsystem control design. A compensator to accommodate the influence of airframe outputs on the engine subsystem is also considered. Finally, the entire closed loop system performance and stability characteristics are examined.

  14. Integrated flight/propulsion control system design based on a decentralized, hierarchical approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mattern, Duane; Garg, Sanjay; Bullard, Randy

    1989-01-01

    A sample integrated flight/propulsion control system design is presented for the piloted longitiudinal landing task with a modern, statistically unstable fighter aircraft. The design procedure is summarized, the vehicle model used in the sample study is described, and the procedure for partitioning the integrated system is presented along with a description of the subsystems. The high-level airframe performance specifications and control design are presented and the control performance is evaluated. The generation of the low-level (engine) subsystem specifications from the airframe requirements are discussed, and the engine performance specifications are presented along with the subsystem control design. A compensator to accommodate the influence of airframe outputs on the engine subsystem is also considered. Finally, the entire closed loop system performance and stability characteristics are examined.

  15. A study of performance and cost improvement potential of the 120 inch (3.05 m) diameter solid rocket motor. Volume 1: Summary report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Backlund, S. J.; Rossen, J. N.

    1971-01-01

    A parametric study of ballistic modifications to the 120 inch diameter solid propellant rocket engine which forms part of the Air Force Titan 3 system is presented. 576 separate designs were defined and 24 were selected for detailed analysis. Detailed design descriptions, ballistic performance, and mass property data were prepared for each design. It was determined that a relatively simple change in design parameters could provide a wide range of solid propellant rocket engine ballistic characteristics for future launch vehicle applications.

  16. Vehicle Design Evaluation Program (VDEP). A computer program for weight sizing, economic, performance and mission analysis of fuel-conservative aircraft, multibodied aircraft and large cargo aircraft using both JP and alternative fuels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oman, B. H.

    1977-01-01

    The NASA Langley Research Center vehicle design evaluation program (VDEP-2) was expanded by (1) incorporating into the program a capability to conduct preliminary design studies on subsonic commercial transport type aircraft using both JP and such alternate fuels as hydrogen and methane;(2) incorporating an aircraft detailed mission and performance analysis capability; and (3) developing and incorporating an external loads analysis capability. The resulting computer program (VDEP-3) provides a preliminary design tool that enables the user to perform integrated sizing, structural analysis, and cost studies on subsonic commercial transport aircraft. Both versions of the VDEP-3 Program which are designated preliminary Analysis VDEP-3 and detailed Analysis VDEP utilize the same vehicle sizing subprogram which includes a detailed mission analysis capability, as well as a geometry and weight analysis for multibodied configurations.

  17. Interactive design and analysis of future large spacecraft concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garrett, L. B.

    1981-01-01

    An interactive computer aided design program used to perform systems level design and analysis of large spacecraft concepts is presented. Emphasis is on rapid design, analysis of integrated spacecraft, and automatic spacecraft modeling for lattice structures. Capabilities and performance of multidiscipline applications modules, the executive and data management software, and graphics display features are reviewed. A single user at an interactive terminal create, design, analyze, and conduct parametric studies of Earth orbiting spacecraft with relative ease. Data generated in the design, analysis, and performance evaluation of an Earth-orbiting large diameter antenna satellite are used to illustrate current capabilities. Computer run time statistics for the individual modules quantify the speed at which modeling, analysis, and design evaluation of integrated spacecraft concepts is accomplished in a user interactive computing environment.

  18. Study program for design improvements of the X-3060 klystron. Phase 3: Electron gun fabrication and beam analyzer evaluation. Phase 4: Klystron prototype fabrication and testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldfinger, A.

    1981-01-01

    A full scale model was produced to verify suggested design changes. Through beam analyzer study, the correct electron beam diameter and cross sectional profile were established in conjunction with the desired confining magnetic field. Comparative data on the performance of the X-3060 klystron, design predictions for the improved klystron, and performance data taken during acceptance testing of the prototype VKS-8274 JPL are presented.

  19. Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) advanced expander cycle engine point design study. Volume 2: Study results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    Detailed computer models of the engine were developed to predict both the steady state and transient operation of the engine system. Mechanical design layout drawings were prepared for the following components: thrust chamber and nozzle; extendible nozzle actuating mechanism and seal; LOX turbopump and boost pump; hydrogen turbopump and boost pump; and the propellant control valves. The necessary heat transfer, stress, fluid flow, dynamic, and performance analyses were performed to support the mechanical design.

  20. Systems cost/performance analysis; study 2.3. Volume 3: Programmer's manual and user's guide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    The implementation of the entire systems cost/performance model as a digital computer program was studied. A discussion of the operating environment in which the program was written and checked, the program specifications such as discussions of logic and computational flow, the different subsystem models involved in the design of the spacecraft, and routines involved in the nondesign area such as costing and scheduling of the design were covered. Preliminary results for the DSCS-2 design are also included.

  1. FHWA road tunnel design guidelines

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2004-07-01

    This document provides technical criteria and guidance for the planning and design of road tunnels. Specific areas covered include planning, studies and investigations, design, and design of construction, of tunnels and shafts. Performance concepts a...

  2. Thermal Performance of Precast Concrete Sandwich Panel (PCSP) Design for Sustainable Built Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ern, Peniel Ang Soon; Ling, Lim Mei; Kasim, Narimah; Hamid, Zuhairi Abd; Masrom, Md Asrul Nasid Bin

    2017-10-01

    Malaysia’s awareness of performance criteria in construction industry towards a sustainable built environment with the use of precast concrete sandwich panel (PCSP) system is applied in the building’s wall to study the structural behaviour. However, very limited studies are conducted on the thermal insulation of exterior and interior panels in PCSP design. In hot countries such as Malaysia, proper designs of panel are important to obtain better thermal insulation for building. This study is based on thermal performance of precast concrete sandwich panel design for sustainable built environment in Malaysia. In this research, three full specimens, which are control specimen (C), foamed concrete (FC) panels and concrete panels with added palm oil fuel ash (FC+ POFA), where FC and FC+POFA sandwiched with gypsum board (G) were produced to investigate their thermal performance. Temperature difference of exterior and interior surface of specimen was used as indicators of thermal-insulating performance of PCSP design. Heat transfer test by halogen lamp was carried out on three specimens where the exterior surface of specimens was exposed to the halogen lamp. The temperature reading of exterior and interior surface for three specimens were recorded with the help of thermocouple. Other factors also studied the workability, compressive strength and axial compressive strength of the specimens. This study has shown that FC + POFA specimen has the strength nearer to normal specimen (C + FC specimen). Meanwhile, the heat transfer results show that the FC+POFA has better thermal insulation performance compared to C and FC specimens with the highest temperature difference, 3.4°C compared to other specimens. The results from this research are useful to be implemented in construction due to its benefits such as reduction of energy consumption in air-conditioning, reduction of construction periods and eco-friendly materials.

  3. Re-Assessing Green Building Performance: A Post Occupancy Evaluation of 22 GSA Buildings

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

    Fowler, Kimberly M.; Rauch, Emily M.; Henderson, Jordan W.

    2010-06-01

    2nd report on the performance of GSA's sustainably designed buildings. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of measured whole building performance as it compares to GSA and industry baselines. The PNNL research team found the data analysis illuminated strengths and weaknesses of individual buildings as well as the portfolio of buildings. This section includes summary data, observations that cross multiple performance metrics, discussion of lessons learned from this research, and opportunities for future research. The summary of annual data for each of the performance metrics is provided in Table 25. The data represent 1 year ofmore » measurements and are not associated with any specific design features or strategies. Where available, multiple years of data were examined and there were minimal significant differences between the years. Individually focused post occupancy evaluation (POEs) would allow for more detailed analysis of the buildings. Examining building performance over multiple years could potentially offer a useful diagnostic tool for identifying building operations that are in need of operational changes. Investigating what the connection is between the building performance and the design intent would offer potential design guidance and possible insight into building operation strategies. The 'aggregate operating cost' metric used in this study represents the costs that were available for developing a comparative industry baseline for office buildings. The costs include water utilities, energy utilities, general maintenance, grounds maintenance, waste and recycling, and janitorial costs. Three of the buildings that cost more than the baseline in Figure 45 have higher maintenance costs than the baseline, and one has higher energy costs. Given the volume of data collected and analyzed for this study, the inevitable request is for a simple answer with respect to sustainably designed building performance. As previously stated, compiling the individual building values into single metrics is not statistically valid given the small number of buildings, but it has been done to provide a cursory view of this portfolio of sustainably designed buildings. For all metrics except recycling cost per rentable square foot and CBE survey response rate, the averaged building performance was better than the baseline for the GSA buildings in this study.« less

  4. A study of multiplex data bus techniques for the space shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kearney, R. J.; Kalange, M. A.

    1972-01-01

    A comprehensive technology base for the design of a multiplexed data bus subsystem is provided. Extensive analyses, both analytical and empirical, were performed. Subjects covered are classified under the following headings: requirements identification and analysis; transmission media studies; signal design and detection studies; synchronization, timing, and control studies; user-subsystem interface studies; operational reliability analyses; design of candidate data bus configurations; and evaluation of candidate data bus designs.

  5. Conceptual design study of potential early commercial MHD powerplant. Report of task 2 results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hals, F. A.

    1981-03-01

    The conceptual design of one of the potential early commercial MHD power plants was studied. The plant employs oxygen enrichment of the combustion air and preheating of this oxygen enriched air to an intermediate temperature of 1200 F attainable with a tubular type recuperative heat exchanger. Conceptual designs of plant componets and equipment with performance, operational characteristics, and costs are reported. Plant economics and overall performance including full and part load operation are reviewed. The projected performance and estimated cost of this early MHD plant are compared to conventional power plants, although it does not offer the same high efficiency and low costs as the mature MHD power plant. Environmental aspects and the methods incorporated in plant design for emission control of sulfur and nitrogen are reviewed.

  6. Study of crash energy absorption characteristics of inversion tube on passenger vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jiandong; Liu, Tao; Yao, Shengjie; Zhao, Rutao

    2017-09-01

    This article studied the energy absorption characteristics of the inversion tube and acquired the inversion tube design key dimensions under theoretical conditions by performing formula derivation in the quasi-static and dynamic state based on the working principle of the inversion tube: free inversion. The article further adopted HyperMesh and LS-Dyna to perform simulation and compared the simulation result with the theoretical calculating value for comparison. The design was applied in the full-vehicle model to perform 50km/h front fullwidth crash simulation. The findings showed that the deformation mode of the inversion tube in the full-vehicle crash was consistent with the design mode, and the inversion tube absorbed 33.0% of total energy, thereby conforming to the vehicle safety design requirements.

  7. Conceptual design study of potential early commercial MHD powerplant. Report of task 2 results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hals, F. A.

    1981-01-01

    The conceptual design of one of the potential early commercial MHD power plants was studied. The plant employs oxygen enrichment of the combustion air and preheating of this oxygen enriched air to an intermediate temperature of 1200 F attainable with a tubular type recuperative heat exchanger. Conceptual designs of plant componets and equipment with performance, operational characteristics, and costs are reported. Plant economics and overall performance including full and part load operation are reviewed. The projected performance and estimated cost of this early MHD plant are compared to conventional power plants, although it does not offer the same high efficiency and low costs as the mature MHD power plant. Environmental aspects and the methods incorporated in plant design for emission control of sulfur and nitrogen are reviewed.

  8. Extended performance solar electric propulsion thrust system study. Volume 4: Thruster technology evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poeschel, R. L.; Hawthorne, E. I.; Weisman, Y. C.; Frisman, M.; Benson, G. C.; Mcgrath, R. J.; Martinelli, R. M.; Linsenbardt, T. L.; Beattie, J. R.

    1977-01-01

    Several thrust system design concepts were evaluated and compared using the specifications of the most advanced 30 cm engineering model thruster as the technology base. Emphasis was placed on relatively high power missions (60 to 100 kW) such as a Halley's comet rendezvous. The extensions in thruster performance required for the Halley's comet mission were defined and alternative thrust system concepts were designed in sufficient detail for comparing mass, efficiency, reliability, structure, and thermal characteristics. Confirmation testing and analysis of thruster and power processing components were performed, and the feasibility of satisfying extended performance requirements was verified. A baseline design was selected from the alternatives considered, and the design analysis and documentation were refined. The baseline thrust system design features modular construction, conventional power processing, and a concentrator solar array concept and is designed to interface with the Space Shuttle.

  9. Extended performance solar electric propulsion thrust system study. Volume 2: Baseline thrust system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poeschel, R. L.; Hawthorne, E. I.

    1977-01-01

    Several thrust system design concepts were evaluated and compared using the specifications of the most advanced 30- cm engineering model thruster as the technology base. Emphasis was placed on relatively high-power missions (60 to 100 kW) such as a Halley's comet rendezvous. The extensions in thruster performance required for the Halley's comet mission were defined and alternative thrust system concepts were designed in sufficient detail for comparing mass, efficiency, reliability, structure, and thermal characteristics. Confirmation testing and analysis of thruster and power-processing components were performed, and the feasibility of satisfying extended performance requirements was verified. A baseline design was selected from the alternatives considered, and the design analysis and documentation were refined. The baseline thrust system design features modular construction, conventional power processing, and a concentractor solar array concept and is designed to interface with the space shuttle.

  10. Design of low-cost general purpose microcontroller based neuromuscular stimulator.

    PubMed

    Koçer, S; Rahmi Canal, M; Güler, I

    2000-04-01

    In this study, a general purpose, low-cost, programmable, portable and high performance stimulator is designed and implemented. For this purpose, a microcontroller is used in the design of the stimulator. The duty cycle and amplitude of the designed system can be controlled using a keyboard. The performance test of the system has shown that the results are reliable. The overall system can be used as the neuromuscular stimulator under safe conditions.

  11. Advanced stratified charge rotary aircraft engine design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Badgley, P.; Berkowitz, M.; Jones, C.; Myers, D.; Norwood, E.; Pratt, W. B.; Ellis, D. R.; Huggins, G.; Mueller, A.; Hembrey, J. H.

    1982-01-01

    A technology base of new developments which offered potential benefits to a general aviation engine was compiled and ranked. Using design approaches selected from the ranked list, conceptual design studies were performed of an advanced and a highly advanced engine sized to provide 186/250 shaft Kw/HP under cruise conditions at 7620/25,000 m/ft altitude. These are turbocharged, direct-injected stratified charge engines intended for commercial introduction in the early 1990's. The engine descriptive data includes tables, curves, and drawings depicting configuration, performance, weights and sizes, heat rejection, ignition and fuel injection system descriptions, maintenance requirements, and scaling data for varying power. An engine-airframe integration study of the resulting engines in advanced airframes was performed on a comparative basis with current production type engines. The results show airplane performance, costs, noise & installation factors. The rotary-engined airplanes display substantial improvements over the baseline, including 30 to 35% lower fuel usage.

  12. School Types, Facilities and Academic Performance of Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Ondo State, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alimi, Olatunji Sabitu; Ehinola, Gabriel Babatunde; Alabi, Festus Oluwole

    2012-01-01

    The study investigated the influence of school types and facilities on students' academic performance in Ondo State. It was designed to find out whether facilities and students' academic performance are related in private and public secondary schools respectively. Descriptive survey design was used. Proportionate random sampling technique was used…

  13. Influence of Design Training and Spatial Solution Strategies on Spatial Ability Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Hanyu

    2016-01-01

    Numerous studies have reported that spatial ability improves through training. This study investigated the following: (1) whether design training enhances spatial ability and (2) whether differing solution strategies are applied or generated following design training. On the basis of these two research objectives, this study divided the…

  14. Lunar base Controlled Ecological Life Support System (LCELSS): Preliminary conceptual design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwartzkopf, Steven H.

    1991-01-01

    The objective of this study was to develop a conceptual design for a self-sufficient LCELSS. The mission need is for a CELSS with a capacity to supply the life support needs for a nominal crew of 30, and a capability for accommodating a range of crew sizes from 4 to 100 people. The work performed in this study was nominally divided into two parts. In the first part, relevant literature was assembled and reviewed. This review identified LCELSS performance requirements and the constraints and advantages confronting the design. It also collected information on the environment of the lunar surface and identified candidate technologies for the life support subsystems and the systems with which the LCELSS interfaced. Information on the operation and performance of these technologies was collected, along with concepts of how they might be incorporated into the LCELSS conceptual design. The data collected on these technologies was stored for incorporation into the study database. Also during part one, the study database structure was formulated and implemented, and an overall systems engineering methodology was developed for carrying out the study.

  15. Optimization Design of Bipolar Plate Flow Field in PEM Stack

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, Ming; He, Kanghao; Li, Peilong; Yang, Lei; Deng, Li; Jiang, Fei; Yao, Yong

    2017-12-01

    A new design of bipolar plate flow field in proton exchange membrane (PEM) stack was presented to develop a high-performance transfer efficiency of the two-phase flow. Two different flow fields were studied by using numerical simulations and the performance of the flow fields was presented. the hydrodynamic properties include pressure gap between inlet and outlet, the Reynold’s number of the two types were compared based on the Navier-Stokes equations. Computer aided optimization software was implemented in the design of experiments of the preferable flow field. The design of experiments (DOE) for the favorable concept was carried out to study the hydrodynamic properties when changing the design parameters of the bipolar plate.

  16. Study of Army Design Hover Criteria

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-01

    SPECIAL REPORT RDMR-AE-17-02 STUDY OF ARMY DESIGN HOVER CRITERIA Douglas V. Horacek Command Analysis Directorate Aviation...OF THE ARMY POSITION UNLESS SO DESIGNATED BY OTHER AUTHORIZED DOCUMENTS. TRADE NAMES USE OF TRADE NAMES OR MANUFACTURERS IN THIS REPORT...Study of Army Design Hover Criteria 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Douglas V. Horacek and Mark E. Calvert 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

  17. A study of commuter airplane design optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roskam, J.; Wyatt, R. D.; Griswold, D. A.; Hammer, J. L.

    1977-01-01

    Problems of commuter airplane configuration design were studied to affect a minimization of direct operating costs. Factors considered were the minimization of fuselage drag, methods of wing design, and the estimated drag of an airplane submerged in a propellor slipstream; all design criteria were studied under a set of fixed performance, mission, and stability constraints. Configuration design data were assembled for application by a computerized design methodology program similar to the NASA-Ames General Aviation Synthesis Program.

  18. Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers: A Review of Statistical Methods for Technical Performance Assessment

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Technological developments and greater rigor in the quantitative measurement of biological features in medical images have given rise to an increased interest in using quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIBs) to measure changes in these features. Critical to the performance of a QIB in preclinical or clinical settings are three primary metrology areas of interest: measurement linearity and bias, repeatability, and the ability to consistently reproduce equivalent results when conditions change, as would be expected in any clinical trial. Unfortunately, performance studies to date differ greatly in designs, analysis method and metrics used to assess a QIB for clinical use. It is therefore, difficult or not possible to integrate results from different studies or to use reported results to design studies. The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance (QIBA) with technical, radiological and statistical experts developed a set of technical performance analysis methods, metrics and study designs that provide terminology, metrics and methods consistent with widely accepted metrological standards. This document provides a consistent framework for the conduct and evaluation of QIB performance studies so that results from multiple studies can be compared, contrasted or combined. PMID:24919831

  19. Phased array-fed antenna configuration study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crosswell, W. F.; Ball, D. E.; Taylor, R. C.

    1983-01-01

    The scope of this contract entails a configuration study for a phased array fed transmit antenna operating in the frequency band of 17.7 to 20.2 GHz. This initial contract provides a basis for understanding the design limitations and advantages of advanced phased array and cluster feeds (both utilizing intergral MMIC modules) illuminating folded reflector optics (both near field and focused types). Design parametric analyses are performed utilizing as constraints the objective secondary performance requirements of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (Table 1.0). The output of the study provides design information which serves as a data base for future active phased array fed antenna studies such as detailed designs required to support the development of a ground tested breadboard. In general, this study is significant because it provides the antenna community with an understanding of the basic principles which govern near field phased scanned feed effects on secondary reflector system performance. Although several articles have been written on analysis procedures and results for these systems, the authors of this report have observed phenomenon of near field antenna systems not previously documented. Because the physical justification for the exhibited performance is provided herein, the findings of this study add a new dimension to the available knowledge of the subject matter.

  20. Euler Calculations at Off-Design Conditions for an Inlet of Inward Turning RBCC-SSTO Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Takashima, N.; Kothari, A. P.

    1998-01-01

    The inviscid performance of an inward turning inlet design is calculated computationally for the first time. Hypersonic vehicle designs based on the inward turning inlets have been shown analytically to have increased effective specific impulse and lower heat load than comparably designed vehicles with two-dimensional inlets. The inward turning inlets are designed inversely from inviscid stream surfaces of known flow fields. The computational study is performed on a Mach 12 inlet design to validate the performance predicted by the design code (HAVDAC) and calculate its off-design Mach number performance. The three-dimensional Euler equations are solved for Mach 4, 8, and 12 using a software package called SAM, which consists of an unstructured mesh generator (SAMmesh), a three-dimensional unstructured mesh flow solver (SAMcfd), and a CAD-based software (SAMcad). The computed momentum averaged inlet throat pressure is within 6% of the design inlet throat pressure. The mass-flux at the inlet throat is also within 7 % of the value predicted by the design code thereby validating the accuracy of the design code. The off-design Mach number results show that flow spillage is minimal, and the variation in the mass capture ratio with Mach number is comparable to an ideal 2-D inlet. The results from the inviscid flow calculations of a Mach 12 inward turning inlet indicate that the inlet design has very good on and off-design performance which makes it a promising design candidate for future air-breathing hypersonic vehicles.

  1. Oceanographic scanner system design study, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1971-01-01

    The design is reported of a dual mode multispectral scanner, capable of satisfying both overland and oceanographic requirements. A complete system description and performance summary of the scanner are given. In addition, subsystem and component descriptions and performance analyses are treated in individual sections. The design of the scanner, with minimum modifications, interfaces to the ERTS spacecraft and the ground data handling system.

  2. Automated Sensitivity Analysis of Interplanetary Trajectories for Optimal Mission Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knittel, Jeremy; Hughes, Kyle; Englander, Jacob; Sarli, Bruno

    2017-01-01

    This work describes a suite of Python tools known as the Python EMTG Automated Trade Study Application (PEATSA). PEATSA was written to automate the operation of trajectory optimization software, simplify the process of performing sensitivity analysis, and was ultimately found to out-perform a human trajectory designer in unexpected ways. These benefits will be discussed and demonstrated on sample mission designs.

  3. Arcjet thruster research and technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Makel, Darby B.; Cann, Gordon L.

    1988-01-01

    The design, analysis, and performance testing of an advanced lower power arcjet is described. A high impedance, vortex stabilized 1-kw class arcjet has been studied. A baseline research thruster has been built and endurance and performance tested. This advanced arcjet has demonstrated long lifetime characteristics, but lower than expected performance. Analysis of the specific design has identified modifications which should improve performance and maintain the long life time shown by the arcjet.

  4. Systems cost/performance analysis (study 2.3). Volume 3: Programmer's manual and user's guide. [for unmanned spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Janz, R. F.

    1974-01-01

    The systems cost/performance model was implemented as a digital computer program to perform initial program planning, cost/performance tradeoffs, and sensitivity analyses. The computer is described along with the operating environment in which the program was written and checked, the program specifications such as discussions of logic and computational flow, the different subsystem models involved in the design of the spacecraft, and routines involved in the nondesign area such as costing and scheduling of the design. Preliminary results for the DSCS-II design are also included.

  5. Impact of task design on task performance and injury risk: case study of a simulated drilling task.

    PubMed

    Alabdulkarim, Saad; Nussbaum, Maury A; Rashedi, Ehsan; Kim, Sunwook; Agnew, Michael; Gardner, Richard

    2017-06-01

    Existing evidence is limited regarding the influence of task design on performance and ergonomic risk, or the association between these two outcomes. In a controlled experiment, we constructed a mock fuselage to simulate a drilling task common in aircraft manufacturing, and examined the effect of three levels of workstation adjustability on performance as measured by productivity (e.g. fuselage completion time) and quality (e.g. fuselage defective holes), and ergonomic risk as quantified using two common methods (rapid upper limb assessment and the strain index). The primary finding was that both productivity and quality significantly improved with increased adjustability, yet this occurred only when that adjustability succeeded in reducing ergonomic risk. Supporting the inverse association between ergonomic risk and performance, the condition with highest adjustability created the lowest ergonomic risk and the best performance while there was not a substantial difference in ergonomic risk between the other two conditions, in which performance was also comparable. Practitioner Summary: Findings of this study supported a causal relationship between task design and both ergonomic risk and performance, and that ergonomic risk and performance are inversely associated. While future work is needed under more realistic conditions and a broader population, these results may be useful for task (re)design and to help cost-justify some ergonomic interventions.

  6. Newman Unit 1 advanced solar repowering advanced conceptual design. Final report

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

    None

    1982-04-01

    The Newman Unit 1 solar repowering design is a water/steam central receiver concept supplying superheated steam. The work reported is to develop a refined baseline conceptual design that has potential for construction and operation by 1986, makes use of existing solar thermal technology, and provides the best economics for this application. Trade studies performed in the design effort are described, both for the conceptual design of the overall system and for the subsystem conceptual design. System-level functional requirements, design, operation, performance, cost, safety, environmental, institutional, and regulatory considerations are described. Subsystems described include the collector, receiver, fossil energy, electrical powermore » generating, and master control subsystems, site and site facilities. The conceptual design, cost, and performance of each subsystem is discussed at length. A detailed economic analysis of the repowered unit is made to realistically assess the economics of the first repowered unit using present cost data for a limited production level for solar hardware. Finally, a development plan is given, including the design, procurement, construction, checkout, startup, performance validation, and commercial operation. (LEW)« less

  7. Solar Power System Options for the Radiation and Technology Demonstration Spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerslake, Thomas W.; Haraburda, Francis M.; Riehl, John P.

    2000-01-01

    The Radiation and Technology Demonstration (RTD) Mission has the primary objective of demonstrating high-power (10 kilowatts) electric thruster technologies in Earth orbit. This paper discusses the conceptual design of the RTD spacecraft photovoltaic (PV) power system and mission performance analyses. These power system studies assessed multiple options for PV arrays, battery technologies and bus voltage levels. To quantify performance attributes of these power system options, a dedicated Fortran code was developed to predict power system performance and estimate system mass. The low-thrust mission trajectory was analyzed and important Earth orbital environments were modeled. Baseline power system design options are recommended on the basis of performance, mass and risk/complexity. Important findings from parametric studies are discussed and the resulting impacts to the spacecraft design and cost.

  8. Simulation on the Performance of a Driven Fan Made by Polyester/Epoxy interpenetrate polymer network (IPN)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fahrul Hassan, Mohd; Jamri, Azmil; Nawawi, Azli; Zaini Yunos, Muhamad; Fauzi Ahmad, Md; Adzila, Sharifah; Nasrull Abdol Rahman, Mohd

    2017-08-01

    The main purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of a driven fan design made by Polyester/Epoxy interpenetrate polymer network (IPN) material that specifically used for turbocharger compressor. Polyester/Epoxy IPN is polymer plastics that was used as replacements for traditional polymers and has been widely used in a variety of applications because of their limitless conformations. Simulation based on several parameters which are air pressure, air velocity and air temperature have been carried out for a driven fan design performance of two different materials, aluminum alloy (existing driven fan design) and Polyester/Epoxy IPN using SolidWorks Flow Simulation software. Results from both simulations were analyzed and compared where both materials show similar performance in terms of air pressure and air velocity due to similar geometric and dimension, but Polyester/Epoxy IPN produces lower air temperature than aluminum alloy. This study shows a preliminary result of the potential Polyester/Epoxy IPN to be used as a driven fan design material. In the future, further studies will be conducted on detail simulation and experimental analysis.

  9. A Workforce Design Model: Providing Energy to Organizations in Transition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halm, Barry J.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the change in performance realized by a professional services organization, which resulted in the Life Giving Workforce Design (LGWD) model through a grounded theory research design. This study produced a workforce design model characterized as an organizational blueprint that provides virtuous…

  10. Posterior stabilized versus cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty designs: conformity affects the performance reliability of the design over the patient population.

    PubMed

    Ardestani, Marzieh M; Moazen, Mehran; Maniei, Ehsan; Jin, Zhongmin

    2015-04-01

    Commercially available fixed bearing knee prostheses are mainly divided into two groups: posterior stabilized (PS) versus cruciate retaining (CR). Despite the widespread comparative studies, the debate continues regarding the superiority of one type over the other. This study used a combined finite element (FE) simulation and principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate "reliability" and "sensitivity" of two PS designs versus two CR designs over a patient population. Four fixed bearing implants were chosen: PFC (DePuy), PFC Sigma (DePuy), NexGen (Zimmer) and Genesis II (Smith & Nephew). Using PCA, a large probabilistic knee joint motion and loading database was generated based on the available experimental data from literature. The probabilistic knee joint data were applied to each implant in a FE simulation to calculate the potential envelopes of kinematics (i.e. anterior-posterior [AP] displacement and internal-external [IE] rotation) and contact mechanics. The performance envelopes were considered as an indicator of performance reliability. For each implant, PCA was used to highlight how much the implant performance was influenced by changes in each input parameter (sensitivity). Results showed that (1) conformity directly affected the reliability of the knee implant over a patient population such that lesser conformity designs (PS or CR), had higher kinematic variability and were more influenced by AP force and IE torque, (2) contact reliability did not differ noticeably among different designs and (3) CR or PS designs affected the relative rank of critical factors that influenced the reliability of each design. Such investigations enlighten the underlying biomechanics of various implant designs and can be utilized to estimate the potential performance of an implant design over a patient population. Copyright © 2015 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Low NO(x) Combustor Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kastl, J. A.; Herberling, P. V.; Matulaitis, J. M.

    2005-01-01

    The goal of these efforts was the development of an ultra-low emissions, lean-burn combustor for the High Speed Civil Transport. The HSCT Mach 2.4 FLADE C1 Cycle was selected as the baseline engine cycle. A preliminary compilation of performance requirements for the HSCT combustor system was developed. The emissions goals of the program, baseline engine cycle, and standard combustor performance requirements were considered in developing the compilation of performance requirements. Seven combustor system designs were developed. The development of these system designs was facilitated by the use of spreadsheet-type models which predicted performance of the combustor systems over the entire flight envelope of the HSCT. A chemical kinetic model was developed for an LPP combustor and employed to study NO(x) formation kinetics, and CO burnout. These predictions helped to define the combustor residence time. Five fuel-air mixer concepts were analyzed for use in the combustor system designs. One of the seven system designs, one using the Swirl-Jet and Cyclone Swirler fuel-air mixers, was selected for a preliminary mechanical design study.

  12. Optimization of PET instrumentation for brain activation studies

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

    Dahlbom, M.; Cherry, S.R.; Hoffman, E.J.

    By performing cerebral blood flow studies with positron emission tomography (PET), and comparing blood flow images of different states of activation, functional mapping of the brain is possible. The ability of current commercial instruments to perform such studies is investigated in this work, based on a comparison of noise equivalent count (NEC) rates. Differences in the NEC performance of the different scanners in conjunction with scanner design parameters, provide insights into the importance of block design (size, dead time, crystal thickness) and overall scanner design (sensitivity and scatter fraction) for optimizing data from activation studies. The newer scanners with removablemore » septa, operating with 3-D acquisition, have much higher sensitivity, but require new methodology for optimized operation. Only by administering multiple low doses (fractionation) of the flow tracer can the high sensitivity be utilized.« less

  13. Influence of conformity on the wear of total knee replacement: An experimental study

    PubMed Central

    Brockett, Claire L; Carbone, Silvia; Fisher, John; Jennings, Louise M

    2017-01-01

    Wear of total knee replacement continues to be a significant factor influencing the clinical longevity of implants. Historically, failure due to delamination and fatigue directed design towards more conforming inserts to reduce contact stress. As new generations of more oxidatively stable polyethylene have been developed, more flexibility in bearing design has been introduced. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of insert conformity on the wear performance of a fixed bearing total knee replacement through experimental simulation. Two geometries of insert were studied under standard gait conditions. There was a significant reduction in wear with reducing implant conformity. This study has demonstrated that bearing conformity has a significant impact on the wear performance of a fixed bearing total knee replacement, providing opportunities to improve clinical performance through enhanced material and design selection. PMID:29251167

  14. Effects of Flipped Instruction on the Performance and Attitude of High School Students in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casem, Remalyn Q.

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the effects of flipped instruction on the performance and attitude of high school students in Mathematics. The study made use of the true experimental design, specifically the pretest-posttest control group design. There were two instruments used to gather data, the pretest-posttest which was subjected to validity and…

  15. Predicting Eight Grade Students' Equation Solving Performances via Concepts of Variable and Equality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ertekin, Erhan

    2017-01-01

    This study focused on how two algebraic concepts- equality and variable- predicted 8th grade students' equation solving performance. In this study, predictive design as a correlational research design was used. Randomly selected 407 eight-grade students who were from the central districts of a city in the central region of Turkey participated in…

  16. Utilising a Virtual World to Teach Performance Appraisal: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, Shona

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this paper is to give a critical assessment of a study designed to investigate the potential of a new method for teaching HRD students about performance appraisal. It is argued that this approach is in the vanguard of developments in IT and learning. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes the form of an explorative study…

  17. Determinant of Academic Performance of Under Graduate Students: In the Cause of Arba Minch University Chamo Campus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yigermal, Moges Endalamaw

    2017-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate the determinant factors affecting academic performance of regular undergraduate students of Arba Minch University (AMU) Chamo Campus students. The study employed the use of correlation design to establish the nature of the relationships. Data were collected from 100 respondents selected from all the 12…

  18. Methodology for conceptual remote sensing spacecraft technology: insertion analysis balancing performance, cost, and risk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bearden, David A.; Duclos, Donald P.; Barrera, Mark J.; Mosher, Todd J.; Lao, Norman Y.

    1997-12-01

    Emerging technologies and micro-instrumentation are changing the way remote sensing spacecraft missions are developed and implemented. Government agencies responsible for procuring space systems are increasingly requesting analyses to estimate cost, performance and design impacts of advanced technology insertion for both state-of-the-art systems as well as systems to be built 5 to 10 years in the future. Numerous spacecraft technology development programs are being sponsored by Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) agencies with the goal of enhancing spacecraft performance, reducing mass, and reducing cost. However, it is often the case that technology studies, in the interest of maximizing subsystem-level performance and/or mass reduction, do not anticipate synergistic system-level effects. Furthermore, even though technical risks are often identified as one of the largest cost drivers for space systems, many cost/design processes and models ignore effects of cost risk in the interest of quick estimates. To address these issues, the Aerospace Corporation developed a concept analysis methodology and associated software tools. These tools, collectively referred to as the concept analysis and design evaluation toolkit (CADET), facilitate system architecture studies and space system conceptual designs focusing on design heritage, technology selection, and associated effects on cost, risk and performance at the system and subsystem level. CADET allows: (1) quick response to technical design and cost questions; (2) assessment of the cost and performance impacts of existing and new designs/technologies; and (3) estimation of cost uncertainties and risks. These capabilities aid mission designers in determining the configuration of remote sensing missions that meet essential requirements in a cost- effective manner. This paper discuses the development of CADET modules and their application to several remote sensing satellite mission concepts.

  19. A Nomographic Methodology for Use in Performance Trade-Off Studies of Parabolic Dish Solar Power Modules

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Selcuk, M. K.; Fujita, T.

    1984-01-01

    A simple graphical method was developed to undertake technical design trade-off studies for individual parabolic dish models comprising a two-axis tracking parabolic dish with a cavity receiver and power conversion assembly at the focal point. The results of these technical studies are then used in performing the techno-economic analyses required for determining appropriate subsystem sizing. Selected graphs that characterize the performance of subsystems within the module were arranged in the form of a nomogram that would enable an investigator to carry out several design trade-off studies. Key performance parameters encompassed in the nomogram include receiver losses, intercept factor, engine rating, and engine efficiency. Design and operation parameters such as concentrator size, receiver type (open or windowed aperture), receiver aperture size, operating temperature of the receiver and engine, engine partial load characteristics, concentrator slope error, and the type of reflector surface, are also included in the graphical solution. Cost considerations are not included.

  20. Baseline Design and Performance Analysis of Laser Altimeter for Korean Lunar Orbiter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Hyung-Chul; Neumann, Gregory A.; Choi, Myeong-Hwan; Yu, Sung-Yeol; Bang, Seong-Cheol; Ka, Neung-Hyun; Park, Jong-Uk; Choi, Man-Soo; Park, Eunseo

    2016-09-01

    Korea’s lunar exploration project includes the launching of an orbiter, a lander (including a rover), and an experimental orbiter (referred to as a lunar pathfinder). Laser altimeters have played an important scientific role in lunar, planetary, and asteroid exploration missions since their first use in 1971 onboard the Apollo 15 mission to the Moon. In this study, a laser altimeter was proposed as a scientific instrument for the Korean lunar orbiter, which will be launched by 2020, to study the global topography of the surface of the Moon and its gravitational field and to support other payloads such as a terrain mapping camera or spectral imager. This study presents the baseline design and performance model for the proposed laser altimeter. Additionally, the study discusses the expected performance based on numerical simulation results. The simulation results indicate that the design of system parameters satisfies performance requirements with respect to detection probability and range error even under unfavorable conditions.

  1. Up-and-down designs for phase I clinical trials

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Suyu; Cai, Chunyan; Ning, Jing

    2014-01-01

    Various up-and-down designs have been proposed to improve the operating characteristics of the traditional “3+3” design, but they have been of limited use in practice. A major impediment to the adoption of the improved up-and-down designs is a lack of general guidance and a comprehensive assessment of the operating characteristics of these designs under practical clinical settings. To fill this gap, we review six up-and-down designs: the “3+3” design, accelerated titration design, biased coin design, k-in-a-row design, group up-and-down design and cumulative group up-and-down design. We conduct comprehensive simulation studies to evaluate their operating characteristics under various practical settings, and compare their performance to a theoretical optimal bound of nonparametric designs. The results show that the cumulative group up-and-down design has the best overall performance in terms of selecting the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), assigning patients to the MTD and patient safety. Its performance is generally close to the upper bound of nonparametric designs, but improvement seems possible in some cases. PMID:23856381

  2. Injector design guidelines for gas/liquid propellant systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Falk, A. Y.; Burick, R. J.

    1973-01-01

    Injector design guidelines are provided for gas/liquid propellant systems. Information was obtained from a 30-month applied research program encompassing an analytical, design, and experimental effort to relate injector design parameters to simultaneous attainment of high performance and component (injector/thrust chamber) compatibility for gas/liquid space storable propellants. The gas/liquid propellant combination studied was FLOX (82.6% F2)/ ambient temperature gaseous methane. Design criteria that provide for simultaneous attainment of high performance and chamber compatibility are presented for both injector types. Parametric data are presented that are applicable for the design of circular coaxial and like-doublet injectors that operate with design parameters similar to those employed. However, caution should be exercised when applying these data to propellant combinations whose elements operate in ranges considerably different from those employed in this study.

  3. Engineering design of a high-temperature superconductor current lead

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niemann, R. C.; Cha, Y. S.; Hull, J. R.; Daugherty, M. A.; Buckles, W. E.

    As part of the US Department of Energy's Superconductivity Pilot Center Program, Argonne National Laboratory and Superconductivity, Inc., are developing high-temperature superconductor (HTS) current leads suitable for application to superconducting magnetic energy storage systems. The principal objective of the development program is to design, construct, and evaluate the performance of HTS current leads suitable for near-term applications. Supporting objectives are to (1) develop performance criteria; (2) develop a detailed design; (3) analyze performance; (4) gain manufacturing experience in the areas of materials and components procurement, fabrication and assembly, quality assurance, and cost; (5) measure performance of critical components and the overall assembly; (6) identify design uncertainties and develop a program for their study; and (7) develop application-acceptance criteria.

  4. NASA Tech House: An early evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    An architect-engineering firm, as well as university participants, performed system studies, evaluated construction methods, performed cost effectiveness studies, and prepared construction drawings which incorporated the selected technology features into a final design. A Technology Utilization House (Tech House) based on this design was constructed at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Tech House is instrumented so that the performance of the design features and energy systems can be evaluated during a planned family live-in period. As such, the house is both a demonstration unit and a research laboratory. The Tech House is to demonstrate the kind of single-family residence that will probably be available within the next five years.

  5. A minimum cost tolerance allocation method for rocket engines and robust rocket engine design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gerth, Richard J.

    1993-01-01

    Rocket engine design follows three phases: systems design, parameter design, and tolerance design. Systems design and parameter design are most effectively conducted in a concurrent engineering (CE) environment that utilize methods such as Quality Function Deployment and Taguchi methods. However, tolerance allocation remains an art driven by experience, handbooks, and rules of thumb. It was desirable to develop and optimization approach to tolerancing. The case study engine was the STME gas generator cycle. The design of the major components had been completed and the functional relationship between the component tolerances and system performance had been computed using the Generic Power Balance model. The system performance nominals (thrust, MR, and Isp) and tolerances were already specified, as were an initial set of component tolerances. However, the question was whether there existed an optimal combination of tolerances that would result in the minimum cost without any degradation in system performance.

  6. Nozzle design study for a quasi-axisymmetric scramjet-powered vehicle at Mach 7.9 flight conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tanimizu, Katsuyoshi; Mee, David J.; Stalker, Raymond J.; Jacobs, Peter A.

    2013-09-01

    A nozzle shape optimization study for a quasi-axisymmetric scramjet has been performed for a Mach 7.9 operating condition with hydrogen fuel, aiming at the application of a hypersonic airbreathing vehicle. In this study, the nozzle geometry which is parameterized by a set of design variables, is optimized for the single objective of maximum net thrust using an in-house CFD solver for inviscid flowfields with a simple force prediction methodology. The combustion is modelled using a simple chemical reaction code. The effects of the nozzle design on the overall vehicle performance are discussed. For the present geometry, net thrust is achieved for the optimized vehicle design. The results of the nozzle-optimization study show that performance is limited by the nozzle area ratio that can be incorporated into the vehicle without leading to too large a base diameter of the vehicle and increasing the external drag of the vehicle. This study indicates that it is very difficult to achieve positive thrust at Mach 7.9 using the basic geometry investigated.

  7. Enabling People with Developmental Disabilities to Actively Perform Designated Occupational Activities according to Simple Instructions with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller by Controlling Environmental Stimulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Wang, Shu-Hui; Chang, Man-Ling; Shih, Ching-Hsiang

    2012-01-01

    The latest researches have adopted software technology, turning the Nintendo Wii Remote Controller into a high performance three-dimensional object orientation detector. This study extended Wii Remote Controller functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated simple…

  8. Conceptual/preliminary design study of subsonic v/stol and stovl aircraft derivatives of the S-3A

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kidwell, G. H., Jr.

    1981-01-01

    A computerized aircraft synthesis program was used to examine the feasibility and capability of a V/STOL aircraft based on the Navy S-3A aircraft. Two major airframe modifications are considered: replacement of the wing, and substitution of deflected thrust turbofan engines similar to the Pegasus engine. Three planform configurations for the all composite wing were investigated: an unconstrained span design, a design with the span constrained to 64 feet, and an unconstrained span oblique wing design. Each design was optimized using the same design variables, and performance and control analyses were performed. The oblique wing configuration was found to have the greatest potential in this application. The mission performance of these V/STOL aircraft compares favorably with that of the CTOL S-3A.

  9. New insights into non-precious metal catalyst layer designs for proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Improving performance and stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banham, Dustin; Kishimoto, Takeaki; Sato, Tetsutaro; Kobayashi, Yoshikazu; Narizuka, Kumi; Ozaki, Jun-ichi; Zhou, Yingjie; Marquez, Emil; Bai, Kyoung; Ye, Siyu

    2017-03-01

    The activity of non-precious metal catalysts (NPMCs) has now reached a stage at which they can be considered as possible alternatives to Pt for some proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. However, despite significant efforts over the past 50 years on catalyst development, only limited studies have been performed on NPMC-based cathode catalyst layer (CCL) designs. In this work, an extensive ionomer study is performed to investigate the impact of ionomer equivalent weight on performance, which has uncovered two crucial findings. Firstly, it is demonstrated that beyond a critical CCL conductance, no further improvement in performance is observed. The procedure used to determine this critical conductance can be used by other researchers in this field to aid in their design of high performing NPMC-based CCLs. Secondly, it is shown that the stability of NPMC-based CCLs can be improved through the use of low equivalent weight ionomers. This represents a completely unexplored pathway for further stability improvements, and also provides new insights into the possible degradation mechanisms occurring in NPMC-based CCLs. These findings have broad implications on all future NPMC-based CCL designs.

  10. Design concepts and cost studies for magnetic suspension and balance systems. [wind tunnel apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bloom, H. L.

    1982-01-01

    The application of superconducting magnets for suspension and balance of wind tunnel models was studied. Conceptual designs are presented for magnetic suspension and balance system (MSBS) configurations compatible with three high Reynolds number cases representing specified combinations of test conditions and model sizes. Concepts in general met initially specified performance requirements such as duty cycle, force and moment levels, model angular displacement and positioning accuracy with nominal design requirements for support subsystems. Other performance requirements, such as forced model sinusoidal oscillations, and control force magnitude and frequency, were modified so as to alleviate the magnitude of magnet, power, and cryogenic design requirements.

  11. Nanophotonic Devices in Silicon for Nonlinear Optics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-15

    record performance  Demonstration of world‟s lowest loss slot waveguides, made in a DOD-trusted foundry (BAE Systems)  Design study showing...highly-cited design study.  Design study on analog links using the above modulators.  Demonstration of the first silicon waveguides for the mid...Hochberg. Design of transmission line driven slot waveguide Mach-Zehnder interferometers and application to analog optical links. Optics Express 2010

  12. Description of CASCOMP Comprehensive Airship Sizing and Performance Computer Program, Volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, J.

    1975-01-01

    The computer program CASCOMP, which may be used in comparative design studies of lighter than air vehicles by rapidly providing airship size and mission performance data, was prepared and documented. The program can be used to define design requirements such as weight breakdown, required propulsive power, and physical dimensions of airships which are designed to meet specified mission requirements. The program is also useful in sensitivity studies involving both design trade-offs and performance trade-offs. The input to the program primarily consists of a series of single point values such as hull overall fineness ratio, number of engines, airship hull and empennage drag coefficients, description of the mission profile, and weights of fixed equipment, fixed useful load and payload. In order to minimize computation time, the program makes ample use of optional computation paths.

  13. Multimodal Design for Secondary English Language Arts: A Portraiture Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Price, Cecelia Joyce

    2017-01-01

    Employing the research approach known as portraiture, this study investigated the varying ways in which three secondary English language arts teachers at a visual and performing arts high school conceptualized and designed multimodal literacy learning. Also studied were the ways in which their students responded to these designs; and in keeping…

  14. The Effect of Leadership Styles on Learners' Performance. The Case of Asonomaso Nkwanta in the Kwabre District Assembly of Ashanti Region in Ghana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gyasi, Richard Sarfo; Xi, Wang Bao; Owusu-Ampomah, Yvonne

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of leadership styles on academic performance in Junior High Schools (JHS) in Asonomaso Nkwanta in the Kwabre District Assembly of Ashanti Region in Ghana. The design for the study was a mixed study using both the qualitative and quantitative analyzes. It was a correlation survey designed to…

  15. Ground Operations Aerospace Language (GOAL). Volume 1: Study overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1973-01-01

    A series of NASA and Contractor studies sponsored by NASA/KSC resulted in a specification for the Ground Operations Aerospace Language (GOAL). The Cape Kennedy Facility of the IBM Corporation was given the responsibility, under existing contracts, to perform an analysis of the Language Specification, to design and develop a GOAL Compiler, to provide a specification for a data bank, to design and develop an interpretive code translator, and to perform associated application studies.

  16. Which intervention design factors influence performance of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries? A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Kok, Maryse C; Dieleman, Marjolein; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Kane, Sumit S; Ormel, Hermen; Tijm, Mandy M; de Koning, Korrie A M

    2015-11-01

    Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as an integral component of the health workforce needed to achieve public health goals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many factors influence CHW performance. A systematic review was conducted to identify intervention design related factors influencing performance of CHWs. We systematically searched six databases for quantitative and qualitative studies that included CHWs working in promotional, preventive or curative primary health services in LMICs. One hundred and forty studies met the inclusion criteria, were quality assessed and double read to extract data relevant to the design of CHW programmes. A preliminary framework containing factors influencing CHW performance and characteristics of CHW performance (such as motivation and competencies) guided the literature search and review.A mix of financial and non-financial incentives, predictable for the CHWs, was found to be an effective strategy to enhance performance, especially of those CHWs with multiple tasks. Performance-based financial incentives sometimes resulted in neglect of unpaid tasks. Intervention designs which involved frequent supervision and continuous training led to better CHW performance in certain settings. Supervision and training were often mentioned as facilitating factors, but few studies tested which approach worked best or how these were best implemented. Embedment of CHWs in community and health systems was found to diminish workload and increase CHW credibility. Clearly defined CHW roles and introduction of clear processes for communication among different levels of the health system could strengthen CHW performance.When designing community-based health programmes, factors that increased CHW performance in comparable settings should be taken into account. Additional intervention research to develop a better evidence base for the most effective training and supervision mechanisms and qualitative research to inform policymakers in development of CHW interventions are needed. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014.

  17. Designing Electronic Performance Support Systems To Facilitate Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Schaik, Paul; Pearson, Robert; Barker, Philip

    2002-01-01

    Discussion of electronic performance support systems (EPSS) focuses on an application within the domain of quantitative research methods as taught in a university psychology course. Describes the design and implementation of the system and outlines results of an evaluative study of the EPSS. (Author/LRW)

  18. Performance/price estimates for cortex-scale hardware: a design space exploration.

    PubMed

    Zaveri, Mazad S; Hammerstrom, Dan

    2011-04-01

    In this paper, we revisit the concept of virtualization. Virtualization is useful for understanding and investigating the performance/price and other trade-offs related to the hardware design space. Moreover, it is perhaps the most important aspect of a hardware design space exploration. Such a design space exploration is a necessary part of the study of hardware architectures for large-scale computational models for intelligent computing, including AI, Bayesian, bio-inspired and neural models. A methodical exploration is needed to identify potentially interesting regions in the design space, and to assess the relative performance/price points of these implementations. As an example, in this paper we investigate the performance/price of (digital and mixed-signal) CMOS and hypothetical CMOL (nanogrid) technology based hardware implementations of human cortex-scale spiking neural systems. Through this analysis, and the resulting performance/price points, we demonstrate, in general, the importance of virtualization, and of doing these kinds of design space explorations. The specific results suggest that hybrid nanotechnology such as CMOL is a promising candidate to implement very large-scale spiking neural systems, providing a more efficient utilization of the density and storage benefits of emerging nano-scale technologies. In general, we believe that the study of such hypothetical designs/architectures will guide the neuromorphic hardware community towards building large-scale systems, and help guide research trends in intelligent computing, and computer engineering. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The influence of school furniture on students' performance and physical responses: results of a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Castellucci, H I; Arezes, P M; Molenbroek, J F M; de Bruin, R; Viviani, C

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine, using a systematic review, whether the design and/or dimensions of school furniture affect the students' physical responses and/or their performance. Of the review studies, 64% presented positive results, i.e. proven effects; 24% presented negative effects or no change/effect; and the remaining 12% showed an unclear effect. The compatibility between school furniture dimensions and students' anthropometric characteristics was identified as a key factor for improving some students' physical responses. Design characteristics such as high furniture, sit-stand furniture, and tilt tables and seats also present positive effects. Finally, we concluded that further research should be conducted exploring various aspects of those variables, particularly focusing on more objective measures complemented by controlled and prospective design. Practitioner Summary: A systematic review of the literature presents a clearly positive effect of school furniture dimensions on students' performance and physical responses. Similar results appeared when school furniture design was tested. However, studying the effects of design and dimensions together produced an unclear positive effect.

  20. A feasibility study on the design and walking operation of a biped locomotor via dynamic simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Mingfeng; Ceccarelli, Marco; Carbone, Giuseppe

    2016-06-01

    A feasibility study on the mechanical design and walking operation of a Cassino biped locomotor is presented in this paper. The biped locomotor consists of two identical 3 degrees-of-freedom tripod leg mechanisms with a parallel manipulator architecture. Planning of the biped walking gait is performed by coordinating the motions of the two leg mechanisms and waist. A threedimensional model is elaborated in SolidWorks® environment in order to characterize a feasible mechanical design. Dynamic simulation is carried out in MSC.ADAMS® environment with the aims of characterizing and evaluating the dynamic walking performance of the proposed design. Simulation results show that the proposed biped locomotor with proper input motions of linear actuators performs practical and feasible walking on flat surfaces with limited actuation and reaction forces between its feet and the ground. A preliminary prototype of the biped locomotor is built for the purpose of evaluating the operation performance of the biped walking gait of the proposed locomotor.

  1. Ergonomic design and evaluation of new surgical scissors.

    PubMed

    Shimomura, Yoshihiro; Shirakawa, Hironori; Sekine, Masashi; Katsuura, Tetsuo; Igarashi, Tatsuo

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to design a new surgical scissors handle and determine its effectiveness with various usability indices. A new scissors handle was designed that retains the professional grip but has the shapes of the eye rings modified to fit the thumb and ring finger and finger rests for the index and little finger. The newly designed scissors and traditional scissors were compared by electromyography, subjective evaluation and task performance in experiments using cutting and peeling tasks. The newly designed scissors reduced muscle load in both hand during cutting by the closing action, and reduced the muscle load in the left hand during peeling by the opening action through active use of the right hand. In evaluation by surgeons, task performance improved in addition to the decrease in muscle load. The newly designed scissors used in this study demonstrated high usability. A new scissors handle was designed that has the eye rings modified to fit the thumb and ring finger. The newly designed scissors reduced muscle load and enabled active use of the right hand. In evaluation by surgeons, task performance improved in addition to the decrease in muscle load.

  2. Development of Analytical Algorithm for the Performance Analysis of Power Train System of an Electric Vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Chul-Ho; Lee, Kee-Man; Lee, Sang-Heon

    Power train system design is one of the key R&D areas on the development process of new automobile because an optimum size of engine with adaptable power transmission which can accomplish the design requirement of new vehicle can be obtained through the system design. Especially, for the electric vehicle design, very reliable design algorithm of a power train system is required for the energy efficiency. In this study, an analytical simulation algorithm is developed to estimate driving performance of a designed power train system of an electric. The principal theory of the simulation algorithm is conservation of energy with several analytical and experimental data such as rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag, mechanical efficiency of power transmission etc. From the analytical calculation results, running resistance of a designed vehicle is obtained with the change of operating condition of the vehicle such as inclined angle of road and vehicle speed. Tractive performance of the model vehicle with a given power train system is also calculated at each gear ratio of transmission. Through analysis of these two calculation results: running resistance and tractive performance, the driving performance of a designed electric vehicle is estimated and it will be used to evaluate the adaptability of the designed power train system on the vehicle.

  3. Applying Semiotic Theories to Graphic Design Education: An Empirical Study on Poster Design Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Chao-Ming; Hsu, Tzu-Fan

    2015-01-01

    The rationales behind design are dissimilar to those behind art. Establishing an adequate theoretical foundation for conducting design education can facilitate scientising design methods. Thus, from the perspectives of the semiotic theories proposed by Saussure and Peirce, we investigated graphic design curricula by performing teaching…

  4. Geosynchronous Microwave Atmospheric Sounding Radiometer (MASR) feasibility studies. Volume 1: Management summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    The mission of the microwave atmospheric sounding radiometer (MASR) is to collect data to aid in the observation and prediction of severe storms. The geosynchronous orbit allows the continuous atmospheric measurement needed to resolve mesoscale dynamics. The instrument may operate in conjunction with this document, Volume 1 - Management, which summarizes the highlights of final reports on both the radiometer instrument and antenna studies. The radiometer instrument summary includes a synopsis of Volume 2 - Radiometer Receiver Feasibility, including design, recommended configuration, performance estimates, and weight and power estimates. The summary of the antenna study includes a synopsis of Volume 3 - Antenna Feasibility, including preliminary design tradeoffs, performance of selected design, and details of the mechanical/thermal design.

  5. Assessing the Effectiveness of a Learning Community Course Design to Improve the Math Performance of First-Year Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Michele J.; Meshulam, Susan; Parker, Brooke

    2013-01-01

    National attention is focused on the persistent high failure rates for students enrolled in math courses, and the search for strategies to change these outcomes is on. This study used a mixed-method research design to assess the effectiveness of a learning community course designed to improve the math performance levels of firstyear students.…

  6. Characterization and Design of Spiral Frequency Steerable Acoustic Transducers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Repale, Rohan

    Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is an emerging research area devoted to improving the safety and maintainability of civil structures. Guided wave structural testing method is an effective approach used for SHM of plate-like structures using piezoelectric transducers. These transducers are attached to the surface of the structure and are capable of sensing its health by using surface waves. Transducers with beam steering i.e. electronic scanning capabilities can perform surface interrogation with higher precision and ease. A frequency steerable acoustic transducer (FSAT) is capable of beam steering and directional surface wave sensing to detect and localize damage in structures. The objective of this research is to further explore the possibilities of FSAT technology by designing and testing new FSAT designs. The beam steering capability of FSAT can be controlled by manipulating its design parameters. These design parameters therefore play a significant role in FSAT's performance. Studying the design parameters and documenting the performance improvements based on parameter variation is the primary goal of this research. Design and characterization of spiral FSAT was performed and results were simulated. Array FSAT documented results were validated. Modified designs were modeled based on design parameter variations. Characterization of these designs was done and their performance was recorded. Plate simulation results confirm direct relationship between design parameters and beam steering. A set of guidelines for future designs was also proposed. Two designs developed based on the set guidelines were sent to our collaborator Genziko Inc. for fabrication.

  7. Advanced Small Rocket Chambers. Option 3: 110 1Bf Ir-Re Rocket, Volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jassowski, Donald M.; Schoenman, Leonard

    1995-01-01

    This report describes the AJ10-221, a high performance Iridium-coated Rhenium (Ir-Re) 110 lbf (490N) welded rocket chamber with 286:1 area ratio nozzle. This engine was designed, built, and hot fired for over 6 hours on this program. It demonstrated an I(s) of 321.8 sec, which is 10 sec higher than conventional 110 lbf silicide coated Cb chambers now in use. The approach used in this portion of the program was to demonstrate the performance improvement that can be made by the elimination of fuel film cooling and the use of a high temperature (4000F) (2200C) iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) rocket chamber. Detailed thermal, performance, mechanical, and dynamic design analyses of the full engine were conducted by Aerojet. Two Ir-Re chambers were built to the Aerojet design by Ultramet, using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Incorporation of a secondary mixing device or Boundary Layer Trip (BLT) within the combustion chamber (Aerojet Patents 4882904 and 4936091) results in improvement in flow uniformity, and a significant life and performance increase. The 110 lbf engine design was verified in bolt-up hardware tests at sea level and altitude. The effects of injector design on performance were studied. Two duplicate injectors were fabricated matching the preferred design and were demonstrated to be interchangeable in operation. One of these units was fabricated matching the preferred design and was demonstrated to be interchangeable in operation. One of these units was welded into a flight type thruster which was tested for an accumulated duration of 22,590 sec in 93 firings, one of which was a continuous burn of two hours. A design deficiency in the C-103 nozzle near the Re-Cb transition joint was discovered, studied and corrected design has been prepared. Workhardening studies have been conducted to investigate methods for increasing the low yield strength of the Re in the annealed conditions. An advanced 490N high performance engine has been demonstrated which, when proven to be capable of withstanding launch vibration, is ready for flight qualification.

  8. Development of the Second-Generation Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter with Variable Geometry

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

    Tom, Nathan M; Yu, Yi-Hsiang; Thresher, Robert W

    This study investigates the effect of design changes on the hydrodynamics of a novel oscillating surge wave energy converter being developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The design utilizes controllable geometry features to shed structural loads while maintaining a rated power over a greater number of sea states. The second-generation design will seek to provide a more refined control of performance because the first-generation design demonstrated performance reductions considered too large for smooth power output. Performance is evaluated using frequency domain analysis with consideration of a nonideal power-take-off system, with respect to power absorption, foundation loads, and power-take-off torque.

  9. Optimum Design of Anti-Siphon Device used to Prevent Cerebrospinal Fluid from Overdraining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, Jong Yun; Lee, Chong Sun; Suh, Chang Min

    The present study investigated design parameters of an anti-siphon device used with shunt valves to treat patients with hydrocephalus. Structural analyses were performed to understand roles of design variables and optimize performance of the diaphragm-type anti-siphon device (hereafter referred to as the ASD). Experiments were performed on the lab-made product and showed good agreements with the numerical simulations. Using the simulations, we were able to design a more physiological ASD which gave equal opening pressures in both supine and upright postures. Tissue encapsulization phenomenon was also simulated and the results indicated underdrainage of CSF in the upright position of the patient.

  10. Experimental and Computational Investigation of a Translating-Throat Single-Expansion-Ramp Nozzle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deere, Karen A.; Asbury, Scott C.

    1999-01-01

    An experimental and computational study was conducted on a high-speed, single-expansion-ramp nozzle (SERN) concept designed for efficient off-design performance. The translating-throat SERN concept adjusts the axial location of the throat to provide a variable expansion ratio and allow a more optimum jet exhaust expansion at various flight conditions in an effort to maximize nozzle performance. Three design points (throat locations) were investigated to simulate the operation of this concept at subsonic-transonic, low supersonic, and high supersonic flight conditions. The experimental study was conducted in the jet exit test facility at the Langley Research Center. Internal nozzle performance was obtained at nozzle pressure ratios (NPR's) up to 13 for six nozzles with design nozzle pressure ratios near 9, 42, and 102. Two expansion-ramp surfaces, one concave and one convex, were tested for each design point. Paint-oil flow and focusing schlieren flow visualization techniques were utilized to acquire additional flow data at selected NPR'S. The Navier-Stokes code, PAB3D, was used with a two-equation k-e turbulence model for the computational study. Nozzle performance characteristics were predicted at nozzle pressure ratios of 5, 9, and 13 for the concave ramp, low Mach number nozzle and at 10, 13, and 102 for the concave ramp, high Mach number nozzle.

  11. Development and Design Application of Rigidized Surface Insulation Thermal Protection Systems, Volume 1. [for the space shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    Materials and design technology of the all-silica LI-900 rigid surface insulation (RSI) thermal protection system (TPS) concept for the shuttle spacecraft is presented. All results of contract development efforts are documented. Engineering design and analysis of RSI strain arrestor plate material selections, sizing, and weight studies are reported. A shuttle prototype test panel was designed, analyzed, fabricated, and delivered. Thermophysical and mechanical properties of LI-900 were experimentally established and reported. Environmental tests, including simulations of shuttle loads represented by thermal response, turbulent duct, convective cycling, and chemical tolerance tests are described and results reported. Descriptions of material test samples and panels fabricated for testing are included. Descriptions of analytical sizing and design procedures are presented in a manner formulated to allow competent engineering organizations to perform rational design studies. Results of parametric studies involving material and system variables are reported. Material performance and design data are also delineated.

  12. Performance evaluation capabilities for the design of physical systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pilkey, W. D.; Wang, B. P.

    1972-01-01

    The results are presented of a study aimed at developing and formulating a capability for the limiting performance of large steady state systems. The accomplishments reported include: (1) development of a theory of limiting performance of large systems subject to steady state inputs; (2) application and modification of PERFORM, the computational capability for the limiting performance of systems with transient inputs; and (3) demonstration that use of an inherently smooth control force for a limiting performance calculation improves the system identification phase of the design process for physical systems subjected to transient loading.

  13. Man/Machine Interaction Dynamics And Performance (MMIDAP) capability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frisch, Harold P.

    1991-01-01

    The creation of an ability to study interaction dynamics between a machine and its human operator can be approached from a myriad of directions. The Man/Machine Interaction Dynamics and Performance (MMIDAP) project seeks to create an ability to study the consequences of machine design alternatives relative to the performance of both machine and operator. The class of machines to which this study is directed includes those that require the intelligent physical exertions of a human operator. While Goddard's Flight Telerobotic's program was expected to be a major user, basic engineering design and biomedical applications reach far beyond telerobotics. Ongoing efforts are outlined of the GSFC and its University and small business collaborators to integrate both human performance and musculoskeletal data bases with analysis capabilities necessary to enable the study of dynamic actions, reactions, and performance of coupled machine/operator systems.

  14. Evaluation of a Low-Noise Formate Spiral-Bevel Gear Set

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewicki, David g.; Woods, Ron L.; Litvin, Faydor L.; Fuentes, Alfonso

    2007-01-01

    Studies to evaluate low-noise Formate spiral-bevel gears were performed. Experimental tests were performed on the OH-58D helicopter main-rotor transmission in the NASA Glenn 500-hp Helicopter Transmission Test Stand. Low-noise Formate spiral-bevel gears were compared to the baseline OH-58D spiral-bevel gear design, a high-strength design, and previously tested low-noise designs (including an original low-noise design and an improved-bearing-contact low-noise design). Noise, vibration, and tooth strain tests were performed. The Formate design showed a decrease in noise and vibration compared to the baseline OH-58D design, and was similar to that of the previously tested improved-bearing contact low-noise design. The pinion tooth stresses for the Formate design significantly decreased in comparison to the baseline OH-58D design. Also similar to that of the improved bearing-contact low-noise design, the maximum stresses of the Formate design shifted toward the heel, compared to the center of the face width for the baseline, high-strength, and previously tested low-noise designs.

  15. Use of Traditional and Novel Methods to Evaluate the Influence of an EVA Glove on Hand Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Benson, Elizabeth A.; England, Scott A.; Mesloh, Miranda; Thompson, Shelby; ajulu, Sudhakar

    2010-01-01

    The gloved hand is one of an astronaut s primary means of interacting with the environment, and any restrictions imposed by the glove can strongly affect performance during extravehicular activity (EVA). Glove restrictions have been the subject of study for decades, yet previous studies have generally been unsuccessful in quantifying glove mobility and tactility. Past studies have tended to focus on the dexterity, strength, and functional performance of the gloved hand; this provides only a circumspect analysis of the impact of each type of restriction on the glove s overall capability. The aim of this study was to develop novel capabilities to provide metrics for mobility and tactility that can be used to assess the performance of a glove in a way that could enable designers and engineers to improve their current designs. A series of evaluations were performed to compare unpressurized and pressurized (4.3 psi) gloved conditions with the ungloved condition. A second series of evaluations were performed with the Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment (TMG) removed. This series of tests provided interesting insight into how much of an effect the TMG has on gloved mobility - in some cases, the presence of the TMG restricted glove mobility as much as pressurization did. Previous hypotheses had assumed that the TMG would have a much lower impact on mobility, but these results suggest that an improvement in the design of the TMG could have a significant impact on glove performance. Tactility testing illustrated the effect of glove pressurization, provided insight into the design of hardware that interfaces with the glove, and highlighted areas of concern. The metrics developed in this study served to benchmark the Phase VI EVA glove and to develop requirements for the next-generation glove for the Constellation program.

  16. Low-thrust chemical rocket engine study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mellish, J. A.

    1981-01-01

    Engine data and information are presented to perform system studies on cargo orbit-transfer vehicles which would deliver large space structures to geosynchronous equatorial orbit. Low-thrust engine performance, weight, and envelope parametric data were established, preliminary design information was generated, and technologies for liquid rocket engines were identified. Two major engine design drivers were considered in the study: cooling and engine cycle options. Both film-cooled and regeneratively cooled engines were evaluated. The propellant combinations studied were hydrogen/oxygen, methane/oxygen, and kerosene/oxygen.

  17. High Performance Work System, HRD Climate and Organisational Performance: An Empirical Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muduli, Ashutosh

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to study the relationship between high-performance work system (HPWS) and organizational performance and to examine the role of human resource development (HRD) Climate in mediating the relationship between HPWS and the organizational performance in the context of the power sector of India. Design/methodology/approach: The…

  18. The Impact of a Learning Organization on Performance: Focusing on Knowledge Performance and Financial Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Kyoungshin; Watkins, Karen E.; Lu, Zhenqiu

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among a learning organization, knowledge and financial performance using the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire and its abbreviated version. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a secondary data set and performed second-order factor analysis and…

  19. Aerodynamic performances of three fan stator designs operating with rotor having tip speed of 337 meters per second and pressure ratio of 1.54. 1: Experimental performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gelder, T. F.

    1980-01-01

    The aerodynamic performances of four stator-blade rows are presented and evaluated. The aerodynamic designs of two of these stators were compromised to reduce noise, a third design was not. On a calculated operating line passing through the design point pressure ratio, the best stator had overall pressure-ratio and efficiency decrements of 0.031 and 0.044, respectively, providing a stage pressure ratio of 1.483 and efficiency of 0.865. The other stators showed some correctable deficiencies due partly to the design compromises for noise. In the end-wall regions blade-element losses were significantly less for the shortest chord studied.

  20. Impact of Instructional Design on Virtual Teamwork

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rawlings, Melody

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this participatory action research study was to answer the following research question: How does online instructional design impact students' virtual teamwork performance? Through the lens of social constructivism, a qualitative, in-depth multi-case study design was utilized to conduct document analyses, observations, and student…

  1. Building America Case Study: Design Guidance for Passive Vents in New Construction Multifamily Buildings, New York, New York

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

    2016-02-01

    This document addresses the use of passive vents as a source of outdoor air in multifamily buildings. The challenges associated with implementing passive vents and the factors affecting performance are outlined. A comprehensive design methodology and quantified performance metrics are provided. Two hypothetical design examples are provided to illustrate the process. This document is intended to be useful to designers, decision-makers, and contractors implementing passive ventilation strategies. It is also intended to be a resource for those responsible for setting high-performance building program requirements, especially pertaining to ventilation and outdoor air. To ensure good indoor air quality, a dedicated sourcemore » of outdoor air is an integral part of high-performance buildings. Presently, there is a lack of guidance pertaining to the design and installation of passive vents, resulting in poor system performance. This report details the criteria necessary for designing, constructing, and testing passive vent systems to enable them to provide consistent and reliable levels of ventilation air from outdoors.« less

  2. Space Storable Propellant Performance Gas/Liquid Like-Doublet Injector Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Falk, A. Y.

    1972-01-01

    A 30-month applied research program was conducted, encompassing an analytical, design, and experimental effort to relate injector design parameters to simultaneous attainment of high performance and component (injector/thrust chamber) compatibility for gas/liquid space-storable propellants. The gas/liquid propellant combination selected for study was FLOX (82.6% F2)/ambient temperature gaseous methane. The injector pattern characterized was the like-(self)-impinging doublet. Program effort was apportioned into four basic technical tasks: injector and thrust chamber design, injector and thrust chamber fabrication, performance evaluation testing, and data evaluation and reporting. Analytical parametric combustion analyses and cold flow distribution and atomization experiments were conducted with injector segment models to support design of injector/thrust chamber combinations for hot fire evaluation. Hot fire tests were conducted to: (1) optimize performance of the injector core elements, and (2) provide design criteria for the outer zone elements so that injector/thrust chamber compatibility could be achieved with only minimal performance losses.

  3. Some design considerations for solar-powered aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, W. H.

    1980-01-01

    Performance and operating characteristics are presented for a solar powered aircraft intended to remain aloft for long periods. The critical technologies which limit the performance are identified. By using the techniques presented, the effects of variation in the system parameters are studied. Practical design consideration are discussed.

  4. CO2 laser ranging systems study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Filippi, C. A.

    1975-01-01

    The conceptual design and error performance of a CO2 laser ranging system are analyzed. Ranging signal and subsystem processing alternatives are identified, and their comprehensive evaluation yields preferred candidate solutions which are analyzed to derive range and range rate error contributions. The performance results are presented in the form of extensive tables and figures which identify the ranging accuracy compromises as a function of the key system design parameters and subsystem performance indexes. The ranging errors obtained are noted to be within the high accuracy requirements of existing NASA/GSFC missions with a proper system design.

  5. A comparison of arrow, trapezoidal and M wing concepts using a Mach 2 supersonic cruise transport mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martin, Glenn L.; Tice, David C.; Marcum, Don C., Jr.; Seidel, Jonathan A.

    1991-01-01

    The present analytic study of the potential performance of SST configurations radically differing from arrow-winged designs in lifting surface planform geometry gives attention to trapezoidal-wing and M-wing configurations; the trapezoidal wing is used as the baseline in the performance comparisons. The design mission was all-supersonic (Mach 2), carrying 248 passengers over a 5500 nautical-mile range. Design constraints encompassed approach speed, TO&L field length, and engine-out second-segment climb and missed-approach performance. Techniques for improving these configurations are discussed.

  6. A knowledge based search tool for performance measures in health care systems.

    PubMed

    Beyan, Oya D; Baykal, Nazife

    2012-02-01

    Performance measurement is vital for improving the health care systems. However, we are still far from having accepted performance measurement models. Researchers and developers are seeking comparable performance indicators. We developed an intelligent search tool to identify appropriate measures for specific requirements by matching diverse care settings. We reviewed the literature and analyzed 229 performance measurement studies published after 2000. These studies are evaluated with an original theoretical framework and stored in the database. A semantic network is designed for representing domain knowledge and supporting reasoning. We have applied knowledge based decision support techniques to cope with uncertainty problems. As a result we designed a tool which simplifies the performance indicator search process and provides most relevant indicators by employing knowledge based systems.

  7. Development of Mix Design Method in Efforts to Increase Concrete Performance Using Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krisnamurti; Soehardjono, A.; Zacoeb, A.; Wibowo, A.

    2018-01-01

    Earthquake disaster can cause infrastructure damage. Prevention of human casualties from disasters should do. Prevention efforts can do through improving the mechanical performance of building materials. To achieve high-performance concrete (HPC), usually used Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). However, the most widely circulating cement types today are Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) or Portland Composite Cement (PCC). Therefore, the proportion of materials used in the HPC mix design needs to adjust to achieve the expected performance. This study aims to develop a concrete mix design method using PPC to fulfil the criteria of HPC. The study refers to the code/regulation of concrete mixtures that use OPC based on the results of laboratory testing. This research uses PPC material, gravel from Malang area, Lumajang sand, water, silica fume and superplasticizer of a polycarboxylate copolymer. The analyzed information includes the investigation results of aggregate properties, concrete mixed composition, water-binder ratio variation, specimen dimension, compressive strength and elasticity modulus of the specimen. The test results show that the concrete compressive strength achieves value between 25 MPa to 55 MPa. The mix design method that has developed can simplify the process of concrete mix design using PPC to achieve the certain desired performance of concrete.

  8. Assessing the influence of reactor system design criteria on the performance of model colon fermentation units.

    PubMed

    Moorthy, Arun S; Eberl, Hermann J

    2014-04-01

    Fermentation reactor systems are a key platform in studying intestinal microflora, specifically with respect to questions surrounding the effects of diet. In this study, we develop computational representations of colon fermentation reactor systems as a way to assess the influence of three design elements (number of reactors, emptying mechanism, and inclusion of microbial immobilization) on three performance measures (total biomass density, biomass composition, and fibre digestion efficiency) using a fractional-factorial experimental design. It was determined that the choice of emptying mechanism showed no effect on any of the performance measures. Additionally, it was determined that none of the design criteria had any measurable effect on reactor performance with respect to biomass composition. It is recommended that model fermentation systems used in the experimenting of dietary effects on intestinal biomass composition be streamlined to only include necessary system design complexities, as the measured performance is not benefited by the addition of microbial immobilization mechanisms or semi-continuous emptying scheme. Additionally, the added complexities significantly increase computational time during simulation experiments. It was also noted that the same factorial experiment could be directly adapted using in vitro colon fermentation systems. Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Spinal Manipulative Therapy and Sports Performance Enhancement: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Botelho, Marcelo B; Alvarenga, Bruno A P; Molina, Nícolly; Ribas, Marcos; Baptista, Abrahão F

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to review the literature regarding the relationship between spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and sports performance. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for original studies published up to July 2016. Inclusion criteria were if SMT has been applied to athletes and if any sports performance-related outcome was measured. Of the 581 potential studies, 7 clinical trials were selected. Most studies had adequate quality (≥6/11) when assessed by the PEDro scale. None of those studies assessed performance at an event or competition. Four studies revealed improvement in a sports performance test after SMT. Meta-analysis could not be performed because of the wide differences in methodologies, design, and outcomes measured. Spinal manipulative therapy influences a wide range of neurophysiological parameters that could be associated with sports performance. Of the 3 studies where SMT did not improve test performance, 2 used SMT not for therapeutic correction of a dysfunctional vertebral joint but to an arbitrary previously set joint. Although 4 of 7 studies showed that SMT improved sports performance tests, the evidence is still weak to support its use. Spinal manipulative therapy may be a promising approach for performance enhancement that should be investigated with more consistent methodologic designs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. A novel double loop control model design for chemical unstable processes.

    PubMed

    Cong, Er-Ding; Hu, Ming-Hui; Tu, Shan-Tung; Xuan, Fu-Zhen; Shao, Hui-He

    2014-03-01

    In this manuscript, based on Smith predictor control scheme for unstable process in industry, an improved double loop control model is proposed for chemical unstable processes. Inner loop is to stabilize integrating the unstable process and transform the original process to first-order plus pure dead-time dynamic stable process. Outer loop is to enhance the performance of set point response. Disturbance controller is designed to enhance the performance of disturbance response. The improved control system is simple with exact physical meaning. The characteristic equation is easy to realize stabilization. Three controllers are separately design in the improved scheme. It is easy to design each controller and good control performance for the respective closed-loop transfer function separately. The robust stability of the proposed control scheme is analyzed. Finally, case studies illustrate that the improved method can give better system performance than existing design methods. © 2013 ISA Published by ISA All rights reserved.

  11. Finite element analysis of constrained total Condylar Knee Prosthesis

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

    NONE

    1998-07-13

    Exactech, Inc., is a prosthetic joint manufacturer based in Gainesville, FL. The company set the goal of developing a highly effective prosthetic articulation, based on scientific principles, not trial and error. They developed an evolutionary design for a total knee arthroplasty system that promised improved performance. They performed static load tests in the laboratory with similar previous designs, but dynamic laboratory testing was both difficult to perform and prohibitively expensive for a small business to undertake. Laboratory testing also cannot measure stress levels in the interior of the prosthesis where failures are known to initiate. To fully optimize their designsmore » for knee arthroplasty revisions, they needed range-of-motion stress/strain data at interior as well as exterior locations within the prosthesis. LLNL developed computer software (especially NIKE3D) specifically designed to perform stress/strain computations (finite element analysis) for complex geometries in large displacement/large deformation conditions. Additionally, LLNL had developed a high fidelity knee model for other analytical purposes. The analysis desired by Exactech could readily be performed using NIKE3D and a modified version of the high fidelity knee that contained the geometry of the condylar knee components. The LLNL high fidelity knee model was a finite element computer model which would not be transferred to Exactech during the course of this CRADA effort. The previously performed laboratory studies by Exactech were beneficial to LLNL in verifying the analytical capabilities of NIKE3D for human anatomical modeling. This, in turn, gave LLNL further entree to perform work-for-others in the prosthetics field. There were two purposes to the CRADA (1) To modify the LLNL High Fidelity Knee Model to accept the geometry of the Exactech Total Knee; and (2) To perform parametric studies of the possible design options in appropriate ranges of motion so that an optimum design could be selected for production. Because of unanticipated delays in the CRADA funding, the knee design had to be finalized before the analysis could be accomplished. Thus, the scope of work was modified by the industrial partner. It was decided that it would be most beneficial to perform FEA that would closely replicate the lab tests that had been done as the basis of the design. Exactech was responsible for transmitting the component geometries to Livermore, as well as providing complete data from the quasi-static laboratory loading tests that were performed on various designs. LLNL was responsible for defining the basic finite element mesh and carrying out the analysis. We performed the initial computer simulation and verified model integrity, using the laboratory data. After performing the parametric studies, the results were reviewed with Exactech. Also, the results were presented at the Orthopedic Research Society meeting in a poster session.« less

  12. A numerical study of automotive turbocharger mixed flow turbine inlet geometry for off design performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leonard, T.; Spence, S.; Early, J.; Filsinger, D.

    2013-12-01

    Mixed flow turbines represent a potential solution to the increasing requirement for high pressure, low velocity ratio operation in turbocharger applications. While literature exists for the use of these turbines at such operating conditions, there is a lack of detailed design guidance for defining the basic geometry of the turbine, in particular, the cone angle - the angle at which the inlet of the mixed flow turbine is inclined to the axis. This investigates the effect and interaction of such mixed flow turbine design parameters. Computational Fluids Dynamics was initially used to investigate the performance of a modern radial turbine to create a baseline for subsequent mixed flow designs. Existing experimental data was used to validate this model. Using the CFD model, a number of mixed flow turbine designs were investigated. These included studies varying the cone angle and the associated inlet blade angle. The results of this analysis provide insight into the performance of a mixed flow turbine with respect to cone and inlet blade angle.

  13. Enabling People with Developmental Disabilities to Actively Follow Simple Instructions and Perform Designated Physical Activities According to Simple Instructions with Nintendo Wii Balance Boards by Controlling Environmental Stimulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Chung, Chiao-Chen; Shih, Ching-Tien; Chen, Ling-Che

    2011-01-01

    The latest researches have adopted software technology turning the Nintendo Wii Balance Board into a high performance standing location detector. This study extended Wii Balance Board functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated physical activities according to simple…

  14. Study of space shuttle orbiter system management computer function. Volume 2: Automated performance verification concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    The findings are presented of investigations on concepts and techniques in automated performance verification. The investigations were conducted to provide additional insight into the design methodology and to develop a consolidated technology base from which to analyze performance verification design approaches. Other topics discussed include data smoothing, function selection, flow diagrams, data storage, and shuttle hydraulic systems.

  15. Design Studies and Optimization of High-Field Nb$$_3$$Sn Dipole Magnets for a Future Very High Energy PP Collider

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

    Kashikhin, V. V.; Novitski, I.; Zlobin, A. V.

    2017-05-01

    High filed accelerator magnets with operating fields of 15-16 T based on themore » $$Nb_3Sn$$ superconductor are being considered for the LHC energy upgrade or a future Very High Energy pp Collider. Magnet design studies are being conducted in the U.S., Europe and Asia to explore the limits of the $$Nb_3Sn$$ accelerator magnet technology while optimizing the magnet design and performance parame-ters, and reducing magnet cost. The first results of these studies performed at Fermilab in the framework of the US-MDP are reported in this paper.« less

  16. NASA/Navy life/cruise fan preliminary design report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    Preliminary design studies were performed to define a turbotip lift/cruise fan propulsion system for a Navy multimission aircraft. The fan is driven by the exhausts of the YJ97-GE-100 turbojet or a 20 percent Growth J97 configuration as defined during the studies. The LCF459 fan configuration defined has a tip diameter of 1.50 meters (59.0 inches) and develops a design point thrust of 75,130 N (16,890 lbs) at a fan pressure ratio of 1.319. The fan has an estimated weight of 386 kg (850 lbs). Trade studies performed to define the selected configuration are described.

  17. Assessing the Robustness of Green Infrastructure under Stochastic Design Storms and Climate Change Scenarios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chui, T. F. M.; Yang, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Green infrastructures (GI) have been widely used to mitigate flood risk, improve surface water quality, and to restore predevelopment hydrologic regimes. Commonly-used GI include, bioretention system, porous pavement and green roof, etc. They are normally sized to fulfil different design criteria (e.g. providing certain storage depths, limiting peak surface flow rates) that are formulated for current climate conditions. While GI commonly have long lifespan, the sensitivity of their performance to climate change is however unclear. This study first proposes a method to formulate suitable design criteria to meet different management interests (e.g. different levels of first flush reduction and peak flow reduction). Then typical designs of GI are proposed. In addition, a high resolution stochastic design storm generator using copulas and random cascade model is developed, which is calibrated using recorded rainfall time series. Then, few climate change scenarios are generated by varying the duration and depth of design storms, and changing the parameters of the calibrated storm generator. Finally, the performance of GI with typical designs under the random synthesized design storms are then assessed using numerical modeling. The robustness of the designs is obtained by the comparing their performance in the future scenarios to the current one. This study overall examines the robustness of the current GI design criteria under uncertain future climate conditions, demonstrating whether current GI design criteria should be modified to account for climate change.

  18. NASA/Navy lift/cruise fan cost reduction studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    Cost reduction studies were performed for the LCF459 turbotip fan for application with the YJ97-GE-100 gas generator in a multimission V/STOL research and technology aircraft. A 20 percent cost reduction of the research configuration based on the original preliminary design was achieved. The trade studies performed and the results in the area of cost reduction and weight are covered. A fan configuration is defined for continuation of the program through the detailed design phase.

  19. Factors Associated with the Performance and Cost-Effectiveness of Using Lymphatic Filariasis Transmission Assessment Surveys for Monitoring Soil-Transmitted Helminths: A Case Study in Kenya

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Jennifer L.; Sturrock, Hugh J. W.; Assefa, Liya; Nikolay, Birgit; Njenga, Sammy M.; Kihara, Jimmy; Mwandawiro, Charles S.; Brooker, Simon J.

    2015-01-01

    Transmission assessment surveys (TAS) for lymphatic filariasis have been proposed as a platform to assess the impact of mass drug administration (MDA) on soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). This study used computer simulation and field data from pre- and post-MDA settings across Kenya to evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of the TAS design for STH assessment compared with alternative survey designs. Variations in the TAS design and different sample sizes and diagnostic methods were also evaluated. The district-level TAS design correctly classified more districts compared with standard STH designs in pre-MDA settings. Aggregating districts into larger evaluation units in a TAS design decreased performance, whereas age group sampled and sample size had minimal impact. The low diagnostic sensitivity of Kato-Katz and mini-FLOTAC methods was found to increase misclassification. We recommend using a district-level TAS among children 8–10 years of age to assess STH but suggest that key consideration is given to evaluation unit size. PMID:25487730

  20. Receiver design, performance analysis, and evaluation for space-borne laser altimeters and space-to-space laser ranging systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidson, Frederic M.; Sun, Xiaoli; Field, Christopher T.

    1994-01-01

    Accomplishments in the following areas of research are presented: receiver performance study of spaceborne laser altimeters and cloud and aerosol lidars; receiver performance analysis for space-to-space laser ranging systems; and receiver performance study for the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR).

  1. Grade/Study-Performance Contracts, Enhanced Communication, Cooperative Learning, and Student Performance in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dougherty, Ralph C.

    1997-01-01

    Describes and evaluates a teaching strategy, designed to increase student retention while maintaining academic performance levels in undergraduate organic chemistry, that uses grade/study-performance contracts, enhanced communication using electronic mail, and cooperative learning. Concludes that a series of interventions can substantially…

  2. Undergraduate Students' Performance: The Case of University of Malaya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alfan, Ervina; Othman, Md Nor

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the undergraduate students' performance in the Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya and the factors influencing the performance of the undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach: The performance of the undergraduate students in this study is measured by their…

  3. Quantitative imaging biomarkers: a review of statistical methods for technical performance assessment.

    PubMed

    Raunig, David L; McShane, Lisa M; Pennello, Gene; Gatsonis, Constantine; Carson, Paul L; Voyvodic, James T; Wahl, Richard L; Kurland, Brenda F; Schwarz, Adam J; Gönen, Mithat; Zahlmann, Gudrun; Kondratovich, Marina V; O'Donnell, Kevin; Petrick, Nicholas; Cole, Patricia E; Garra, Brian; Sullivan, Daniel C

    2015-02-01

    Technological developments and greater rigor in the quantitative measurement of biological features in medical images have given rise to an increased interest in using quantitative imaging biomarkers to measure changes in these features. Critical to the performance of a quantitative imaging biomarker in preclinical or clinical settings are three primary metrology areas of interest: measurement linearity and bias, repeatability, and the ability to consistently reproduce equivalent results when conditions change, as would be expected in any clinical trial. Unfortunately, performance studies to date differ greatly in designs, analysis method, and metrics used to assess a quantitative imaging biomarker for clinical use. It is therefore difficult or not possible to integrate results from different studies or to use reported results to design studies. The Radiological Society of North America and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance with technical, radiological, and statistical experts developed a set of technical performance analysis methods, metrics, and study designs that provide terminology, metrics, and methods consistent with widely accepted metrological standards. This document provides a consistent framework for the conduct and evaluation of quantitative imaging biomarker performance studies so that results from multiple studies can be compared, contrasted, or combined. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  4. Design and Performance Investigation for the Optical Combinational Networks at High Data Rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripathi, Devendra Kr.

    2017-05-01

    This article explores performance study for optical combinational designs based on nonlinear characteristics with semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Two configurations for optical half-adder with non-return-to-zero modulation pattern altogether with Mach-Zehnder modulator, interferometer at 50-Gbps data rate have been successfully realized. Accordingly, SUM and CARRY outputs have been concurrently executed and verified for their output waveforms. Numerical simulations for variation of data rate and key design parameters have been effectively executed outcome with optimum performance. Investigations depict overall good performance of the design in terms of the extinction factor. It also inferred that all-optical realization based on SOA is competent scheme, as it circumvents costly optoelectronic translation. This could be well supportive to erect larger complex optical combinational circuits.

  5. Design of a family of ring-core fibers for OAM transmission studies.

    PubMed

    Brunet, Charles; Ung, Bora; Wang, Lixian; Messaddeq, Younès; LaRochelle, Sophie; Rusch, Leslie A

    2015-04-20

    We propose a family of ring-core fibers, designed for the transmission of OAM modes, that can be fabricated by drawing five different fibers from a single preform. This novel technique allows us to experimentally sweep design parameters and speed up the fiber design optimization process. Such a family of fibers could be used to examine system performance, but also facilitate understanding of parameter impact in the transition from design to fabrication. We present design parameters characterizing our fiber, and enumerate criteria to be satisfied. We determine targeted fiber dimensions and explain our strategy for examining a design family rather than a single fiber design. We simulate modal properties of the designed fibers, and compare the results with measurements performed on fabricated fibers.

  6. The effects of work engagement and self-efficacy on personal initiative and performance.

    PubMed

    Lisbona, Ana; Palaci, Francisco; Salanova, Marisa; Frese, Michael

    2018-02-01

    Two popular concepts, work engagement and personal initiative, are different but related constructs. This study is based on and extends the Frese and Fay (2001) model of personal initiative (PI) by including work engagement (WE) and self-efficacy as antecedents of PI, and performance as a consequence. Two studies (study 1, with a cross-sectional design using N = 396 participants from 22 organizations, and study 2, with a longitudinal design conducted in two waves with N = 118 participants from 15 organizations) test the hypotheses. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS SPSS Macro were used to test the hypothesized mediating role of personal initiative in work engagement and performance, and the results show the indirect effect of WE on performance through PI. The results of these two studies confirmed our hypotheses: WE and self-efficacy lead to higher PI, which, in turn, leads to higher performance. In addition to considering WE as an antecedent of PI, the results lead to considering PI as an antecedent of performance.

  7. The Learning of Compost Practice in University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agustina, T. W.; Rustaman, N. Y.; Riandi; Purwianingsih, W.

    2017-09-01

    The compost as one of the topics of the Urban Farming Movement in Bandung city, Indonesia. The preliminary study aims to obtain a description of the performance capabilities and compost products made by students with STREAM (Science-Technology-Religion-Art-Mathematics) approach. The method was explanatory sequential mixed method. The study was conducted on one class of Biology Education students at the one of the universities in Bandung, Indonesia. The sample was chosen purposively with the number of students as many as 44 people. The instruments were making Student Worksheets, Observation Sheets of Performance and Product Assessment, Rubric of Performance and Product, and Field Notes. The indicators of performance assessment rubrics include Stirring of Compost Materials and Composting Technology in accordance with the design. The product assessment rubric are a Good Composting Criteria and Compost Packaging. The result of can be stated most students have good performance. However, the ability to design of compost technology, compost products and the ability to pack compost are still lacking. The implication of study is students of Biology Education require habituation in the ability of designing technology.

  8. Enhanced Performance of Streamline-Traced External-Compression Supersonic Inlets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Slater, John W.

    2015-01-01

    A computational design study was conducted to enhance the aerodynamic performance of streamline-traced, external-compression inlets for Mach 1.6. The current study explored a new parent flowfield for the streamline tracing and several variations of inlet design factors, including the axial displacement and angle of the subsonic cowl lip, the vertical placement of the engine axis, and the use of porous bleed in the subsonic diffuser. The performance was enhanced over that of an earlier streamline-traced inlet such as to increase the total pressure recovery and reduce total pressure distortion

  9. Performance Outcomes of an Online First Aid and CPR Course for Laypersons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cason, Carolyn L.; Stiller, Janeth

    2011-01-01

    Objective: The study evaluated the effectiveness of an online first aid course by comparing it with the traditional instructor-led course. An effective online course increases course accessibility and mitigates the major deterrent to widespread layperson training. Design: A comparison group design evaluated performances among 25 laypersons…

  10. Conceptual engineering design studies of 1985-era commercial VTOL and STOL transports that utilize rotors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Magee, J. P.; Clark, R. D.; Widdison, C. A.

    1975-01-01

    Conceptual design studies are summarized of tandem-rotor helicopter and tilt-rotor aircraft for a short haul transport mission in the 1985 time frame. Vertical takeoff designs of both configurations are discussed, and the impact of external noise criteria on the vehicle designs, performance, and costs are shown. A STOL design for the tilt-rotor configuration is reported, and the effect of removing the vertical takeoff design constraints on the design parameters, fuel economy, and operating cost is discussed.

  11. Design optimization for cost and quality: The robust design approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Unal, Resit

    1990-01-01

    Designing reliable, low cost, and operable space systems has become the key to future space operations. Designing high quality space systems at low cost is an economic and technological challenge to the designer. A systematic and efficient way to meet this challenge is a new method of design optimization for performance, quality, and cost, called Robust Design. Robust Design is an approach for design optimization. It consists of: making system performance insensitive to material and subsystem variation, thus allowing the use of less costly materials and components; making designs less sensitive to the variations in the operating environment, thus improving reliability and reducing operating costs; and using a new structured development process so that engineering time is used most productively. The objective in Robust Design is to select the best combination of controllable design parameters so that the system is most robust to uncontrollable noise factors. The robust design methodology uses a mathematical tool called an orthogonal array, from design of experiments theory, to study a large number of decision variables with a significantly small number of experiments. Robust design also uses a statistical measure of performance, called a signal-to-noise ratio, from electrical control theory, to evaluate the level of performance and the effect of noise factors. The purpose is to investigate the Robust Design methodology for improving quality and cost, demonstrate its application by the use of an example, and suggest its use as an integral part of space system design process.

  12. Neptune aerocapture mission and spacecraft design overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bailey, Robert W.; Hall, Jeff L.; Spliker, Tom R.; O'Kongo, Nora

    2004-01-01

    A detailed Neptune aerocapture systems analysis and spacecraft design study was performed as part of NASA's In-Space Propulsion Program. The primary objectives were to assess the feasibility of a spacecraft point design for a Neptune/Triton science mission. That uses aerocapture as the Neptune orbit insertion mechanism. This paper provides an overview of the science, mission and spacecraft design resulting from that study.

  13. Using an Analogical Thinking Model as an Instructional Tool to Improve Student Cognitive Ability in Architecture Design Learning Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Yun-Wu; Weng, Kuo-Hua

    2013-01-01

    Lack of creativity is a problem often plaguing students from design-related departments. Therefore, this study is intended to incorporate analogical thinking in the education of architecture design to enhance students' learning and their future career performance. First, this study explores the three aspects of architecture design curricula,…

  14. The NASA Exploration Design Team; Blueprint for a New Design Paradigm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oberto, Robert E.; Nilsen, Erik; Cohen, Ron; Wheeler, Rebecca; DeFlorio, Paul

    2005-01-01

    NASA has chosen JPL to deliver a NASA-wide rapid-response real-time collaborative design team to perform rapid execution of program, system, mission, and technology trade studies. This team will draw on the expertise of all NASA centers and external partners necessary. The NASA Exploration Design Team (NEDT) will be led by NASA Headquarters, with field centers and partners added according to the needs of each study. Through real-time distributed collaboration we will effectively bring all NASA field centers directly inside Headquarters. JPL's Team X pioneered the technique of real time collaborative design 8 years ago. Since its inception, Team X has performed over 600 mission studies and has reduced per-study cost by a factor of 5 and per-study duration by a factor of 10 compared to conventional design processes. The Team X concept has spread to other NASA centers, industry, academia, and international partners. In this paper, we discuss the extension of the JPL Team X process to the NASA-wide collaborative design team. We discuss the architecture for such a process and elaborate on the implementation challenges of this process. We further discuss our current ideas on how to address these challenges.

  15. Multi-Fuel Rotary Engine for General Aviation Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, C.; Ellis, D. R.; Meng, P. R.

    1983-01-01

    Design studies, conducted for NASA, of Advanced Multi-fuel General Aviation and Commuter Aircraft Rotary Stratified Charge Engines are summarized. Conceptual design studies of an advanced engine sized to provide 186/250 shaft KW/HP under cruise conditions at 7620/25,000 m/ft. altitude were performed. Relevant engine development background covering both prior and recent engine test results of the direct injected unthrottled rotary engine technology, including the capability to interchangeably operate on gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, or aviation jet fuel, are presented and related to growth predictions. Aircraft studies, using these resultant growth engines, define anticipated system effects of the performance and power density improvements for both single engine and twin engine airplanes. The calculated results indicate superior system performance and 30 to 35% fuel economy improvement for the Rotary-engine airplanes as compared to equivalent airframe concept designs with current baseline engines. The research and technology activities required to attain the projected engine performance levels are also discussed.

  16. Application of quality by design concept to develop a dual gradient elution stability-indicating method for cloxacillin forced degradation studies using combined mixture-process variable models.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xia; Hu, Changqin

    2017-09-08

    Penicillins are typical of complex ionic samples which likely contain large number of degradation-related impurities (DRIs) with different polarities and charge properties. It is often a challenge to develop selective and robust high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for the efficient separation of all DRIs. In this study, an analytical quality by design (AQbD) approach was proposed for stability-indicating method development of cloxacillin. The structures, retention and UV characteristics rules of penicillins and their impurities were summarized and served as useful prior knowledge. Through quality risk assessment and screen design, 3 critical process parameters (CPPs) were defined, including 2 mixture variables (MVs) and 1 process variable (PV). A combined mixture-process variable (MPV) design was conducted to evaluate the 3 CPPs simultaneously and a response surface methodology (RSM) was used to achieve the optimal experiment parameters. A dual gradient elution was performed to change buffer pH, mobile-phase type and strength simultaneously. The design spaces (DSs) was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation to give their possibility of meeting the specifications of CQAs. A Plackett-Burman design was performed to test the robustness around the working points and to decide the normal operating ranges (NORs). Finally, validation was performed following International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines. To our knowledge, this is the first study of using MPV design and dual gradient elution to develop HPLC methods and improve separations for complex ionic samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The SNL100-03 Blade: Design Studies with Flatback Airfoils for the Sandia 100-meter Blade.

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

    Griffith, Daniel; Richards, Phillip William

    A series of design studies were performed to inv estigate the effects of flatback airfoils on blade performance and weight for large blades using the Sandi a 100-meter blade designs as a starting point. As part of the study, the effects of varying the blade slenderness on blade structural performance was investigated. The advantages and disadvantages of blad e slenderness with respect to tip deflection, flap- wise & edge-wise fatigue resistance, panel buckling capacity, flutter speed, manufacturing labor content, blade total weight, and aerodynamic design load magn itude are quantified. Following these design studies, a final blade design (SNL100-03) wasmore » prod uced, which was based on a highly slender design using flatback airfoils. The SNL100-03 design with flatback airfoils has weight of 49 tons, which is about 16% decrease from its SNL100-02 predecessor that used conventional sharp trailing edge airfoils. Although not systematically optimized, the SNL100 -03 design study provides an assessment of and insight into the benefits of flatback airfoils for la rge blades as well as insights into the limits or negative consequences of high blade slenderness resulting from a highly slender SNL100-03 planform as was chosen in the final design definition. This docum ent also provides a description of the final SNL100-03 design definition and is intended to be a companion document to the distribution of the NuMAD blade model files for SNL100-03, which are made publicly available. A summary of the major findings of the Sandia 100-meter blade development program, from the initial SNL100-00 baseline blade through the fourth SNL100-03 blade study, is provided. This summary includes the major findings and outcomes of blade d esign studies, pathways to mitigate the identified large blade design drivers, and tool development that were produced over the course of this five-year research program. A summary of large blade tec hnology needs and research opportunities is also presented.« less

  18. High School Student Information Access and Engineering Design Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mentzer, Nathan

    2014-01-01

    Developing solutions to engineering design problems requires access to information. Research has shown that appropriately accessing and using information in the design process improves solution quality. This quasi-experimental study provides two groups of high school students with a design problem in a three hour design experience. One group has…

  19. Integrating operation design into infrastructure planning to foster robustness of planned water systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bertoni, Federica; Giuliani, Matteo; Castelletti, Andrea

    2017-04-01

    Over the past years, many studies have looked at the planning and management of water infrastructure systems as two separate problems, where the dynamic component (i.e., operations) is considered only after the static problem (i.e., planning) has been resolved. Most recent works have started to investigate planning and management as two strictly interconnected faces of the same problem, where the former is solved jointly with the latter in an integrated framework. This brings advantages to multi-purpose water reservoir systems, where several optimal operating strategies exist and similar system designs might perform differently on the long term depending on the considered short-term operating tradeoff. An operationally robust design will be therefore one performing well across multiple feasible tradeoff operating policies. This work aims at studying the interaction between short-term operating strategies and their impacts on long-term structural decisions, when long-lived infrastructures with complex ecological impacts and multi-sectoral demands to satisfy (i.e., reservoirs) are considered. A parametric reinforcement learning approach is adopted for nesting optimization and control yielding to both optimal reservoir design and optimal operational policies for water reservoir systems. The method is demonstrated on a synthetic reservoir that must be designed and operated for ensuring reliable water supply to downstream users. At first, the optimal design capacity derived is compared with the 'no-fail storage' computed through Rippl, a capacity design function that returns the minimum storage needed to satisfy specified water demands without allowing supply shortfall. Then, the optimal reservoir volume is used to simulate the simplified case study under other operating objectives than water supply, in order to assess whether and how the system performance changes. The more robust the infrastructural design, the smaller the difference between the performances of different operating strategies.

  20. Solar dynamic power system definition study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wallin, Wayne E.; Friefeld, Jerry M.

    1988-01-01

    The solar dynamic power system design and analysis study compared Brayton, alkali-metal Rankine, and free-piston Stirling cycles with silicon planar and GaAs concentrator photovoltaic power systems for application to missions beyond the Phase 2 Space Station level of technology for all power systems. Conceptual designs for Brayton and Stirling power systems were developed for 35 kWe and 7 kWe power levels. All power systems were designed for 7-year end-of-life conditions in low Earth orbit. LiF was selected for thermal energy storage for the solar dynamic systems. Results indicate that the Stirling cycle systems have the highest performance (lowest weight and area) followed by the Brayton cycle, with photovoltaic systems considerably lower in performance. For example, based on the performance assumptions used, the planar silicon power system weight was 55 to 75 percent higher than for the Stirling system. A technology program was developed to address areas wherein significant performance improvements could be realized relative to the current state-of-the-art as represented by Space Station. In addition, a preliminary evaluation of hardenability potential found that solar dynamic systems can be hardened beyond the hardness inherent in the conceptual designs of this study.

  1. Design and implementation of ergonomic performance measurement system at a steel plant in India.

    PubMed

    Ray, Pradip Kumar; Tewari, V K

    2012-01-01

    Management of Tata Steel, the largest steel making company of India in the private sector, felt the need to develop a framework to determine the levels of ergonomic performance at its different workplaces. The objectives of the study are manifold: to identify and characterize the ergonomic variables for a given worksystem with regard to work efficiency, operator safety, and working conditions, to design a comprehensive Ergonomic Performance Indicator (EPI) for quantitative determination of the ergonomic status and maturity of a given worksystem. The study team of IIT Kharagpur consists of three faculty members and the management of Tata Steel formed a team of eleven members for implementation of EPI model. In order to design and develop the EPI model with total participation and understanding of the concerned personnel of Tata Steel, a three-phase action plan for the project was prepared. The project consists of three phases: preparation and data collection, detailed structuring and validation of EPI model. Identification of ergonomic performance factors, development of interaction matrix, design of assessment tool, and testing and validation of assessment tool (EPI) in varied situations are the major steps in these phases. The case study discusses in detail the EPI model and its applications.

  2. Mixed Methods Design Study Investigating the Use of a Music Authentic Performance Assessment Tool by High School Band Directors to Measure Student Musical Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beason, Christine F.

    2017-01-01

    This research project was designed to determine if the Model Cornerstone Assessment for Performance, Proficient level, published by the National Association for Music Education would be an appropriate tool to use to demonstrate student growth as one element of teacher evaluations, specifically the T-TESS. This study focused on four main research…

  3. Analysis of the Reactor Physics of Low-Enrichment Fuel for the INL Advanced Test Reactor in support of RERTR

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

    Mark DeHart; William Skerjanc; Sean Morrell

    2012-06-01

    Analysis of the performance of the ATR with a LEU fuel design shows promise in terms of a core design that will yield the same neutron sources in target locations. A proposed integral cladding burnable absorber design appears to meet power profile requirements that will satisfy power distributions for safety limits. Performance of this fuel design is ongoing; the current work is the initial evaluation of the core performance of this fuel design with increasing burnup. Results show that LEU fuel may have a longer lifetime that HEU fuel however, such limits may be set by mechanical performance of themore » fuel rather that available reactivity. Changes seen in the radial fuel power distribution with burnup in LEU fuel will require further study to ascertain the impact on neutron fluxes in target locations. Source terms for discharged fuel have also been studied. By its very nature, LEU fuel produces much more plutonium than is present in HEU fuel at discharge. However, the effect of the plutonium inventory appears to have little affect on radiotoxicity or decay heat in the fuel.« less

  4. Dual Liquid Flyback Booster for the Space Shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blum, C.; Jones, P.; Meinders, B.

    1998-01-01

    Liquid Flyback Boosters provide an opportunity to improve shuttle safety, increase performance, and reduce operating costs. The objective of the LFBB study is to establish the viability of a LFBB configuration to integrate into the shuffle vehicle and meet the goals of the Space Shuttle upgrades program. The design of a technically viable LFBB must integrate into the shuffle vehicle with acceptable impacts to the vehicle elements, i.e. orbiter and external tank and the shuttle operations infrastructure. The LFBB must also be capable of autonomous return to the launch site. The smooth integration of the LFBB into the space shuttle vehicle and the ability of the LFBB to fly back to the launch site are not mutually compatible capabilities. LFBB wing configurations optimized for ascent must also provide flight quality during the powered return back to the launch site. This paper will focus on the core booster design and ascent performance. A companion paper 'Conceptual Design for a Space Shuttle Liquid Flyback Booster' will focus on the flyback system design and performance. The LFBB study developed design and aerodynamic data to demonstrate the viability of a dual booster configuration to meet the shuttle upgrade goals, i.e. enhanced safety, improved performance and reduced operations costs.

  5. Dual Liquid Flyback Booster for the Space Shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blum, C.; Jones, Patti; Meinders, B.

    1998-01-01

    Liquid Flyback Boosters provide an opportunity to improve shuttle safety, increase performance, and reduce operating costs. The objective of the LFBB study is to establish the viability of a LFBB configuration to integrate into the shuttle vehicle and meet the goals of the Space Shuttle upgrades program. The design of a technically viable LFBB must integrate into the shuttle vehicle with acceptable impacts to the vehicle elements, i.e. orbiter and external tank and the shuttle operations infrastructure. The LFBB must also be capable of autonomous return to the launch site. The smooth integration of the LFBB into the space shuttle vehicle and the ability of the LFBB to fly back to the launch site are not mutually compatible capabilities. LFBB wing configurations optimized for ascent must also provide flight quality during the powered return back to the launch site. This paper will focus on the core booster design and ascent performance. A companion paper, "Conceptual Design for a Space Shuttle Liquid Flyback Booster" will focus on the flyback system design and performance. The LFBB study developed design and aerodynamic data to demonstrate the viability of a dual booster configuration to meet the shuttle upgrade goals, i.e. enhanced safety, improved performance and reduced operations costs.

  6. Integrated flight/propulsion control design for a STOVL aircraft using H-infinity control design techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garg, Sanjay; Ouzts, Peter J.

    1991-01-01

    Results are presented from an application of H-infinity control design methodology to a centralized integrated flight propulsion control (IFPC) system design for a supersonic Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft in transition flight. The emphasis is on formulating the H-infinity control design problem such that the resulting controller provides robustness to modeling uncertainties and model parameter variations with flight condition. Experience gained from a preliminary H-infinity based IFPC design study performed earlier is used as the basis to formulate the robust H-infinity control design problem and improve upon the previous design. Detailed evaluation results are presented for a reduced order controller obtained from the improved H-infinity control design showing that the control design meets the specified nominal performance objectives as well as provides stability robustness for variations in plant system dynamics with changes in aircraft trim speed within the transition flight envelope. A controller scheduling technique which accounts for changes in plant control effectiveness with variation in trim conditions is developed and off design model performance results are presented.

  7. Introducing a design exigency to promote student learning through assessment: A case study.

    PubMed

    Grealish, Laurie A; Shaw, Julie M

    2018-02-01

    Assessment technologies are often used to classify student and newly qualified nurse performance as 'pass' or 'fail', with little attention to how these decisions are achieved. Examining the design exigencies of classification technologies, such as performance assessment technologies, provides opportunities to explore flexibility and change in the process of using those technologies. Evaluate an established assessment technology for nursing performance as a classification system. A case study analysis that is focused on the assessment approach and a priori design exigencies of performance assessment technology, in this case the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016. Nurse assessors are required to draw upon their expertise to judge performance, but that judgement is described as a source of bias, creating confusion. The definition of satisfactory performance is 'ready to enter practice'. To pass, the performance on each criterion must be at least satisfactory, indicating to the student that no further improvement is required. The Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 does not have a third 'other' category, which is usually found in classification systems. Introducing a 'not yet competent' category and creating a two-part, mixed methods assessment process can improve the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 assessment technology. Using a standards approach in the first part, judgement is valued and can generate learning opportunities across a program. Using a measurement approach in the second part, student performance can be 'not yet competent' but still meet criteria for year level performance and a graded pass. Subjecting the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 assessment technology to analysis as a classification system provides opportunities for innovation in design. This design innovation has the potential to support students who move between programs and clinicians who assess students from different universities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Leadership Behaviour in High-Performing Government Boys Secondary Schools in Quetta: A Grounded Theory Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bahadur, Waheed; Bano, Amir; Waheed, Zarina; Wahab, Abdul

    2017-01-01

    The performance of schools is highly dependent on the leadership of school heads, and, flexible leaders accelerate school performance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine leadership behavior in selected boys' secondary schools that are performing well. Based on multiple-case study design, four high-performing schools from Quetta…

  9. A biopolymer-like metal enabled hybrid material with exceptional mechanical prowess

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Junsong; Cui, Lishan; Jiang, Daqiang; Liu, Yinong; Hao, Shijie; Ren, Yang; Han, Xiaodong; Liu, Zhenyang; Wang, Yunzhi; Yu, Cun; Huan, Yong; Zhao, Xinqing; Zheng, Yanjun; Xu, Huibin; Ren, Xiaobing; Li, Xiaodong

    2015-01-01

    The design principles for naturally occurring biological materials have inspired us to develop next-generation engineering materials with remarkable performance. Nacre, commonly referred to as nature's armor, is renowned for its unusual combination of strength and toughness. Nature's wisdom in nacre resides in its elaborate structural design and the judicious placement of a unique organic biopolymer with intelligent deformation features. However, up to now, it is still a challenge to transcribe the biopolymer's deformation attributes into a stronger substitute in the design of new materials. In this study, we propose a new design strategy that employs shape memory alloy to transcribe the “J-curve” mechanical response and uniform molecular/atomic level deformation of the organic biopolymer in the design of high-performance hybrid materials. This design strategy is verified in a TiNi-Ti3Sn model material system. The model material demonstrates an exceptional combination of mechanical properties that are superior to other high-performance metal-based lamellar composites known to date. Our design strategy creates new opportunities for the development of high-performance bio-inspired materials. PMID:25665501

  10. A biopolymer-like metal enabled hybrid material with exceptional mechanical prowess.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Junsong; Cui, Lishan; Jiang, Daqiang; Liu, Yinong; Hao, Shijie; Ren, Yang; Han, Xiaodong; Liu, Zhenyang; Wang, Yunzhi; Yu, Cun; Huan, Yong; Zhao, Xinqing; Zheng, Yanjun; Xu, Huibin; Ren, Xiaobing; Li, Xiaodong

    2015-02-10

    The design principles for naturally occurring biological materials have inspired us to develop next-generation engineering materials with remarkable performance. Nacre, commonly referred to as nature's armor, is renowned for its unusual combination of strength and toughness. Nature's wisdom in nacre resides in its elaborate structural design and the judicious placement of a unique organic biopolymer with intelligent deformation features. However, up to now, it is still a challenge to transcribe the biopolymer's deformation attributes into a stronger substitute in the design of new materials. In this study, we propose a new design strategy that employs shape memory alloy to transcribe the "J-curve" mechanical response and uniform molecular/atomic level deformation of the organic biopolymer in the design of high-performance hybrid materials. This design strategy is verified in a TiNi-Ti3Sn model material system. The model material demonstrates an exceptional combination of mechanical properties that are superior to other high-performance metal-based lamellar composites known to date. Our design strategy creates new opportunities for the development of high-performance bio-inspired materials.

  11. Composite panel development at JPL

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcelroy, Paul; Helms, Rich

    1988-01-01

    Parametric computer studies can be use in a cost effective manner to determine optimized composite mirror panel designs. An InterDisciplinary computer Model (IDM) was created to aid in the development of high precision reflector panels for LDR. The materials properties, thermal responses, structural geometries, and radio/optical precision are synergistically analyzed for specific panel designs. Promising panels designs are fabricated and tested so that comparison with panel test results can be used to verify performance prediction models and accommodate design refinement. The iterative approach of computer design and model refinement with performance testing and materials optimization has shown good results for LDR panels.

  12. Optimization design of turbo-expander gas bearing for a 500W helium refrigerator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, S. S.; Fu, B.; Y Zhang, Q.

    2017-12-01

    Turbo-expander is the core machinery of the helium refrigerator. Bearing as the supporting element is the core technology to impact the design of turbo-expander. The perfect design and performance study for the gas bearing are essential to ensure the stability of turbo-expander. In this paper, numerical simulation is used to analyze the performance of gas bearing for a 500W helium refrigerator turbine, and the optimization design of the gas bearing has been completed. And the results of the gas bearing optimization have a guiding role in the processing technology. Finally, the turbine experiments verify that the gas bearing has good performance, and ensure the stable operation of the turbine.

  13. Development of the Second-Generation Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter with Variable Geometry: Preprint

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

    Tom, Nathan M; Yu, Yi-Hsiang; Thresher, Robert W

    This study investigates the effect of design changes on the hydrodynamics of a novel oscillating surge wave energy converter being developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The design utilizes controllable geometry features to shed structural loads while maintaining a rated power over a greater number of sea states. The second-generation design will seek to provide a more refined control of performance because the first-generation design demonstrated performance reductions considered too large for smooth power output. Performance is evaluated using frequency domain analysis with consideration of a nonideal power-take-off system, with respect to power absorption, foundation loads, and power-take-off torque.

  14. Advanced small rocket chambers. Option 3: 110 1bf Ir-Re rocket, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jassowski, Donald M.; Schoenman, Leonard

    1995-01-01

    This is the second part of a two-part report that describes the AJ10-221, a high performance iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) 110 lbf (490N) welded rocket chamber with 286:1 area ratio nozzle. This engine was designed, built, and hot fired for over 6 hours on this program. It demonstrated an I(s) of 321.8 sec, which is 10 sec higher than conventional 110 lbf silicide coated Cb chambers now in use. The approach used in this portion of the program was to demonstrate the performance improvement that can be made by the elimination of fuel film cooling and the use of a high temperature (4000 F) (2200 C) iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) rocket chamber. Detailed thermal, performance, mechanical, and dynamic design analyses of the full engine were conducted by Aerojet. Two Ir-Re chambers were built to the Aerojet design by Ultramet, using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Incorporation of a secondary mixing device or Boundary Layer Trip (BLT) within the combustion chamber (Aerojet Patents 4882904 and 4936091) results in improvement in flow uniformity, and a significant life and performance increase. The 110 lbf engine design was verified in bolt-up hardware tests at sea level and altitude. The effects of injector design on performance were studied. Two duplicate injectors were fabricated matching the preferred design and were demonstrated to be interchangeable in operation. One of these units were welded into a flight type thruster which was tested for an accumulated duration of 22,590 sec in 93 firings, one of which was a continuous burn of two hours. A design deficiency in the C-103 nozzle near the Re-Cb transition joint was discovered, studied and corrected design has been prepared. Workhardening studies have been conducted to investigate methods for increasing the low yield strength of the Re in the annealed conditions. An advanced 490N high performance engine has been demonstrated which, when proven to be capable of withstanding launch vibration, is ready for flight qualification.

  15. "METHOD": A tool for mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical characterization of single lens module design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Besson, Pierre; Dominguez, Cesar; Voarino, Philippe; Garcia-Linares, Pablo; Weick, Clement; Lemiti, Mustapha; Baudrit, Mathieu

    2015-09-01

    The optical characterization and electrical performance evaluation are essential in the design and optimization of a concentrator photovoltaic system. The geometry, materials, and size of concentrator optics are diverse and different environmental conditions impact their performance. CEA has developed a new concentrator photovoltaic system characterization bench, METHOD, which enables multi-physics optimization studies. The lens and cell temperatures are controlled independently with the METHOD to study their isolated effects on the electrical and optical performance of the system. These influences can be studied in terms of their effect on optical efficiency, focal distance, spectral sensitivity, electrical efficiency, or cell current matching. Furthermore, the irradiance map of a concentrator optic can be mapped to study its variations versus the focal length or the lens temperature. The present work shows this application to analyze the performance of a Fresnel lens linking temperature to optical and electrical performance.

  16. Performance Benefits for Wave Rotor-Topped Gas Turbine Engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Scott M.; Welch, Gerard E.

    1996-01-01

    The benefits of wave rotor-topping in turboshaft engines, subsonic high-bypass turbofan engines, auxiliary power units, and ground power units are evaluated. The thermodynamic cycle performance is modeled using a one-dimensional steady-state code; wave rotor performance is modeled using one-dimensional design/analysis codes. Design and off-design engine performance is calculated for baseline engines and wave rotor-topped engines, where the wave rotor acts as a high pressure spool. The wave rotor-enhanced engines are shown to have benefits in specific power and specific fuel flow over the baseline engines without increasing turbine inlet temperature. The off-design steady-state behavior of a wave rotor-topped engine is shown to be similar to a conventional engine. Mission studies are performed to quantify aircraft performance benefits for various wave rotor cycle and weight parameters. Gas turbine engine cycles most likely to benefit from wave rotor-topping are identified. Issues of practical integration and the corresponding technical challenges with various engine types are discussed.

  17. Engineered Barrier System performance requirements systems study report. Revision 02

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

    Balady, M.A.

    This study evaluates the current design concept for the Engineered Barrier System (EBS), in concert with the current understanding of the geologic setting to assess whether enhancements to the required performance of the EBS are necessary. The performance assessment calculations are performed by coupling the EBS with the geologic setting based on the models (some of which were updated for this study) and assumptions used for the 1995 Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA). The need for enhancements is determined by comparing the performance assessment results against the EBS related performance requirements. Subsystem quantitative performance requirements related to the EBS includemore » the requirement to allow no more than 1% of the waste packages (WPs) to fail before 1,000 years after permanent closure of the repository, as well as a requirement to control the release rate of radionuclides from the EBS. The EBS performance enhancements considered included additional engineered components as well as evaluating additional performance available from existing design features but for which no performance credit is currently being taken.« less

  18. Linear Matrix Inequality Method for a Quadratic Performance Index Minimization Problem with a class of Bilinear Matrix Inequality Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tanemura, M.; Chida, Y.

    2016-09-01

    There are a lot of design problems of control system which are expressed as a performance index minimization under BMI conditions. However, a minimization problem expressed as LMIs can be easily solved because of the convex property of LMIs. Therefore, many researchers have been studying transforming a variety of control design problems into convex minimization problems expressed as LMIs. This paper proposes an LMI method for a quadratic performance index minimization problem with a class of BMI conditions. The minimization problem treated in this paper includes design problems of state-feedback gain for switched system and so on. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through a state-feedback gain design for switched systems and a numerical simulation using the designed feedback gains.

  19. Extended performance electric propulsion power processor design study. Volume 1: Executive summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Biess, J. J.; Inouye, L. Y.; Schoenfeld, A. D.

    1977-01-01

    Several power processor design concepts were evaluated and compared. Emphasis was placed on a 30cm ion thruster power processor with a beam supply rating of 2.2kW to 10kW. Extensions in power processor performance were defined and were designed in sufficient detail to determine efficiency, component weight, part count, reliability and thermal control. Preliminary electrical design, mechanical design, and thermal analysis were performed on a 6kW power transformer for the beam supply. Bi-Mod mechanical, structural, and thermal control configurations were evaluated for the power processor, and preliminary estimates of mechanical weight were determined. A program development plan was formulated that outlines the work breakdown structure for the development, qualification and fabrication of the power processor flight hardware.

  20. ASC Tri-lab Co-design Level 2 Milestone Report 2015

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

    Hornung, Rich; Jones, Holger; Keasler, Jeff

    2015-09-23

    In 2015, the three Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories that make up the Advanced Sci- enti c Computing (ASC) Program (Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos) collaboratively explored performance portability programming environments in the context of several ASC co-design proxy applica- tions as part of a tri-lab L2 milestone executed by the co-design teams at each laboratory. The programming environments that were studied included Kokkos (developed at Sandia), RAJA (LLNL), and Legion (Stan- ford University). The proxy apps studied included: miniAero, LULESH, CoMD, Kripke, and SNAP. These programming models and proxy-apps are described herein. Each lab focused on amore » particular combination of abstractions and proxy apps, with the goal of assessing performance portability using those. Performance portability was determined by: a) the ability to run a single application source code on multiple advanced architectures, b) comparing runtime performance between \

  1. Reference Standards, Judges, and Comparison Subjects

    PubMed Central

    Hripcsak, George; Wilcox, Adam

    2002-01-01

    Medical informatics systems are often designed to perform at the level of human experts. Evaluation of the performance of these systems is often constrained by lack of reference standards, either because the appropriate response is not known or because no simple appropriate response exists. Even when performance can be assessed, it is not always clear whether the performance is sufficient or reasonable. These challenges can be addressed if an evaluator enlists the help of clinical domain experts. 1) The experts can carry out the same tasks as the system, and then their responses can be combined to generate a reference standard. 2)The experts can judge the appropriateness of system output directly. 3) The experts can serve as comparison subjects with which the system can be compared. These are separate roles that have different implications for study design, metrics, and issues of reliability and validity. Diagrams help delineate the roles of experts in complex study designs. PMID:11751799

  2. Variable Mach number design approach for a parallel waverider with a wide-speed range based on the osculating cone theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Zhen-tao; Huang, Wei; Li, Shi-Bin; Zhang, Tian-Tian; Yan, Li

    2018-06-01

    In the current study, a variable Mach number waverider design approach has been proposed based on the osculating cone theory. The design Mach number of the osculating cone constant Mach number waverider with the same volumetric efficiency of the osculating cone variable Mach number waverider has been determined by writing a program for calculating the volumetric efficiencies of waveriders. The CFD approach has been utilized to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. At the same time, through the comparative analysis of the aerodynamic performance, the performance advantage of the osculating cone variable Mach number waverider is studied. The obtained results show that the osculating cone variable Mach number waverider owns higher lift-to-drag ratio throughout the flight profile when compared with the osculating cone constant Mach number waverider, and it has superior low-speed aerodynamic performance while maintaining nearly the same high-speed aerodynamic performance.

  3. Performance Enhancement of Unsteady Ejectors Investigated Using a Pulsejet Driver

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paxson, Daniel E.

    2003-01-01

    Unsteady ejectors are currently under investigation for use in some pulse detonation engine (PDE) propulsion systems. This is due primarily to their potential high performance in comparison to steady ejectors of similar dimensions relative to the source or driver jet. Although some experimental work has been done in the past to study thrust augmentation with unsteady ejectors, there is no proven theory by which optimal design parameters can be selected and an effective ejector constructed for a given pulsed flow. Therefore, an experimental facility was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to study the correlation between ejector design and performance, and to get a better understanding of the flow phenomena that result in thrust augmentation. A commercially available pulsejet was used for the unsteady driving jet. This was paired with a basic, yet flexible, ejector design that allowed parametric evaluation of the effects that length, diameter, and inlet radius have on performance.

  4. Analysis of oil lubricated, fluid film, thrust bearings with allowance for temperature dependent viscosity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pan, C. H. T.; Malanoski, S. B.

    1972-01-01

    A preliminary design study was performed to seek a fluid-film thrust bearing design intended to be part of a high-speed, hybrid (rolling element/fluid film) bearing configuration. The base line used is a design previously tested. To improve the accuracy of theoretical predictions of load capacity, flow rate, and friction power loss, an analytical procedure was developed to include curvature effects inherent in thrust bearings and to allow for the temperature rise in the fluid due to viscous heating. Also, a narrow-groove approximation in the treatment of the temperature field was formulated to apply the procedure to the Whipple thrust bearing. A comparative trade-off study was carried out assuming isothermal films; its results showed the shrouded-step design to be superior to the Whipple design for the intended application. An extensive parametric study was performed, employing isoviscous calculations, to determine the optimized design, which was subsequently recalculated allowing for temperature effects.

  5. Reference standards, judges, and comparison subjects: roles for experts in evaluating system performance.

    PubMed

    Hripcsak, George; Wilcox, Adam

    2002-01-01

    Medical informatics systems are often designed to perform at the level of human experts. Evaluation of the performance of these systems is often constrained by lack of reference standards, either because the appropriate response is not known or because no simple appropriate response exists. Even when performance can be assessed, it is not always clear whether the performance is sufficient or reasonable. These challenges can be addressed if an evaluator enlists the help of clinical domain experts. 1) The experts can carry out the same tasks as the system, and then their responses can be combined to generate a reference standard. 2)The experts can judge the appropriateness of system output directly. 3) The experts can serve as comparison subjects with which the system can be compared. These are separate roles that have different implications for study design, metrics, and issues of reliability and validity. Diagrams help delineate the roles of experts in complex study designs.

  6. The dependability of medical students' performance ratings as documented on in-training evaluations.

    PubMed

    van Barneveld, Christina

    2005-03-01

    To demonstrate an approach to obtain an unbiased estimate of the dependability of students' performance ratings during training, when the data-collection design includes nesting of student in rater, unbalanced nest sizes, and dependent observations. In 2003, two variance components analyses of in-training evaluation (ITE) report data were conducted using urGENOVA software. In the first analysis, the dependability for the nested and unbalanced data-collection design was calculated. In the second analysis, an approach using multiple generalizability studies was used to obtain an unbiased estimate of the student variance component, resulting in an unbiased estimate of dependability. Results suggested that there is bias in estimates of the dependability of students' performance on ITEs that are attributable to the data-collection design. When the bias was corrected, the results indicated that the dependability of ratings of student performance was almost zero. The combination of the multiple generalizability studies method and the use of specialized software provides an unbiased estimate of the dependability of ratings of student performance on ITE scores for data-collection designs that include nesting of student in rater, unbalanced nest sizes, and dependent observations.

  7. Knowledge modeling tool for evidence-based design.

    PubMed

    Durmisevic, Sanja; Ciftcioglu, Ozer

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study is to take evidence-based design (EBD) to the next level by activating available knowledge, integrating new knowledge, and combining them for more efficient use by the planning and design community. This article outlines a framework for a performance-based measurement tool that can provide the necessary decision support during the design or evaluation of a healthcare environment by estimating the overall design performance of multiple variables. New knowledge in EBD adds continuously to complexity (the "information explosion"), and it becomes impossible to consider all aspects (design features) at the same time, much less their impact on final building performance. How can existing knowledge and the information explosion in healthcare-specifically the domain of EBD-be rendered manageable? Is it feasible to create a computational model that considers many design features and deals with them in an integrated way, rather than one at a time? The found evidence is structured and readied for computation through a "fuzzification" process. The weights are calculated using an analytical hierarchy process. Actual knowledge modeling is accomplished through a fuzzy neural tree structure. The impact of all inputs on the outcome-in this case, patient recovery-is calculated using sensitivity analysis. Finally, the added value of the model is discussed using a hypothetical case study of a patient room. The proposed model can deal with the complexities of various aspects and the relationships among variables in a coordinated way, allowing existing and new pieces of evidence to be integrated in a knowledge tree structure that facilitates understanding of the effects of various design interventions on overall design performance.

  8. Propulsion technology for an advanced subsonic transport

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beheim, M. A.; Antl, R. J.; Povolny, J. H.

    1972-01-01

    Engine design studies for future subsonic commercial transport aircraft were conducted in parallel with airframe studies. These studies surveyed a broad distribution of design variables, including aircraft configuration, payload, range, and speed, with particular emphasis on reducing noise and exhaust emissions without severe economic and performance penalties. The results indicated that an engine for an advanced transport would be similar to the currently emerging turbofan engines. Application of current technology in the areas of noise suppression and combustors imposed severe performance and economic penalties.

  9. Toward New Magnesium Alloy Design - Theoretical and Experimental Studies of the Influence of Alloying Elements on Deformation Twinning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-27

    Research Office (W911NF-12-1-0023). Ab initio calculations have been performed to study the effects of solute atoms on the c/a ratio of magnesium alloys ... effects of alloying elements on the c/a ratio of magnesium were performed. The most commonly and extensively used alloying elements such as Al, Mn, and... Magnesium Alloy Design - Theoretical and Experimental Studies of the Influence of Alloying Elements on Deformation Twinning M.F. Horstemeyer

  10. Advanced Concept Studies for Supersonic Commercial Transports Entering Service in the 2018 to 2020 Period

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgenstern, John; Norstrud, Nicole; Sokhey, Jack; Martens, Steve; Alonso, Juan J.

    2013-01-01

    Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company (LM), working in conjunction with General Electric Global Research (GE GR), Rolls-Royce Liberty Works (RRLW), and Stanford University, herein presents results from the "N+2 Supersonic Validations" contract s initial 22 month phase, addressing the NASA solicitation "Advanced Concept Studies for Supersonic Commercial Transports Entering Service in the 2018 to 2020 Period." This report version adds documentation of an additional three month low boom test task. The key technical objective of this effort was to validate integrated airframe and propulsion technologies and design methodologies. These capabilities aspired to produce a viable supersonic vehicle design with environmental and performance characteristics. Supersonic testing of both airframe and propulsion technologies (including LM3: 97-023 low boom testing and April-June nozzle acoustic testing) verified LM s supersonic low-boom design methodologies and both GE and RRLW's nozzle technologies for future implementation. The N+2 program is aligned with NASA s Supersonic Project and is focused on providing system-level solutions capable of overcoming the environmental and performance/efficiency barriers to practical supersonic flight. NASA proposed "Initial Environmental Targets and Performance Goals for Future Supersonic Civil Aircraft". The LM N+2 studies are built upon LM s prior N+3 100 passenger design studies. The LM N+2 program addresses low boom design and methodology validations with wind tunnel testing, performance and efficiency goals with system level analysis, and low noise validations with two nozzle (GE and RRLW) acoustic tests.

  11. Geopotential research mission, science, engineering and program summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Keating, T. (Editor); Taylor, P. (Editor); Kahn, W. (Editor); Lerch, F. (Editor)

    1986-01-01

    This report is based upon the accumulated scientific and engineering studies pertaining to the Geopotential Research Mission (GRM). The scientific need and justification for the measurement of the Earth's gravity and magnetic fields are discussed. Emphasis is placed upon the studies and conclusions of scientific organizations and NASA advisory groups. The engineering design and investigations performed over the last 4 years are described, and a spacecraft design capable of fulfilling all scientific objectives is presented. In addition, critical features of the scientific requirements and state-of-the-art limitations of spacecraft design, mission flight performance, and data processing are discussed.

  12. Design of a cost-effective laser spot tracker

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Artan, Göktuǧ Gencehan; Sari, Hüseyin

    2017-05-01

    One of the most important aspects of guided systems is detection. The most convenient detection in the sense of precision can be achieved with a laser spot tracker. This study deals with a military grade, high performance and cost-effective laser spot tracker for a guided system. The aim is to develop a high field of view system that will detect a laser spot from a distance of 3 kilometers in which the target is designated from 3 kilometers with a laser. The study basically consists of the system design, modeling, producing and the conducting performance tests of the whole system.

  13. Procedure and information displays in advanced nuclear control rooms: experimental evaluation of an integrated design.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yue; Gao, Qin; Song, Fei; Li, Zhizhong; Wang, Yufan

    2017-08-01

    In the main control rooms of nuclear power plants, operators frequently have to switch between procedure displays and system information displays. In this study, we proposed an operation-unit-based integrated design, which combines the two displays to facilitate the synthesis of information. We grouped actions that complete a single goal into operation units and showed these operation units on the displays of system states. In addition, we used different levels of visual salience to highlight the current unit and provided a list of execution history records. A laboratory experiment, with 42 students performing a simulated procedure to deal with unexpected high pressuriser level, was conducted to compare this design against an action-based integrated design and the existing separated-displays design. The results indicate that our operation-unit-based integrated design yields the best performance in terms of time and completion rate and helped more participants to detect unexpected system failures. Practitioner Summary: In current nuclear control rooms, operators frequently have to switch between procedure and system information displays. We developed an integrated design that incorporates procedure information into system displays. A laboratory study showed that the proposed design significantly improved participants' performance and increased the probability of detecting unexpected system failures.

  14. Topology design and performance analysis of an integrated communication network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Li, V. O. K.; Lam, Y. F.; Hou, T. C.; Yuen, J. H.

    1985-01-01

    A research study on the topology design and performance analysis for the Space Station Information System (SSIS) network is conducted. It is begun with a survey of existing research efforts in network topology design. Then a new approach for topology design is presented. It uses an efficient algorithm to generate candidate network designs (consisting of subsets of the set of all network components) in increasing order of their total costs, and checks each design to see if it forms an acceptable network. This technique gives the true cost-optimal network, and is particularly useful when the network has many constraints and not too many components. The algorithm for generating subsets is described in detail, and various aspects of the overall design procedure are discussed. Two more efficient versions of this algorithm (applicable in specific situations) are also given. Next, two important aspects of network performance analysis: network reliability and message delays are discussed. A new model is introduced to study the reliability of a network with dependent failures. For message delays, a collection of formulas from existing research results is given to compute or estimate the delays of messages in a communication network without making the independence assumption. The design algorithm coded in PASCAL is included as an appendix.

  15. 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.

  16. Line Fluid Actuated Valve Development Program. [for application on the space shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lynch, R. A.

    1975-01-01

    The feasibility of a line-fluid actuated valve design for potential application as a propellant-control valve on the space shuttle was examined. Design and analysis studies of two prototype valve units were conducted and demonstrated performance is reported. It was shown that the line-fluid actuated valve concept offers distinct weight and electrical advantages over alternate valve concepts. Summaries of projected performance and design goals are also included.

  17. Perceived Competence Moderates the Relation between Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance Goals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Law, Wilbert; Elliot, Andrew J.; Murayama, Kou

    2012-01-01

    In the present research, we conducted 4 studies designed to examine the hypothesis that perceived competence moderates the relation between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals. Each study yielded supportive data, indicating that the correlation between the 2 goals is lower when perceived competence is high. This pattern was…

  18. Muscle strength and golf performance: a critical review.

    PubMed

    Torres-Ronda, Lorena; Sánchez-Medina, Luis; González-Badillo, Juan J

    2011-01-01

    Golf has become an increasingly popular sport and a growing body of research trying to identify its main physical requirements is being published. The aim of this review was twofold: first, to examine the existing scientific literature regarding strength training and golf in healthy, non-injured, subjects; and second, to reach conclusions that could provide information on how to design more effective strength training programs to improve golf performance as well as directions for future research. Studies which analyzed the relationship between muscle strength, swing performance variables (club head speed, driving distance, ball speed) and skill (handicap, score) were reviewed. Changes in swing performance following different strength training programs were also investigated. Finally, a critical analysis about the methodologies used was carried out. The results of the reviewed studies seem to indicate that: 1) a positive relationship exists between handicap and swing performance (even though few studies have investigated this issue); 2) there is a positive correlation between skill (handicap and/or score) and muscle strength; and 3) there is a relationship between driving distance, swing speed, ball speed and muscle strength. Results suggest that training leg-hip and trunk power as well as grip strength is especially relevant for golf performance improvement. Studies that analyzed variations in swing performance following resistance-only training programs are scarce, thus it is difficult to prove whether the observed improvements are attributable to changes in strength levels. Many of the studies reviewed presented some methodological errors in their design and not all strength assessment protocols seemed appropriate. Further studies should determine muscle strength needs in relation to final swing performance, using well designed experiments and strict isoinertial assessment protocols which adequately relate to specific golf motion, age and skill level. More studies with elite participants, either professional or amateur, would be especially desirable. Key pointsPOSITIVE CORRELATIONS EXIST BETWEEN: 1) handicap and swing performance variables; 2) muscle strength and skill (handicap and/or golf score); and 3) driving dis-tance, swing speed, ball speed and muscle strength.Leg-hip, trunk power and grip strength seem espe-cially relevant for golf performance improvement.Further research should determine muscle strength needs in relation to final swing performance, using well designed experiments and strict assessment pro-tocols which adequately relate to specific golf mo-tion, age and skill level.

  19. Muscle Strength And Golf Performance: A Critical Review

    PubMed Central

    Torres-Ronda, Lorena; Sánchez-Medina, Luis; González-Badillo, Juan J.

    2011-01-01

    Golf has become an increasingly popular sport and a growing body of research trying to identify its main physical requirements is being published. The aim of this review was twofold: first, to examine the existing scientific literature regarding strength training and golf in healthy, non-injured, subjects; and second, to reach conclusions that could provide information on how to design more effective strength training programs to improve golf performance as well as directions for future research. Studies which analyzed the relationship between muscle strength, swing performance variables (club head speed, driving distance, ball speed) and skill (handicap, score) were reviewed. Changes in swing performance following different strength training programs were also investigated. Finally, a critical analysis about the methodologies used was carried out. The results of the reviewed studies seem to indicate that: 1) a positive relationship exists between handicap and swing performance (even though few studies have investigated this issue); 2) there is a positive correlation between skill (handicap and/or score) and muscle strength; and 3) there is a relationship between driving distance, swing speed, ball speed and muscle strength. Results suggest that training leg-hip and trunk power as well as grip strength is especially relevant for golf performance improvement. Studies that analyzed variations in swing performance following resistance-only training programs are scarce, thus it is difficult to prove whether the observed improvements are attributable to changes in strength levels. Many of the studies reviewed presented some methodological errors in their design and not all strength assessment protocols seemed appropriate. Further studies should determine muscle strength needs in relation to final swing performance, using well designed experiments and strict isoinertial assessment protocols which adequately relate to specific golf motion, age and skill level. More studies with elite participants, either professional or amateur, would be especially desirable. Key points Positive correlations exist between: 1) handicap and swing performance variables; 2) muscle strength and skill (handicap and/or golf score); and 3) driving dis-tance, swing speed, ball speed and muscle strength. Leg-hip, trunk power and grip strength seem espe-cially relevant for golf performance improvement. Further research should determine muscle strength needs in relation to final swing performance, using well designed experiments and strict assessment pro-tocols which adequately relate to specific golf mo-tion, age and skill level. PMID:24149290

  20. Personal Rotorcraft Design and Performance with Electric Hybridization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Snyder, Christopher A.

    2017-01-01

    Recent and projected improvements for more or all-electric aviation propulsion systems can enable greater personal mobility, while also reducing environmental impact (noise and emissions). However, all-electric energy storage capability is significantly less than present, hydrocarbon-fueled systems. A system study was performed exploring design and performance assuming hybrid propulsion ranging from traditional hydrocarbon-fueled cycles (gasoline Otto and diesel) to all-electric systems using electric motors generators, with batteries for energy storage and load leveling. Study vehicles were a conventional, single-main rotor (SMR) helicopter and an advanced vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Vehicle capability was limited to two or three people (including pilot or crew); the design range for the VTOL aircraft was set to 150 miles (about one hour total flight). Search and rescue (SAR), loiter, and cruise-dominated missions were chosen to illustrate each vehicle and degree of hybrid propulsion strengths and weaknesses. The traditional, SMR helicopter is a hover-optimized design; electric hybridization was performed assuming a parallel hybrid approach by varying degree of hybridization. Many of the helicopter hybrid propulsion combinations have some mission capabilities that might be effective for short range or on-demand mobility missions. However, even for 30 year technology electrical components, all hybrid propulsion systems studied result in less available fuel, lower maximum range, and reduced hover and loiter duration than the baseline vehicle. Results for the VTOL aircraft were more encouraging. Series hybrid combinations reflective of near-term systems could improve range and loiter duration by 30. Advanced, higher performing series hybrid combinations could double or almost triple the VTOL aircrafts range and loiter duration. Additional details on the study assumptions and work performed are given, as well as suggestions for future study effort.

  1. Wheelset curving guidance using H∞ control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qazizadeh, Alireza; Stichel, Sebastian; Feyzmahdavian, Hamid Reza

    2018-03-01

    This study shows how to design an active suspension system for guidance of a rail vehicle wheelset in curve. The main focus of the study is on designing the controller and afterwards studying its effect on the wheel wear behaviour. The controller is designed based on the closed-loop transfer function shaping method and ? control strategy. The study discusses designing of the controller for both nominal and uncertain plants and considers both stability and performance. The designed controllers in Simulink are then applied to the vehicle model in Simpack to study the wheel wear behaviour in curve. The vehicle type selected for this study is a two-axle rail vehicle. This is because this type of vehicle is known to have very poor curving performance and high wheel wear. On the other hand, the relative simpler structure of this type of vehicle compared to bogie vehicles make it a more economic choice. Hence, equipping this type of vehicle with the active wheelset steering is believed to show high enough benefit to cost ratio to remain attractive to rail vehicle manufacturers and operators.

  2. Comparison of box-wing and conventional aircraft mission performance using multidisciplinary analysis and optimization

    DOE PAGES

    Andrews, Stephen A.; Perez, Ruben E.

    2018-06-04

    Box-wing aircraft designs have the potential to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption. Closed non-planar wing designs have been shown to reduce induced drag and the statically indeterminate wing structure can lead to reduced wing weight. In addition, the streamwise separation of the two main wings can provide the moments necessary for static stability and control, eliminating the weight and aerodynamic drag of a horizontal tail. Proper assessment of the disciplinary interactions in box-wing designs is essential to determine any realistic performance benefits arising from the use of such a configuration. This study analyzes both box-wing and conventional aircraft designedmore » for representative regional-jet missions. A preliminary parametric investigation shows a lift-to-drag ratio advantage for box-wing designs, while a more detailed multidisciplinary study indicates that the requirement to carry the mission fuel in the wings leads to an increase of between 5% and 1% in total fuel burn compared to conventional designs. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary study identified operating conditions where the box-wing can have superior performance to conventional aircraft despite the fuel volume constraint.« less

  3. Comparison of box-wing and conventional aircraft mission performance using multidisciplinary analysis and optimization

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

    Andrews, Stephen A.; Perez, Ruben E.

    Box-wing aircraft designs have the potential to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption. Closed non-planar wing designs have been shown to reduce induced drag and the statically indeterminate wing structure can lead to reduced wing weight. In addition, the streamwise separation of the two main wings can provide the moments necessary for static stability and control, eliminating the weight and aerodynamic drag of a horizontal tail. Proper assessment of the disciplinary interactions in box-wing designs is essential to determine any realistic performance benefits arising from the use of such a configuration. This study analyzes both box-wing and conventional aircraft designedmore » for representative regional-jet missions. A preliminary parametric investigation shows a lift-to-drag ratio advantage for box-wing designs, while a more detailed multidisciplinary study indicates that the requirement to carry the mission fuel in the wings leads to an increase of between 5% and 1% in total fuel burn compared to conventional designs. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary study identified operating conditions where the box-wing can have superior performance to conventional aircraft despite the fuel volume constraint.« less

  4. Design conceptuel d'un avion blended wing body de 200 passagers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ammar, Sami

    The Blended Wing Body is built based on the flying wing concept and performance improvements compared to conventional aircraft. Contrariwise, most studies have focused on large aircraft and it is not sure whether the gains are the same for smaller aircraft. The main of objective is to perform the conceptual design of a BWB of 200 passengers and compare the performance obtained with a conventional aircraft equivalent in terms of payload and range. The design of the Blended Wing Body was carried out under the CEASIOM environment. This platform design suitable for conventional aircraft design has been modified and additional tools have been integrated in order to achieve the aerodynamic analysis, performance and stability of the aircraft fuselage built. A plane model is obtained in the geometric module AcBuilder CEASIOM from the design variables of a wing. Estimates of mass are made from semi- empirical formulas adapted to the geometry of the BWB and calculations centering and inertia are possible through BWB model developed in CATIA. Low fidelity methods, such as TORNADO and semi- empirical formulas are used to analyze the aerodynamic performance and stability of the aircraft. The aerodynamic results are validated using a high-fidelity analysis using FLUENT CFD software. An optimization process is implemented in order to obtain improved while maintaining a feasible design performance. It is an optimization of the plan form of the aircraft fuselage integrated with a number of passengers and equivalent to that of a A320.Les performance wing aircraft merged optimized maximum range are compared to A320 also optimized. Significant gains were observed. An analysis of the dynamics of longitudinal and lateral flight is carried out on the aircraft optimized BWB finesse and mass. This study identified the stable and unstable modes of the aircraft. Thus, this analysis has highlighted the stability problems associated with the oscillation of incidence and the Dutch roll for the absence of stabilizers.

  5. Serious games and blended learning; effects on performance and motivation in medical education.

    PubMed

    Dankbaar, Mary

    2017-02-01

    More efficient, flexible training models are needed in medical education. Information technology offers the tools to design and develop effective and more efficient training. The aims of this thesis were: 1) Compare the effectiveness of blended versus classroom training for the acquisition of knowledge; 2) Investigate the effectiveness and critical design features of serious games for performance improvement and motivation. Five empirical studies were conducted to answer the research questions and a descriptive study on an evaluation framework to assess serious games was performed. The results of the research studies indicated that: 1) For knowledge acquisition, blended learning is equally effective and attractive for learners as classroom learning; 2) A serious game with realistic, interactive cases improved complex cognitive skills for residents, with limited self-study time. Although the same game was motivating for inexperienced medical students and stimulated them to study longer, it did not improve their cognitive skills, compared with what they learned from an instructional e‑module. This indicates an 'expertise reversal effect', where a rich learning environment is effective for experts, but may be contra-productive for novices (interaction of prior knowledge and complexity of format). A blended design is equally effective and attractive as classroom training. Blended learning facilitates adaptation to the learners' knowledge level, flexibility in time and scalability of learning. Games may support skills learning, provided task complexity matches the learner's competency level. More design-based research is needed on the effects of task complexity and other design features on performance improvement, for both novices and experts.

  6. Conceptual design study of a nuclear Brayton turboalternator-compressor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1971-01-01

    A comprehensive analysis and conceptual design study of the turboalternator-compressor components using HeXe as the working fluid was performed. The study was conducted in three phases: general configuration analysis (Phase 1), design variations (Phase 2), and conceptual design study (Phase 3). During the Phase 1 analysis, individual turbine, alternator, compressor, and bearing and seal designs were evaluated. Six turboalternator-compressor (TAC) configurations were completed. Phase 2 consisted of evaluating one selected Phase 1 TAC configuration to calculate its performance when operating under new cycle conditions, namely, one higher and one lower turbine inlet temperature and one case with krypton as the working fluid. Based on the Phase 1 and 2 results, a TAC configuration that incorporated a radial compressor, a radial turbine, a Lundell alternator, and gas bearings was selected. During Phase 3 a new layout of the TAC was prepared that reflects the cycle state points necessary to accommodate a zirconium hydride moderated reactor and a 400 Hz alternator. The final TAC design rotates at 24,000 rpm and produces 160 kWe, 480 V, 3-phase, 400 hertz power.

  7. Methodology on Investigating the Influences of Automated Material Handling System in Automotive Assembly Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saffar, Seha; Azni Jafar, Fairul; Jamaludin, Zamberi

    2016-02-01

    A case study was selected as a method to collect data in actual industry situation. The study aimed to assess the influences of automated material handling system in automotive industry by proposing a new design of integration system through simulation, and analyze the significant effect and influence of the system. The method approach tool will be CAD Software (Delmia & Quest). The process of preliminary data gathering in phase 1 will collect all data related from actual industry situation. It is expected to produce a guideline and limitation in designing a new integration system later. In phase 2, an idea or concept of design will be done by using 10 principles of design consideration for manufacturing. A full factorial design will be used as design of experiment in order to analyze the performance measured of the integration system with the current system in case study. From the result of the experiment, an ANOVA analysis will be done to study the performance measured. Thus, it is expected that influences can be seen from the improvement made in the system.

  8. Beam-Beam Study on the Upgrade of Beijing Electron Positron Collider

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

    Wang, S.; /Beijing, Inst. High Energy Phys.; Cai, Y.

    2006-02-10

    It is an important issue to study the beam-beam interaction in the design and performance of such a high luminosity collider as BEPCII, the upgrade of Beijing Electron Positron Collider. The weak-strong simulation is generally used during the design of a collider. For performance a large scale tune scan, the weak-strong simulation studies on beam-beam interaction were done, and the geometry effects were taken into account. The strong-strong simulation studies were done for investigating the luminosity goal and the dependence of the luminosity on the beam parameters.

  9. Do managed care plans' tiered networks lead to inequities in care for minority patients?

    PubMed

    Brennan, Troyen A; Spettell, Claire M; Fernandes, Joaquim; Downey, Roberta L; Carrara, Lisa M

    2008-01-01

    This study examined whether specialists designated as meeting efficiency thresholds in an insurance company's performance network were less likely than non-designated specialists to treat minority patients insured by that company. Claims data were used to identify patients treated by specialists. Claimants' race/ethnicity status was self-reported to the insurer at enrollment. In large part, minority patients appeared to be evenly distributed across the performance network, with the exception of Asian/Pacific Islanders, who appeared to be more likely to be treated by nondesignated physicians than by designated "good-performing" specialists.

  10. Design considerations for remotely piloted, high-altitude airplanes powered by microwave energy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, C. E. K., Jr.

    1984-01-01

    Several types of systems have been considered in a design study of unmanned, microwave-powered, long-endurance, high-altitude airplanes. The study includes vehicles that use power from a continuously transmitted beam and other aircraft that receive intermittent power during cycles of boost-glide flight. Simple design algorithms are presented. Examples of sizing and performance analyses are used to suggest design-procedure guidelines.

  11. Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide Flexible Pavement Performance Prediction Models Volume III Field Guide - Calibration and User's Guide for the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-08-01

    The objective of this research study was to develop performance characteristics or variables (e.g., ride quality, rutting, : fatigue cracking, transverse cracking) of flexible pavements in Montana, and to use these characteristics in the : implementa...

  12. Design and evaluation of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete mixes, report B : bond behavior of mild reinforcing steel in HVFA concrete.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-10-01

    The main objective of this study was to determine the effect on bond performance : of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete. The HVFA concrete test program consisted of : comparing the bond performance of two concrete mix designs with 70% cement : repl...

  13. A framework for sustainable nanomaterial selection and design based on performance, hazard, and economic considerations.

    PubMed

    Falinski, Mark M; Plata, Desiree L; Chopra, Shauhrat S; Theis, Thomas L; Gilbertson, Leanne M; Zimmerman, Julie B

    2018-04-30

    Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and ENM-enabled products have emerged as potentially high-performance replacements to conventional materials and chemicals. As such, there is an urgent need to incorporate environmental and human health objectives into ENM selection and design processes. Here, an adapted framework based on the Ashby material selection strategy is presented as an enhanced selection and design process, which includes functional performance as well as environmental and human health considerations. The utility of this framework is demonstrated through two case studies, the design and selection of antimicrobial substances and conductive polymers, including ENMs, ENM-enabled products and their alternatives. Further, these case studies consider both the comparative efficacy and impacts at two scales: (i) a broad scale, where chemical/material classes are readily compared for primary decision-making, and (ii) within a chemical/material class, where physicochemical properties are manipulated to tailor the desired performance and environmental impact profile. Development and implementation of this framework can inform decision-making for the implementation of ENMs to facilitate promising applications and prevent unintended consequences.

  14. Interleaved Training and Training-Based Transmission Design for Hybrid Massive Antenna Downlink

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Cheng; Jing, Yindi; Huang, Yongming; Yang, Luxi

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, we study the beam-based training design jointly with the transmission design for hybrid massive antenna single-user (SU) and multiple-user (MU) systems where outage probability is adopted as the performance measure. For SU systems, we propose an interleaved training design to concatenate the feedback and training procedures, thus making the training length adaptive to the channel realization. Exact analytical expressions are derived for the average training length and the outage probability of the proposed interleaved training. For MU systems, we propose a joint design for the beam-based interleaved training, beam assignment, and MU data transmissions. Two solutions for the beam assignment are provided with different complexity-performance tradeoff. Analytical results and simulations show that for both SU and MU systems, the proposed joint training and transmission designs achieve the same outage performance as the traditional full-training scheme but with significant saving in the training overhead.

  15. Performance optimization of an MHD generator with physical constraints

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pian, C. C. P.; Seikel, G. R.; Smith, J. M.

    1979-01-01

    A technique has been described which optimizes the power out of a Faraday MHD generator operating under a prescribed set of electrical and magnetic constraints. The method does not rely on complicated numerical optimization techniques. Instead the magnetic field and the electrical loading are adjusted at each streamwise location such that the resultant generator design operates at the most limiting of the cited stress levels. The simplicity of the procedure makes it ideal for optimizing generator designs for system analysis studies of power plants. The resultant locally optimum channel designs are, however, not necessarily the global optimum designs. The results of generator performance calculations are presented for an approximately 2000 MWe size plant. The difference between the maximum power generator design and the optimal design which maximizes net MHD power are described. The sensitivity of the generator performance to the various operational parameters are also presented.

  16. Role of Organizational Culture on the Performance Primary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suharningsih; Murtedjo

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to identify and examine the role of organizational culture on teacher performance. In the present study examined the role of organizational culture with teacher performance. In accordance with the study design, namely the survey, the data collected in this research is quantitative data. The data is extracted and obtained through…

  17. Investigation of Malaysian Higher Education Quality Culture and Workforce Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ali, Hairuddin Mohd; Musah, Mohammed Borhandden

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the quality culture and workforce performance in the Malaysian higher education sector. The study also aims to test and validate the psychometric properties of the quality culture and workforce performance instruments used in the study. Design/methodology/approach: A total…

  18. An analysis of the relationship of seven selected variables to State Board Test Pool Examination performance of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing.

    PubMed

    Sharp, T G

    1984-02-01

    The study was designed to determine whether any one of seven selected variables or a combination of the variables is predictive of performance on the State Board Test Pool Examination. The selected variables studied were: high school grade point average (HSGPA), The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing grade point average (GPA), and American College Test Assessment (ACT) standard scores (English, ENG; mathematics, MA; social studies, SS; natural sciences, NSC; composite, COMP). Data utilized were from graduates of the baccalaureate program of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing from 1974 through 1979. The sample of 322 was selected from a total population of 572. The Statistical Analysis System (SAS) was designed to accomplish analysis of the predictive relationship of each of the seven selected variables to State Board Test Pool Examination performance (result of pass or fail), a stepwise discriminant analysis was designed for determining the predictive relationship of the strongest combination of the independent variables to overall State Board Test Pool Examination performance (result of pass or fail), and stepwise multiple regression analysis was designed to determine the strongest predictive combination of selected variables for each of the five subexams of the State Board Test Pool Examination. The selected variables were each found to be predictive of SBTPE performance (result of pass or fail). The strongest combination for predicting SBTPE performance (result of pass or fail) was found to be GPA, MA, and NSC.

  19. Overview and Current Status of Analyses of Potential LEU Design Concepts for TREAT

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

    Connaway, H. M.; Kontogeorgakos, D. C.; Papadias, D. D.

    2015-10-01

    Neutronic and thermal-hydraulic analyses have been performed to evaluate the performance of different low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel design concepts for the conversion of the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) from its current high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel. TREAT is an experimental reactor developed to generate high neutron flux transients for the testing of nuclear fuels. The goal of this work was to identify an LEU design which can maintain the performance of the existing HEU core while continuing to operate safely. A wide variety of design options were considered, with a focus on minimizing peak fuel temperatures and optimizing the powermore » coupling between the TREAT core and test samples. Designs were also evaluated to ensure that they provide sufficient reactivity and shutdown margin for each control rod bank. Analyses were performed using the core loading and experiment configuration of historic M8 Power Calibration experiments (M8CAL). The Monte Carlo code MCNP was utilized for steady-state analyses, and transient calculations were performed with the point kinetics code TREKIN. Thermal analyses were performed with the COMSOL multi-physics code. Using the results of this study, a new LEU Baseline design concept is being established, which will be evaluated in detail in a future report.« less

  20. The effect of a loss of model structural detail due to network skeletonization on contamination warning system design: case studies.

    PubMed

    Davis, Michael J; Janke, Robert

    2018-01-04

    The effect of limitations in the structural detail available in a network model on contamination warning system (CWS) design was examined in case studies using the original and skeletonized network models for two water distribution systems (WDSs). The skeletonized models were used as proxies for incomplete network models. CWS designs were developed by optimizing sensor placements for worst-case and mean-case contamination events. Designs developed using the skeletonized network models were transplanted into the original network model for evaluation. CWS performance was defined as the number of people who ingest more than some quantity of a contaminant in tap water before the CWS detects the presence of contamination. Lack of structural detail in a network model can result in CWS designs that (1) provide considerably less protection against worst-case contamination events than that obtained when a more complete network model is available and (2) yield substantial underestimates of the consequences associated with a contamination event. Nevertheless, CWSs developed using skeletonized network models can provide useful reductions in consequences for contaminants whose effects are not localized near the injection location. Mean-case designs can yield worst-case performances similar to those for worst-case designs when there is uncertainty in the network model. Improvements in network models for WDSs have the potential to yield significant improvements in CWS designs as well as more realistic evaluations of those designs. Although such improvements would be expected to yield improved CWS performance, the expected improvements in CWS performance have not been quantified previously. The results presented here should be useful to those responsible for the design or implementation of CWSs, particularly managers and engineers in water utilities, and encourage the development of improved network models.

  1. The effect of a loss of model structural detail due to network skeletonization on contamination warning system design: case studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, Michael J.; Janke, Robert

    2018-05-01

    The effect of limitations in the structural detail available in a network model on contamination warning system (CWS) design was examined in case studies using the original and skeletonized network models for two water distribution systems (WDSs). The skeletonized models were used as proxies for incomplete network models. CWS designs were developed by optimizing sensor placements for worst-case and mean-case contamination events. Designs developed using the skeletonized network models were transplanted into the original network model for evaluation. CWS performance was defined as the number of people who ingest more than some quantity of a contaminant in tap water before the CWS detects the presence of contamination. Lack of structural detail in a network model can result in CWS designs that (1) provide considerably less protection against worst-case contamination events than that obtained when a more complete network model is available and (2) yield substantial underestimates of the consequences associated with a contamination event. Nevertheless, CWSs developed using skeletonized network models can provide useful reductions in consequences for contaminants whose effects are not localized near the injection location. Mean-case designs can yield worst-case performances similar to those for worst-case designs when there is uncertainty in the network model. Improvements in network models for WDSs have the potential to yield significant improvements in CWS designs as well as more realistic evaluations of those designs. Although such improvements would be expected to yield improved CWS performance, the expected improvements in CWS performance have not been quantified previously. The results presented here should be useful to those responsible for the design or implementation of CWSs, particularly managers and engineers in water utilities, and encourage the development of improved network models.

  2. Rail Passenger Vehicle Truck Design Methodology

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1981-01-01

    A procedure for the selection of rail passenger truck design parameters to meet dynamic performance indices has been developed. The procedure is based upon partitioning the design task into three tradeoff studies: (1) a vertical ride quality-secondar...

  3. A study of structural concepts for ultralightweight spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, R. K.; Knapp, K.; Hedgepeth, J. M.

    1984-01-01

    Structural concepts for ultralightweight spacecraft were studied. Concepts for ultralightweight space structures were identified and the validity of heir potential application in advanced spacecraft was assessed. The following topics were investigated: (1) membrane wrinkling under pretensioning; (2) load-carrying capability of pressurized tubes; (3) equilibrium of a precompressed rim; (4) design of an inflated reflector spacecraft; (5) general instability of a rim; and (6) structural analysis of a pressurized isotensoid column. The design approaches for a paraboloidal reflector spacecraft included a spin-stiffened design, both inflated and truss central columns, and to include both deep truss and rim-stiffened geodesic designs. The spinning spacecraft analysis is included, and the two truss designs are covered. The performances of four different approaches to the structural design of a paraboloidal reflector spacecraft are compared. The spinning and inflated configurations result in very low total masses and some concerns about their performance due to unresolved questions about dynamic stability and lifetimes, respectively.

  4. High-Performance Schools: Affordable Green Design for K-12 Schools; Preprint

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

    Plympton, P.; Brown, J.; Stevens, K.

    2004-08-01

    Schools in the United States spend $7.8 billion on energy each year-more than the cost of computers and textbooks combined, according to a 2003 report from the National Center for Education Statistics. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that these high utility bills could be reduced as much as 25% if schools adopt readily available high performance design principles and technologies. Accordingly, hundreds of K-12 schools across the country have made a commitment to improve the learning and teaching environment of schools while saving money and energy and protecting the environment. DOE and its public- and private-sector partners havemore » developed Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools, customized for nine climate zones in U.S. states and territories. These design guidelines provide information for school decision makers and design professionals on the advantages of energy efficiency and renewable energy designs and technologies. With such features as natural day lighting, efficient electric lights, water conservation, and renewable energy, schools in all types of climates are proving that school buildings, and the students and teachers who occupy them, are indeed high performers. This paper describes high performance schools from each of the nine climate zones associated with the Energy Design Guidelines. The nine case studies focus on the high performance design strategies implemented in each school, as well as the cost savings and benefits realized by students, faculty, the community, and the environment.« less

  5. DESIGN INFORMATION ON FINE PORE AERATION SYSTEMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Field studies were conducted over several years at municipal wastewater treatment plants employing line pore diffused aeration systems. These studies were designed to produce reliable information on the performance and operational requirements of fine pore devices under process ...

  6. Multi-point Adjoint-Based Design of Tilt-Rotors in a Noninertial Reference Frame

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, William T.; Nielsen, Eric J.; Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.; Acree, Cecil W.

    2014-01-01

    Optimization of tilt-rotor systems requires the consideration of performance at multiple design points. In the current study, an adjoint-based optimization of a tilt-rotor blade is considered. The optimization seeks to simultaneously maximize the rotorcraft figure of merit in hover and the propulsive efficiency in airplane-mode for a tilt-rotor system. The design is subject to minimum thrust constraints imposed at each design point. The rotor flowfields at each design point are cast as steady-state problems in a noninertial reference frame. Geometric design variables used in the study to control blade shape include: thickness, camber, twist, and taper represented by as many as 123 separate design variables. Performance weighting of each operational mode is considered in the formulation of the composite objective function, and a build up of increasing geometric degrees of freedom is used to isolate the impact of selected design variables. In all cases considered, the resulting designs successfully increase both the hover figure of merit and the airplane-mode propulsive efficiency for a rotor designed with classical techniques.

  7. Tic-reducing effects of music in patients with Tourette's syndrome: Self-reported and objective analysis.

    PubMed

    Bodeck, Sabine; Lappe, Claudia; Evers, Stefan

    2015-05-15

    Self-reports by musicians affected with Tourette's syndrome and other sources of anecdotal evidence suggest that tics stop when subjects are involved in musical activity. For the first time, we studied this effect systematically using a questionnaire design to investigate the subjectively assessed impact of musical activity on tic frequency (study 1) and an experimental design to confirm these results (study 2). A questionnaire was sent to 29 patients assessing whether listening to music and musical performance would lead to a tic frequency reduction or increase. Then, a within-subject repeated measures design was conducted with eight patients. Five experimental conditions were tested: baseline, musical performance, short time period after musical performance, listening to music and music imagery. Tics were counted based on videotapes. Analysis of the self-reports (study 1) yielded in a significant tic reduction both by listening to music and musical performance. In study 2, musical performance, listening to music and mental imagery of musical performance reduced tic frequency significantly. We found the largest reduction in the condition of musical performance, when tics almost completely stopped. Furthermore, we could find a short-term tic decreasing effect after musical performance. Self-report assessment revealed that active and passive participation in musical activity can significantly reduce tic frequency. Experimental testing confirmed patients' perception. Active and passive participation in musical activity reduces tic frequency including a short-term lasting tic decreasing effect. Fine motor control, focused attention and goal directed behavior are believed to be relevant factors for this observation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Lessons Learned During TBCC Design for the NASA-AFRL Joint System Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Snyder, Christopher A.; Espinosa, A. M.

    2013-01-01

    NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory are involved in a Joint System Study (JSS) on Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) vehicles. The JSS will examine the performance, operability and analysis uncertainty of unmanned, fully reusable, TSTO launch vehicle concepts. NASA is providing a vehicle concept using turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion on the booster stage and an all-rocket orbiter. The variation in vehicle and mission requirements for different potential customers, combined with analysis uncertainties, make it problematic to define optimum vehicle types or concepts, but the study is being used by NASA for tool assessment and development, and to identify technology gaps. Preliminary analyses were performed on the entire TBCC booster concept; then higher-fidelity analyses were performed for particular areas to verify results or reduce analysis uncertainties. Preliminary TBCC system analyses indicated that there would be sufficient thrust margin over its mission portion. The higher fidelity analyses, which included inlet and nozzle performance corrections for significant area mismatches between TBCC propulsion requirements versus the vehicle design, resulted in significant performance penalties from the preliminary results. TBCC system design and vehicle operation assumptions were reviewed to identify items to mitigate these performance penalties. The most promising items were then applied and analyses rerun to update performance predictions. A study overview is given to orient the reader, quickly focusing upon the NASA TBCC booster and low speed propulsion system. Details for the TBCC concept and the analyses performed are described. Finally, a summary of "Lessons Learned" are discussed with suggestions to improve future study efforts.

  9. A parametric sensitivity study for single-stage-to-orbit hypersonic vehicles using trajectory optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lovell, T. Alan; Schmidt, D. K.

    1994-03-01

    The class of hypersonic vehicle configurations with single stage-to-orbit (SSTO) capability reflect highly integrated airframe and propulsion systems. These designs are also known to exhibit a large degree of interaction between the airframe and engine dynamics. Consequently, even simplified hypersonic models are characterized by tightly coupled nonlinear equations of motion. In addition, hypersonic SSTO vehicles present a major system design challenge; the vehicle's overall mission performance is a function of its subsystem efficiencies including structural, aerodynamic, propulsive, and operational. Further, all subsystem efficiencies are interrelated, hence, independent optimization of the subsystems is not likely to lead to an optimum design. Thus, it is desired to know the effect of various subsystem efficiencies on overall mission performance. For the purposes of this analysis, mission performance will be measured in terms of the payload weight inserted into orbit. In this report, a trajectory optimization problem is formulated for a generic hypersonic lifting body for a specified orbit-injection mission. A solution method is outlined, and results are detailed for the generic vehicle, referred to as the baseline model. After evaluating the performance of the baseline model, a sensitivity study is presented to determine the effect of various subsystem efficiencies on mission performance. This consists of performing a parametric analysis of the basic design parameters, generating a matrix of configurations, and determining the mission performance of each configuration. Also, the performance loss due to constraining the total head load experienced by the vehicle is evaluated. The key results from this analysis include the formulation of the sizing problem for this vehicle class using trajectory optimization, characteristics of the optimal trajectories, and the subsystem design sensitivities.

  10. A parametric sensitivity study for single-stage-to-orbit hypersonic vehicles using trajectory optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lovell, T. Alan; Schmidt, D. K.

    1994-01-01

    The class of hypersonic vehicle configurations with single stage-to-orbit (SSTO) capability reflect highly integrated airframe and propulsion systems. These designs are also known to exhibit a large degree of interaction between the airframe and engine dynamics. Consequently, even simplified hypersonic models are characterized by tightly coupled nonlinear equations of motion. In addition, hypersonic SSTO vehicles present a major system design challenge; the vehicle's overall mission performance is a function of its subsystem efficiencies including structural, aerodynamic, propulsive, and operational. Further, all subsystem efficiencies are interrelated, hence, independent optimization of the subsystems is not likely to lead to an optimum design. Thus, it is desired to know the effect of various subsystem efficiencies on overall mission performance. For the purposes of this analysis, mission performance will be measured in terms of the payload weight inserted into orbit. In this report, a trajectory optimization problem is formulated for a generic hypersonic lifting body for a specified orbit-injection mission. A solution method is outlined, and results are detailed for the generic vehicle, referred to as the baseline model. After evaluating the performance of the baseline model, a sensitivity study is presented to determine the effect of various subsystem efficiencies on mission performance. This consists of performing a parametric analysis of the basic design parameters, generating a matrix of configurations, and determining the mission performance of each configuration. Also, the performance loss due to constraining the total head load experienced by the vehicle is evaluated. The key results from this analysis include the formulation of the sizing problem for this vehicle class using trajectory optimization, characteristics of the optimal trajectories, and the subsystem design sensitivities.

  11. Reliable Thermoelectric Module Design under Opposing Requirements from Structural and Thermoelectric Considerations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karri, Naveen K.; Mo, Changki

    2018-06-01

    Structural reliability of thermoelectric generation (TEG) systems still remains an issue, especially for applications such as large-scale industrial or automobile exhaust heat recovery, in which TEG systems are subject to dynamic loads and thermal cycling. Traditional thermoelectric (TE) system design and optimization techniques, focused on performance alone, could result in designs that may fail during operation as the geometric requirements for optimal performance (especially the power) are often in conflict with the requirements for mechanical reliability. This study focused on reducing the thermomechanical stresses in a TEG system without compromising the optimized system performance. Finite element simulations were carried out to study the effect of TE element (leg) geometry such as leg length and cross-sectional shape under constrained material volume requirements. Results indicated that the element length has a major influence on the element stresses whereas regular cross-sectional shapes have minor influence. The impact of TE element stresses on the mechanical reliability is evaluated using brittle material failure theory based on Weibull analysis. An alternate couple configuration that relies on the industry practice of redundant element design is investigated. Results showed that the alternate configuration considerably reduced the TE element and metallization stresses, thereby enhancing the structural reliability, with little trade-off in the optimized performance. The proposed alternate configuration could serve as a potential design modification for improving the reliability of systems optimized for thermoelectric performance.

  12. Intelligent Life-Extending Controls for Aircraft Engines Studied

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guo, Ten-Huei

    2005-01-01

    Current aircraft engine controllers are designed and operated to provide desired performance and stability margins. Except for the hard limits for extreme conditions, engine controllers do not usually take engine component life into consideration during the controller design and operation. The end result is that aircraft pilots regularly operate engines under unnecessarily harsh conditions to strive for optimum performance. The NASA Glenn Research Center and its industrial and academic partners have been working together toward an intelligent control concept that will include engine life as part of the controller design criteria. This research includes the study of the relationship between control action and engine component life as well as the design of an intelligent control algorithm to provide proper tradeoffs between performance and engine life. This approach is expected to maintain operating safety while minimizing overall operating costs. In this study, the thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of a critical component was selected to demonstrate how an intelligent engine control algorithm can significantly extend engine life with only a very small sacrifice in performance. An intelligent engine control scheme based on modifying the high-pressure spool speed (NH) was proposed to reduce TMF damage from ground idle to takeoff. The NH acceleration schedule was optimized to minimize the TMF damage for a given rise-time constraint, which represents the performance requirement. The intelligent engine control scheme was used to simulate a commercial short-haul aircraft engine.

  13. Development of Crystallizer for Advanced Aqueous Reprocessing Process

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

    Tadahiro Washiya; Atsuhiro Shibata; Toshiaki Kikuchi

    2006-07-01

    Crystallization is one of the remarkable technologies for future fuel reprocessing process that has safety and economical advantages. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) (former Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute), Mitsubishi Material Corporation and Saitama University have been developing the crystallization process. In previous study, we carried out experimental studies with uranium, MOX and spent fuel conditions, and flowsheet analysis was considered. In association with these studies, an innovative continuous crystallizer and its system was developed to ensure high process performance. From the design study, an annular type continuous crystallizer was selected as the most promising design, and performance was confirmedmore » by small-scale test and engineering scale demonstration at uranium crystallization conditions. In this paper, the design study and the demonstration test results are described. (authors)« less

  14. Structural design considerations for the beam transmission optical system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Macneal, Paul D.; Lou, Michael C.

    1993-01-01

    The paper describes the JPL study leading to a baseline design of the Beam Transmission Optical System (BTOS), designed for the delivery of laser energy from earth to space targets. The study identified the driving environmental and functional requirements; developed a conceptual design of the BTOS telescope; and performed static, thermal distortion, and model analyses to verify that these requirements are met. The study also identified major areas of concern which should be investigated further.

  15. Design Tools to Assess Hydro-Turbine Biological Performance: Priest Rapids Dam Turbine Replacement Project

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

    Richmond, Marshall C.; Rakowski, Cynthia L.; Serkowski, John A.

    2013-06-25

    Over the past two decades, there have been many studies describing injury mechanisms associated with turbine passage, the response of various fish species to these mechanisms, and the probability of survival through dams. Although developing tools to design turbines that improve passage survival has been difficult and slow, a more robust quantification of the turbine environment has emerged through integrating physical model data, fish survival data, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies. Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) operates the Priest Rapids Dam (PRD), a hydroelectric facility on the Columbia River in Washington State. The dam contains 10 Kaplan-type turbinemore » units that are now almost 50 years old. The Utility District plans to refit all of these aging turbines with new turbines. The Columbia River at PRD is a migratory pathway for several species of juvenile and adult salmonids, so passage of fish through the dam is a major consideration when replacing the turbines. In this presentation, a method for turbine biological performance assessment (BioPA) is introduced. Using this method, a suite of biological performance indicators is computed based on simulated data from a CFD model of a proposed turbine design. Each performance indicator is a measure of the probability of exposure to a certain dose of an injury mechanism. Using known relationships between the dose of an injury mechanism and frequency of injury (dose–response) from laboratory or field studies, the likelihood of fish injury for a turbine design can be computed from the performance indicator. By comparing the values of the indicators from proposed designs, the engineer can identify the more-promising alternatives. We will present application of the BioPA method for baseline risk assessment calculations for the existing Kaplan turbines at PRD that will be used as the minimum biological performance that a proposed new design must achieve.« less

  16. Norton-Thevenin Receptance Coupling (NTRC) as a Payload Design Tool

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gordon, Scott; Kaufman, Dan; Majed, Arya

    2017-01-01

    The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) is funding a study to develop an alternate method for performing coupled loads analysis called Norton-Thevenin Receptance Coupling (NTRC). NTRC combines Receptance Coupling (RC), a frequency-domain synthesis method and Norton-Thevenin (NT) theory, an impedance based approach for simulating the interaction between dynamic systems. The goal of developing the NTRC method is to provide a tool that payload developers can use to reduce the conservatism in defining preliminary design loads, assess the impact of design changes between formal load cycles, and to perform trade studies for design optimization with a minimum amount of data required from the launch vehicle (LV) provider. NTRC also has the ability to perform parametric loads analysis where many different design configurations can be evaluated. This will result in cost and schedule benefits to the payload developer that are currently not possible under the standard coupled loads analysis (CLA) flow where typically only 2-3 official load cycles are performed by the LV provider over the life of a payload program. NTRC is not envisioned as a replacement for the official load cycles performed by the LV provider but rather as a means to address the types of design issues faced by the payload developer before and between official load cycles.The presentation provides an overview of the NTRC methodology and discusses how NTRC can be used to replicate the results from a standard LV CLA. The presentation covers the benchmarking that has been performed as part of the NESC study to demonstrate the accuracy of the technique for both frequency and time domain dynamic analyses. Future plans for benchmarking the NTRC approach against CLA results for NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) and commercial launch vehicles are discussed and the role that NTRC is envisioned to play in the payload development cycle.

  17. Policy design and performance of emissions trading markets: an adaptive agent-based analysis.

    PubMed

    Bing, Zhang; Qinqin, Yu; Jun, Bi

    2010-08-01

    Emissions trading is considered to be a cost-effective environmental economic instrument for pollution control. However, the pilot emissions trading programs in China have failed to bring remarkable success in the campaign for pollution control. The policy design of an emissions trading program is found to have a decisive impact on its performance. In this study, an artificial market for sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions trading applying the agent-based model was constructed. The performance of the Jiangsu SO2 emissions trading market under different policy design scenario was also examined. Results show that the market efficiency of emissions trading is significantly affected by policy design and existing policies. China's coal-electricity price system is the principal factor influencing the performance of the SO2 emissions trading market. Transaction costs would also reduce market efficiency. In addition, current-level emissions discharge fee/tax and banking mechanisms do not distinctly affect policy performance. Thus, applying emissions trading in emission control in China should consider policy design and interaction with other existing policies.

  18. Effects of body-mapping-designed clothing on heat stress and running performance in a hot environment.

    PubMed

    Jiao, Jiao; Li, Yi; Yao, Lei; Chen, Yajun; Guo, Yueping; Wong, Stephen H S; Ng, Frency S F; Hu, Junyan

    2017-10-01

    To investigate clothing-induced differences in human thermal response and running performance, eight male athletes participated in a repeated-measure study by wearing three sets of clothing (CloA, CloB, and CloC). CloA and CloB were body-mapping-designed with 11% and 7% increased capacity of heat dissipation respectively than CloC, the commonly used running clothing. The experiments were conducted by using steady-state running followed by an all-out performance running in a controlled hot environment. Participants' thermal responses such as core temperature (T c ), mean skin temperature ([Formula: see text]), heat storage (S), and the performance running time were measured. CloA resulted in shorter performance time than CloC (323.1 ± 10.4 s vs. 353.6 ± 13.2 s, p = 0.01), and induced the lowest [Formula: see text], smallest ΔT c , and smallest S in the resting and running phases. This study indicated that clothing made with different heat dissipation capacities affects athlete thermal responses and running performance in a hot environment. Practitioner Summary: A protocol that simulated the real situation in running competitions was used to investigate the effects of body-mapping-designed clothing on athletes' thermal responses and running performance. The findings confirmed the effects of optimised clothing with body-mapping design and advanced fabrics, and ensured the practical advantage of developed clothing on exercise performance.

  19. Use of experimental design in the investigation of stir bar sorptive extraction followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of explosives in water samples.

    PubMed

    Schramm, Sébastien; Vailhen, Dominique; Bridoux, Maxime Cyril

    2016-02-12

    A method for the sensitive quantification of trace amounts of organic explosives in water samples was developed by using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) followed by liquid desorption and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The proposed method was developed and optimized using a statistical design of experiment approach. Use of experimental designs allowed a complete study of 10 factors and 8 analytes including nitro-aromatics, amino-nitro-aromatics and nitric esters. The liquid desorption study was performed using a full factorial experimental design followed by a kinetic study. Four different variables were tested here: the liquid desorption mode (stirring or sonication), the chemical nature of the stir bar (PDMS or PDMS-PEG), the composition of the liquid desorption phase and finally, the volume of solvent used for the liquid desorption. On the other hand, the SBSE extraction study was performed using a Doehlert design. SBSE extraction conditions such as extraction time profiles, sample volume, modifier addition, and acetic acid addition were examined. After optimization of the experimental parameters, sensitivity was improved by a factor 5-30, depending on the compound studied, due to the enrichment factors reached using the SBSE method. Limits of detection were in the ng/L level for all analytes studied. Reproducibility of the extraction with different stir bars was close to the reproducibility of the analytical method (RSD between 4 and 16%). Extractions in various water sample matrices (spring, mineral and underground water) have shown similar enrichment compared to ultrapure water, revealing very low matrix effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Study for the optimization of a transport aircraft wing for maximum fuel efficiency. Volume 1: Methodology, criteria, aeroelastic model definition and results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Radovcich, N. A.; Dreim, D.; Okeefe, D. A.; Linner, L.; Pathak, S. K.; Reaser, J. S.; Richardson, D.; Sweers, J.; Conner, F.

    1985-01-01

    Work performed in the design of a transport aircraft wing for maximum fuel efficiency is documented with emphasis on design criteria, design methodology, and three design configurations. The design database includes complete finite element model description, sizing data, geometry data, loads data, and inertial data. A design process which satisfies the economics and practical aspects of a real design is illustrated. The cooperative study relationship between the contractor and NASA during the course of the contract is also discussed.

  1. Porter's generic strategies, discontinuous environments, and performance: a longitudinal study of changing strategies in the hospital industry.

    PubMed Central

    Lamont, B T; Marlin, D; Hoffman, J J

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. Changes in generic strategies in response to discontinuous environments have been relatively ignored in the management literature. This study reports an examination of the relationships between Porter's (1980) generic strategies, discontinuous environments, and performance. DATA SOURCES. Archival data for 1984 and 1988 were collected for 172 acute care hospitals in Florida in order to test these relationships. STUDY DESIGN. To examine fully the performance impact of changes in strategy in a discontinuous environment, a longitudinal research design that identified a firm's strategy at two points in time, 1984 and 1988, was used. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Results indicate that firms with a proper strategy environment fit performed the highest, firms that did not change their strategy had no change in performance, and firms that changed their strategy toward a proper strategy environment showed an increase in performance. CONCLUSION. Findings support the notion that hospitals with appropriate strategy-environment combinations will exhibit higher performance. PMID:8270424

  2. Statistical power calculations for mixed pharmacokinetic study designs using a population approach.

    PubMed

    Kloprogge, Frank; Simpson, Julie A; Day, Nicholas P J; White, Nicholas J; Tarning, Joel

    2014-09-01

    Simultaneous modelling of dense and sparse pharmacokinetic data is possible with a population approach. To determine the number of individuals required to detect the effect of a covariate, simulation-based power calculation methodologies can be employed. The Monte Carlo Mapped Power method (a simulation-based power calculation methodology using the likelihood ratio test) was extended in the current study to perform sample size calculations for mixed pharmacokinetic studies (i.e. both sparse and dense data collection). A workflow guiding an easy and straightforward pharmacokinetic study design, considering also the cost-effectiveness of alternative study designs, was used in this analysis. Initially, data were simulated for a hypothetical drug and then for the anti-malarial drug, dihydroartemisinin. Two datasets (sampling design A: dense; sampling design B: sparse) were simulated using a pharmacokinetic model that included a binary covariate effect and subsequently re-estimated using (1) the same model and (2) a model not including the covariate effect in NONMEM 7.2. Power calculations were performed for varying numbers of patients with sampling designs A and B. Study designs with statistical power >80% were selected and further evaluated for cost-effectiveness. The simulation studies of the hypothetical drug and the anti-malarial drug dihydroartemisinin demonstrated that the simulation-based power calculation methodology, based on the Monte Carlo Mapped Power method, can be utilised to evaluate and determine the sample size of mixed (part sparsely and part densely sampled) study designs. The developed method can contribute to the design of robust and efficient pharmacokinetic studies.

  3. Orion Flight Performance Design Trades

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jackson, Mark C.; Straube, Timothy

    2010-01-01

    A significant portion of the Orion pre-PDR design effort has focused on balancing mass with performance. High level performance metrics include abort success rates, lunar surface coverage, landing accuracy and touchdown loads. These metrics may be converted to parameters that affect mass, such as ballast for stabilizing the abort vehicle, propellant to achieve increased lunar coverage or extended missions, or ballast to increase the lift-to-drag ratio to improve entry and landing performance. The Orion Flight Dynamics team was tasked to perform analyses to evaluate many of these trades. These analyses not only provide insight into the physics of each particular trade but, in aggregate, they illustrate the processes used by Orion to balance performance and mass margins, and thereby make design decisions. Lessons learned can be gleaned from a review of these studies which will be useful to other spacecraft system designers. These lessons fall into several categories, including: appropriate application of Monte Carlo analysis in design trades, managing margin in a highly mass-constrained environment, and the use of requirements to balance margin between subsystems and components. This paper provides a review of some of the trades and analyses conducted by the Flight Dynamics team, as well as systems engineering lessons learned.

  4. The Development and Use of a Flight Optimization System Model of a C-130E Transport Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Desch, Jeremy D.

    1995-01-01

    The Systems Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center conducts a variety of aircraft design and analyses studies. These studies include the prediction of characteristics of a particular conceptual design, analyses of designs that already exist, and assessments of the impact of technology on current and future aircraft. The FLight OPtimization System (FLOPS) is a tool used for aircraft systems analysis and design. A baseline input model of a Lockheed C-130E was generated for the Flight Optimization System. This FLOPS model can be used to conduct design-trade studies and technology impact assessments. The input model was generated using standard input data such as basic geometries and mission specifications. All of the other data needed to determine the airplane performance is computed internally by FLOPS. The model was then calibrated to reproduce the actual airplane performance from flight test data. This allows a systems analyzer to change a specific item of geometry or mission definition in the FLOPS input file and evaluate the resulting change in performance from the output file. The baseline model of the C-130E was used to analyze the effects of implementing upper wing surface blowing on the airplane. This involved removing the turboprop engines that were on the C-130E and replacing them with turbofan engines. An investigation of the improvements in airplane performance with the new engines could be conducted within the Flight Optimization System. Although a thorough analysis was not completed, the impact of this change on basic mission performance was investigated.

  5. Maydays and Murphies: A Study of the Effect of Organizational Design, Task, and Stress on Organizational Performance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-07-29

    provide a series of hypotheses which we can test both with human experiments and by using real organizational data. Since human experiments are costly to...able to predict organizational performance (e.g., Mackenzie, 1978; Krackhardt, 1989). Rarely have they been tested and contrasted. The formal...also tested and contrasted the predictability of existing measures of organizational design. They found that no single measure predicted performance

  6. EDIN design study alternate space shuttle booster replacement concepts. Volume 2: Design simulation results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Demakes, P. T.; Hirsch, G. N.; Stewart, W. A.; Glatt, C. R.

    1976-01-01

    Historical weight estimating relationships were developed for the liquid rocket booster (LRB) using Saturn technology, and modified as required to support the EDIN05 study. Mission performance was computed using February 1975 shuttle configuration groundrules to allow reasonable comparison of the existing shuttle with the EDIN05 designs. The launch trajectory was constrained to pass through both the RTLS/AOA and main engine cut-off points. Performance analysis was based on a point design trajectory model which optimized initial tilt rate and exo-atmospheric pitch profile. A gravity turn was employed during the boost phase in place of the shuttle angle-of-attack profile. Engine throttling add/or shutdown was used to constrain dynamic pressure and/or longitudinal acceleration where necessary.

  7. Shuttle/TDRSS Ku-band downlink study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyer, R.

    1976-01-01

    Assessing the adequacy of the baseline signal design approach, developing performance specifications for the return link hardware, and performing detailed design and parameter optimization tasks was accomplished by completing five specific study tasks. The results of these tasks show that the basic signal structure design is sound and that the goals can be met. Constraints placed on return link hardware by this structure allow reasonable specifications to be written so that no extreme technical risk areas in equipment design are foreseen. A third channel can be added to the PM mode without seriously degrading the other services. The feasibility of using only a PM mode was shown to exist, however, this will require use of some digital TV transmission techniques. Each task and its results are summarized.

  8. Study and Development of an Air Conditioning System Operating on a Magnetic Heat Pump Cycle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Pao-Lien

    1991-01-01

    This report describes the design of a laboratory scale demonstration prototype of an air conditioning system operating on a magnetic heat pump cycle. Design parameters were selected through studies performed by a Kennedy Space Center (KSC) System Simulation Computer Model. The heat pump consists of a rotor turning through four magnetic fields that are created by permanent magnets. Gadolinium was selected as the working material for this demonstration prototype. The rotor was designed to be constructed of flat parallel disks of gadolinium with very little space in between. The rotor rotates in an aluminum housing. The laboratory scale demonstration prototype is designed to provide a theoretical Carnot Cycle efficiency of 62 percent and a Coefficient of Performance of 16.55.

  9. Space Shuttle Proximity Operation Sensor Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weber, C. L.; Alem, W. K.

    1978-01-01

    The performance of the Kuband radar was analyzed in detail, and the performance was updated and summarized. In so doing, two different radar design philosophies were described, and the corresponding differences in losses were enumerated. The resulting design margins were determined for both design philosophies and for both the designated and nondesignated range modes of operation. In some cases, the design margin was about zero, and in other cases it was significantly less than zero. With the point of view described above, the recommended solution is to allow more scan time but at the present scan rate. With no other changes in the present configuration, the radar met design detection specifications for all design philosophies at a range of 11.3 nautical miles.

  10. Pressure control and analysis report: Hydrogen Thermal Test Article (HTTA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1971-01-01

    Tasks accomplished during the HTTA Program study period included: (1) performance of a literature review to provide system guidelines; (2) development of analytical procedures needed to predict system performance; (3) design and analysis of the HTTA pressurization system considering (a) future utilization of results in the design of a spacecraft maneuvering system propellant package, (b) ease of control and operation, (c) system safety, and (d) hardware cost; and (4) making conclusions and recommendations for systems design.

  11. HabEx Optical Telescope Concepts: Design and Performance Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stahl, H. Philip; NASA MSFC HabEx Telescope Design Team

    2018-01-01

    The Habitable-Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) engineering study team has been tasked by NASA with developing a compelling and feasible exoplanet direct imaging concept as part of the 2020 Decadal Survey. This paper summarizes design concepts for two off-axis unobscured telescope concepts: a 4-meter monolithic aperture and a 6-meter segmented aperutre. HabEx telescopes are designed for launch vehicle accommodation. Analysis includes prediction of on-orbit dynamic structural and thermal optical performance.

  12. Design study of RL10 derivatives. Volume 2: Engine design characteristics, appendices. [development of rocket engine for application to space tug propulsion system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1973-01-01

    Calculations, curves, and substantiating data which support the engine design characteristics of the RL-10 engines are presented. A description of the RL-10 ignition system is provided. The performance calculations of the RL-10 derivative engines and the performance results obtained are reported. The computer simulations used to establish the control system requirements and to define the engine transient characteristics are included.

  13. Structural analysis of three space crane articulated-truss joint concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, K. Chauncey; Sutter, Thomas R.

    1992-01-01

    Three space crane articulated truss joint concepts are studied to evaluate their static structural performance over a range of geometric design parameters. Emphasis is placed on maintaining the four longeron reference truss performance across the joint while allowing large angle articulation. A maximum positive articulation angle and the actuator length ratio required to reach the angle are computed for each concept as the design parameters are varied. Configurations with a maximum articulation angle less than 120 degrees or actuators requiring a length ratio over two are not considered. Tip rotation and lateral deflection of a truss beam with an articulated truss joint at the midspan are used to select a point design for each concept. Deflections for one point design are up to 40 percent higher than for the other two designs. Dynamic performance of the three point design is computed as a function of joint articulation angle. The two lowest frequencies of each point design are relatively insensitive to large variations in joint articulation angle. One point design has a higher maximum tip velocity for the emergency stop than the other designs.

  14. Summary of Prometheus Radiation Shielding Nuclear Design Analysis

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

    J. Stephens

    2006-01-13

    This report transmits a summary of radiation shielding nuclear design studies performed to support the Prometheus project. Together, the enclosures and references associated with this document describe NRPCT (KAPL & Bettis) shielding nuclear design analyses done for the project.

  15. Flexible and composite structures for premium pavements. Volume 2, Design manual

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1980-11-01

    This design manual presents the results of a detailed study to identify and design flexible and composite pavement configurations which will perform as premium or "zero-maintenance" pavements. This manual includes identification and classification of...

  16. Full long-term design response analysis of a wave energy converter

    DOE PAGES

    Coe, Ryan G.; Michelen, Carlos; Eckert-Gallup, Aubrey; ...

    2017-09-21

    Efficient design of wave energy converters requires an accurate understanding of expected loads and responses during the deployment lifetime of a device. A study has been conducted to better understand best-practices for prediction of design responses in a wave energy converter. A case-study was performed in which a simplified wave energy converter was analyzed to predict several important device design responses. The application and performance of a full long-term analysis, in which numerical simulations were used to predict the device response for a large number of distinct sea states, was studied. Environmental characterization and selection of sea states for thismore » analysis at the intended deployment site were performed using principle-components analysis. The full long-term analysis applied here was shown to be stable when implemented with a relatively low number of sea states and convergent with an increasing number of sea states. As the number of sea states utilized in the analysis was increased, predicted response levels did not change appreciably. Furthermore, uncertainty in the response levels was reduced as more sea states were utilized.« less

  17. Full long-term design response analysis of a wave energy converter

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

    Coe, Ryan G.; Michelen, Carlos; Eckert-Gallup, Aubrey

    Efficient design of wave energy converters requires an accurate understanding of expected loads and responses during the deployment lifetime of a device. A study has been conducted to better understand best-practices for prediction of design responses in a wave energy converter. A case-study was performed in which a simplified wave energy converter was analyzed to predict several important device design responses. The application and performance of a full long-term analysis, in which numerical simulations were used to predict the device response for a large number of distinct sea states, was studied. Environmental characterization and selection of sea states for thismore » analysis at the intended deployment site were performed using principle-components analysis. The full long-term analysis applied here was shown to be stable when implemented with a relatively low number of sea states and convergent with an increasing number of sea states. As the number of sea states utilized in the analysis was increased, predicted response levels did not change appreciably. Furthermore, uncertainty in the response levels was reduced as more sea states were utilized.« less

  18. Conceptual design study for a teleoperator visual system, phase 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, D.; Grant, C.; Johnson, C.; Meirick, R.; Polhemus, C.; Ray, A.; Rittenhouse, D.; Skidmore, R.

    1972-01-01

    Results are reported for work performed during the first phase of the conceptual design study for a teleoperator visual system. This phase consists of four tasks: General requirements, concept development, subsystem requirements and analysis, and concept evaluation.

  19. AFB/open cycle gas turbine conceptual design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dickinson, T. W.; Tashjian, R.

    1983-01-01

    Applications of coal fired atmospheric fluidized bed gas turbine systems in industrial cogeneration are identified. Based on site-specific conceptual designs, the potential benefits of the AFB/gas turbine system were compared with an atmospheric fluidized design steam boiler/steam turbine system. The application of these cogeneration systems at four industrial plant sites is reviewed. A performance and benefit analysis was made along with a study of the representativeness of the sites both in regard to their own industry and compared to industry as a whole. A site was selected for the conceptual design, which included detailed site definition, AFB/gas turbine and AFB/steam turbine cogeneration system designs, detailed cost estimates, and comparative performance and benefit analysis. Market and benefit analyses identified the potential market penetration for the cogeneration technologies and quantified the potential benefits.

  20. AFB/open cycle gas turbine conceptual design study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dickinson, T. W.; Tashjian, R.

    1983-09-01

    Applications of coal fired atmospheric fluidized bed gas turbine systems in industrial cogeneration are identified. Based on site-specific conceptual designs, the potential benefits of the AFB/gas turbine system were compared with an atmospheric fluidized design steam boiler/steam turbine system. The application of these cogeneration systems at four industrial plant sites is reviewed. A performance and benefit analysis was made along with a study of the representativeness of the sites both in regard to their own industry and compared to industry as a whole. A site was selected for the conceptual design, which included detailed site definition, AFB/gas turbine and AFB/steam turbine cogeneration system designs, detailed cost estimates, and comparative performance and benefit analysis. Market and benefit analyses identified the potential market penetration for the cogeneration technologies and quantified the potential benefits.

  1. Advanced photovoltaic solar array - Design and performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kurland, Richard; Stella, Paul

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports on the development of an ultralightweight flexible blanket, flatpack, foldout solar array design that can provide 3- to 4-fold improvement on specific power performance of current rigid panel arrays and a factor of two improvement over a first-generation flexible blanket array developed as a forerunner to the Space Station Freedom array. To date a prototype wing has been built with a projected specific power performance of about 138 W/kg at beginning-of-life (BOL) and 93 W/kg end-of-life (EOL) at 12 kW (BOL) for a 10-year geosynchronous (GEO) mission. The prototype wing hardware has been subjected to a series of system-level tests to demonstrate design feasibility. The design of the array is summarized. The major trade studies that led to the selection of the baseline design are discussed. Key system-level and component-level testing are described. Array-level performance projections are presented as a function of existing and advanced solar array component technology for various mission applications.

  2. Small Gas Turbine Combustor Primary Zone Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sullivan, R. E.; Young, E. R.; Miles, G. A.; Williams, J. R.

    1983-01-01

    A development process is described which consists of design, fabrication, and preliminary test evaluations of three approaches to internal aerodynamic primary zone flow patterns: (1) conventional double vortex swirl stabilization; (2) reverse flow swirl stabilization; and (3) large single vortex flow system. Each concept incorporates special design features aimed at extending the performance capability of the small engine combustor. Since inherent geometry of these combustors result in small combustion zone height and high surface area to volume ratio, design features focus on internal aerodynamics, fuel placement, and advanced cooling. The combustors are evaluated on a full scale annular combustor rig. A correlation of the primary zone performance with the overall performance is accomplished using three intrusion type gas sampling probes located at the exit of the primary zone section. Empirical and numerical methods are used for designing and predicting the performance of the three combustor concepts and their subsequent modifications. The calibration of analytical procedures with actual test results permits an updating of the analytical design techniques applicable to small reverse flow annular combustors.

  3. Low Thrust, Deep Throttling, US/CIS Integrated NTRE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Culver, Donald W.; Kolganov, Vyacheslav; Rochow, Richard F.

    1994-07-01

    In 1993 our international team performed a follow-on ``Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engine (NTRE) Extended Life Feasibility Assessment'' study for the Nuclear Propulsion Office (NPO) at NASAs Lewis Research Center. The main purpose of this study was to complete the 1992 study matrix to assess NTRE designs at thrust levels of 22.5, 11.3, and 6.8 tonnes, using Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) reactor technology. An additional Aerojet goal was to continue improving the NTRE concept we had generated. Deep throttling, mission performance optimized engine design parametrics, and reliability/cost enhancing engine system simplifications were studied, because they seem to be the last three basic design improvements sorely needed by post-NERVA NTRE. Deep throttling improves engine life by eliminating damaging thermal and mechanical shocks caused by after-cooling with pulsed coolant flow. Alternately, it improves mission performance with steady flow after-cooling by minimizing reactor over-cooling. Deep throttling also provides a practical transition from high pressures and powers of the high thrust power cycle to the low pressures and powers of our electric power generating mode. Two deep throttling designs are discussed; a workable system that was studied and a simplified system that is recommended for future study. Mission-optimized engine thrust/weight (T/W) and Isp predictions are included along with system flow schemes and concept sketches.

  4. Seismic Vulnerability and Performance Level of confined brick walls

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghalehnovi, M.; Rahdar, H. A.

    2008-07-01

    There has been an increase on the interest of Engineers and designers to use designing methods based on displacement and behavior (designing based on performance) Regarding to the importance of resisting structure design against dynamic loads such as earthquake, and inability to design according to prediction of nonlinear behavior element caused by nonlinear properties of constructional material. Economically speaking, easy carrying out and accessibility of masonry material have caused an enormous increase in masonry structures in villages, towns and cities. On the other hand, there is a necessity to study behavior and Seismic Vulnerability in these kinds of structures since Iran is located on the earthquake belt of Alpide. Different reasons such as environmental, economic, social, cultural and accessible constructional material have caused different kinds of constructional structures. In this study, some tied walls have been modeled with software and with relevant accelerator suitable with geology conditions under dynamic analysis to research on the Seismic Vulnerability and performance level of confined brick walls. Results from this analysis seem to be satisfactory after comparison of them with the values in Code ATC40, FEMA and standard 2800 of Iran.

  5. A Study to Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate, and Revise Specific, Measurable Performance Objectives to Serve as a Model to Individualize Instruction for Secondary Schools. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wendt, Marilynn S.; Jacobson, Marjory E.

    Specific objectives of this two-phase study included: (1) assessment of design of the behavioral objectives in all secondary level courses; (2) construction of criteria for evaluation of the design; (3) testing of objectives against the evaluative criteria and/or the specifications of the curriculum design; and (4) determination of the validity of…

  6. 78 FR 8150 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-05

    ... three components: the ``Design and Implementation Study,'' the ``Performance Analysis Study,'' and the...- Component Evaluation--Data Collection Related to the Performance Analysis Study and the Impact and the In-depth Implementation Study. OMB No.: 0970-0398 Description: The Office of Data Analysis, Research, and...

  7. Numerical study of a permanent magnet linear generator for ship motion energy conversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahmuddin, Faisal; Gunadin, Indar Chaerah; Akhir, Anshar Yaumil

    2017-02-01

    In order to harvest kinetic energy of a ship moving in waves, a permanent magnet linear generator is designed and simulated in the present study. For the sake of simplicity, only heave motion which will be considered in this preliminary study. The dimension of the generator is designed based on the dimension of the ship. Moreover, in order to designed an optimal design of rotor and stator, the average vertical displacement of heave motion is needed. For this purpose, a numerical method called New Strip Method (NSM) is employed to compute the motions of the ship. With NSM, the ship hull is divided into several strips and the hydrodynamics forces are computed on each strip. Moreover, because the ship is assumed to be slender, the total forces are obtained by integrating the force on each strip. After the motions can be determined, the optimal design of the generator is designed and simulated. The performance of the generator in terms of force, magnetic flux, losses, current and induced voltage which are the primary parameters of the linear generator performance, are evaluated using a finite element analysis software named Maxwell. From the study, a linear generator for converting heave motions is designed so that the produced power from the designed generator can be determined.

  8. Development of a Bayesian response-adaptive trial design for the Dexamethasone for Excessive Menstruation study.

    PubMed

    Holm Hansen, Christian; Warner, Pamela; Parker, Richard A; Walker, Brian R; Critchley, Hilary Od; Weir, Christopher J

    2017-12-01

    It is often unclear what specific adaptive trial design features lead to an efficient design which is also feasible to implement. This article describes the preparatory simulation study for a Bayesian response-adaptive dose-finding trial design. Dexamethasone for Excessive Menstruation aims to assess the efficacy of Dexamethasone in reducing excessive menstrual bleeding and to determine the best dose for further study. To maximise learning about the dose response, patients receive placebo or an active dose with randomisation probabilities adapting based on evidence from patients already recruited. The dose-response relationship is estimated using a flexible Bayesian Normal Dynamic Linear Model. Several competing design options were considered including: number of doses, proportion assigned to placebo, adaptation criterion, and number and timing of adaptations. We performed a fractional factorial study using SAS software to simulate virtual trial data for candidate adaptive designs under a variety of scenarios and to invoke WinBUGS for Bayesian model estimation. We analysed the simulated trial results using Normal linear models to estimate the effects of each design feature on empirical type I error and statistical power. Our readily-implemented approach using widely available statistical software identified a final design which performed robustly across a range of potential trial scenarios.

  9. A 150 and 300 kW lightweight diesel aircraft engine design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brouwers, A. P.

    1980-01-01

    The diesel engine was reinvestigated as an aircraft powerplant through design study conducted to arrive at engine configurations and applicable advanced technologies. Two engines are discussed, a 300 kW six-cylinder engine for twin engine general aviation aircraft and a 150 kW four-cylinder engine for single engine aircraft. Descriptions of each engine include concept drawings, a performance analysis, stress and weight data, and a cost study. This information was used to develop two airplane concepts, a six-place twin and a four-place single engine aircraft. The aircraft study consists of installation drawings, computer generated performance data, aircraft operating costs, and drawings of the resulting airplanes. The performance data show a vast improvement over current gasoline-powered aircraft.

  10. Inverse design of an ultra-compact broadband optical diode based on asymmetric spatial mode conversion

    PubMed Central

    Callewaert, Francois; Butun, Serkan; Li, Zhongyang; Aydin, Koray

    2016-01-01

    The objective-first inverse-design algorithm is used to design an ultra-compact optical diode. Based on silicon and air only, this optical diode relies on asymmetric spatial mode conversion between the left and right ports. The first even mode incident from the left port is transmitted to the right port after being converted into an odd mode. On the other hand, same mode incident from the right port is reflected back by the optical diode dielectric structure. The convergence and performance of the algorithm are studied, along with a transform method that converts continuous permittivity medium into a binary material design. The optimal device is studied with full-wave electromagnetic simulations to compare its behavior under right and left incidences, in 2D and 3D settings as well. A parametric study is designed to understand the impact of the design space size and initial conditions on the optimized devices performance. A broadband optical diode behavior is observed after optimization, with a large rejection ratio between the two transmission directions. This illustrates the potential of the objective-first inverse-design method to design ultra-compact broadband photonic devices. PMID:27586852

  11. Effects of Cloud-Based m-Learning on Student Creative Performance in Engineering Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Yu-Shan; Chen, Si-Yi; Yu, Kuang-Chao; Chu, Yih-Hsien; Chien, Yu-Hung

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the effects of cloud-based m-learning on students' creative processes and products in engineering design. A nonequivalent pretest-posttest design was adopted, and 62 university students from Taipei City, Taiwan, were recruited as research participants in the study. The results showed that cloud-based m-learning had a positive…

  12. Studies Using Single-Subject Designs in Sport Psychology: 30 Years of Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, G. L.; Thompson, K.; Regehr, K.

    2004-01-01

    A prominent feature of behavior-analytic research has been the use of single-subject designs. We examined sport psychology journals and behavioral journals published during the past 30 years, and located 40 studies using single-subject designs to assess interventions for enhancing the performance of athletes and coaches. In this paper, we…

  13. Responsive Evaluation as a Guide to Design and Implementation: Case Study of an E-Health Learning System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schaffer, Scott P.; Kim, Hannah

    2012-01-01

    Evaluation of the design and implementation of a web-based e-health application offers an opportunity to apply extensive research findings and evidence-based practices from the learning and performance literature. In this study, we examined how interactions between stakeholders influenced the design, implementation, and outcomes of an e-health…

  14. A Comparison of Methods to Test for Mediation in Multisite Experiments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pituch, Keenan A.; Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Stapleton, Laura M.

    2005-01-01

    A Monte Carlo study extended the research of MacKinnon, Lockwood, Hoffman, West, and Sheets (2002) for single-level designs by examining the statistical performance of four methods to test for mediation in a multilevel experimental design. The design studied was a two-group experiment that was replicated across several sites, included a single…

  15. The system design and performance test of hybrid vertical axis wind turbine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dwiyantoro, Bambang Arip; Suphandani, Vivien

    2017-04-01

    Vertical axis wind turbine is a tool that is being developed to generate energy from wind. One cause is still little use of wind energy is the design of wind turbines that are less precise. Therefore in this study will be developed the system design of hybrid vertical axis wind turbine and tested performance with experimental methods. The design of hybrid turbine based on a straight bladed Darrieus turbine along with a double step Savonius turbine. The method used to design wind turbines is by studying literature, analyzing the critical parts of a wind turbine and the structure of the optimal design. Wind turbine prototype of the optimal design characteristic tests in the wind tunnel experimentally by varying the speed of the wind. From the experimental results show that the greater the wind speed, the greater the wind turbine rotation and torque is raised. The hybrid vertical axis wind turbine has much better self-starting and better conversion efficiency.

  16. Preliminary Sizing Study of Ares-I and Ares-V Liquid Hydrogen Tanks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oliver, Stanley T.; Harper, David W.

    2012-01-01

    A preliminary sizing study of two cryogenic propellant tanks was performed using a FORTRAN optimization program to determine weight efficient orthogrid designs for the tank barrels sections only. Various tensile and compressive failure modes were considered, including general buckling of cylinders with a shell buckling knockdown factor. Eight independent combinations of three design requirements were also considered and their effects on the tanks weight. The approach was to investigate each design case with a variable shell buckling knockdown factor, determining the most weight efficient combination of orthogrid design parameters. Numerous optimization analyses were performed, and the results presented herein compare the effects of the different design requirements and shell buckling knockdown factor. Through a series of comparisons between design requirements or shell buckling knockdown factors, the relative change in overall tank barrel weights is shown. The findings indicate that the design requirements can substantually increase the tank weight while a less conservative shell buckling knockdown factor can modestly reduce the tank weight.

  17. Differentiation and Exploration of Model MACP for HE VER 1.0 on Prototype Performance Measurement Application for Higher Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El Akbar, R. Reza; Anshary, Muhammad Adi Khairul; Hariadi, Dennis

    2018-02-01

    Model MACP for HE ver.1. Is a model that describes how to perform measurement and monitoring performance for Higher Education. Based on a review of the research related to the model, there are several parts of the model component to develop in further research, so this research has four main objectives. The first objective is to differentiate the CSF (critical success factor) components in the previous model, the two key KPI (key performance indicators) exploration in the previous model, the three based on the previous objective, the new and more detailed model design. The final goal is the fourth designed prototype application for performance measurement in higher education, based on a new model created. The method used is explorative research method and application design using prototype method. The results of this study are first, forming a more detailed new model for measurement and monitoring of performance in higher education, differentiation and exploration of the Model MACP for HE Ver.1. The second result compiles a dictionary of college performance measurement by re-evaluating the existing indicators. The third result is the design of prototype application of performance measurement in higher education.

  18. Integrated Flight Performance Analysis of a Launch Abort System Concept

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tartabini, Paul V.

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes initial flight performance analyses conducted early in the Orion Project to support concept feasibility studies for the Crew Exploration Vehicle s Launch Abort System (LAS). Key performance requirements that significantly affect abort capability are presented. These requirements have implications on sizing the Abort Motor, tailoring its thrust profile to meet escape requirements for both launch pad and high drag/high dynamic pressure ascent aborts. Additional performance considerations are provided for the Attitude Control Motor, a key element of the Orion LAS design that eliminates the need for ballast and provides performance robustness over a passive control approach. Finally, performance of the LAS jettison function is discussed, along with implications on Jettison Motor sizing and the timing of the jettison event during a nominal mission. These studies provide an initial understanding of LAS performance that will continue to evolve as the Orion design is matured.

  19. Using public control genotype data to increase power and decrease cost of case-control genetic association studies.

    PubMed

    Ho, Lindsey A; Lange, Ethan M

    2010-12-01

    Genome-wide association (GWA) studies are a powerful approach for identifying novel genetic risk factors associated with human disease. A GWA study typically requires the inclusion of thousands of samples to have sufficient statistical power to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms that are associated with only modest increases in risk of disease given the heavy burden of a multiple test correction that is necessary to maintain valid statistical tests. Low statistical power and the high financial cost of performing a GWA study remains prohibitive for many scientific investigators anxious to perform such a study using their own samples. A number of remedies have been suggested to increase statistical power and decrease cost, including the utilization of free publicly available genotype data and multi-stage genotyping designs. Herein, we compare the statistical power and relative costs of alternative association study designs that use cases and screened controls to study designs that are based only on, or additionally include, free public control genotype data. We describe a novel replication-based two-stage study design, which uses free public control genotype data in the first stage and follow-up genotype data on case-matched controls in the second stage that preserves many of the advantages inherent when using only an epidemiologically matched set of controls. Specifically, we show that our proposed two-stage design can substantially increase statistical power and decrease cost of performing a GWA study while controlling the type-I error rate that can be inflated when using public controls due to differences in ancestry and batch genotype effects.

  20. The effect of actuator nozzle designs on the electrostatic charge generated in pressurised metered dose inhaler aerosols.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yang; Young, Paul M; Fletcher, David F; Chan, Hak Kim; Long, Edward; Lewis, David; Church, Tanya; Traini, Daniela

    2015-04-01

    To investigate the influence of different actuator nozzle designs on aerosol electrostatic charges and aerosol performances for pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs). Four actuator nozzle designs (flat, curved flat, cone and curved cone) were manufactured using insulating thermoplastics (PET and PTFE) and conducting metal (aluminium) materials. Aerosol electrostatic profiles of solution pMDI formulations containing propellant HFA 134a with different ethanol concentration and/or model drug beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) were studied using a modified electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) for all actuator designs and materials. The mass of the deposited drug was analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Both curved nozzle designs for insulating PET and PTFE actuators significantly influenced aerosol electrostatics and aerosol performance compared with conducting aluminium actuator, where reversed charge polarity and higher throat deposition were observed with pMDI formulation containing BDP. Results are likely due to the changes in plume geometry caused by the curved edge nozzle designs and the bipolar charging nature of insulating materials. This study demonstrated that actuator nozzle designs could significantly influence the electrostatic charges profiles and aerosol drug deposition pattern of pMDI aerosols, especially when using insulating thermoplastic materials where bipolar charging is more dominant.

  1. Modifications to Optimize the AH-1Z Human Machine Interface

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-18

    accomplish this, a complete workload study of tasks performed by aircrew in the AH-1Z must be completed in the near future in order to understand...design flaws and guide future design and integration of increased capability. Additionally, employment of material solutions to provide aircrew with the...accomplish this, a complete workload study of tasks performed by aircrew in the AH-1Z must be completed in the near future in order to understand

  2. NASA's International Lunar Network Anchor Nodes and Robotic Lunar Lander Project Update

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cohen, Barbara A.; Bassler, Julie A.; Ballard, Benjamin; Chavers, Greg; Eng, Doug S.; Hammond, Monica S.; Hill, Larry A.; Harris, Danny W.; Hollaway, Todd A.; Kubota, Sanae; hide

    2010-01-01

    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have been conducting mission studies and performing risk reduction activities for NASA's robotic lunar lander flight projects. Additional mission studies have been conducted to support other objectives of the lunar science and exploration community and extensive risk reduction design and testing has been performed to advance the design of the lander system and reduce development risk for flight projects.

  3. Integrated voice and visual systems research topics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, Douglas H.; Simpson, Carol A.

    1986-01-01

    A series of studies was performed to investigate factors of helicopter speech and visual system design and measure the effects of these factors on human performance, both for pilots and non-pilots. The findings and conclusions of these studies were applied by the U.S. Army to the design of the Army's next generation threat warning system for helicopters and to the linguistic functional requirements for a joint Army/NASA flightworthy, experimental speech generation and recognition system.

  4. Observational studies are complementary to randomized controlled trials.

    PubMed

    Grootendorst, Diana C; Jager, Kitty J; Zoccali, Carmine; Dekker, Friedo W

    2010-01-01

    Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard study design to investigate the effect of health interventions, including treatment. However, in some situations, it may be unnecessary, inappropriate, impossible, or inadequate to perform an RCT. In these special situations, well-designed observational studies, including cohort and case-control studies, may provide an alternative to doing nothing in order to obtain estimates of treatment effect. It should be noted that such studies should be performed with caution and correctly. The aims of this review are (1) to explain why RCTs are considered the optimal study design to evaluate treatment effects, (2) to describe the situations in which an RCT is not possible and observational studies are an adequate alternative, and (3) to explain when randomization is not needed and can be approximated in observational studies. Examples from the nephrology literature are used for illustration. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Intensification of the Students' Self-Development Process When Performing Design and Settlement Works on the "Machine Parts" Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Timerbaev, Rais Mingalievich; Muhutdinov, Rafis Habreevich; Danilov, Valeriy Fedorovich

    2015-01-01

    The article addresses issues related to the methodology of intensifying self-development process when performing design and settlement works on the "Machine Parts" course for the students studying in such areas of training as "Technology" and "Vocational Education" with the use of computer technologies. At the same…

  6. Analysis and design of digital output interface devices for gas turbine electronic controls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Newirth, D. M.; Koenig, E. W.

    1976-01-01

    A trade study was performed on twenty-one digital output interface schemes for gas turbine electronic controls to select the most promising scheme based on criteria of reliability, performance, cost, and sampling requirements. The most promising scheme, a digital effector with optical feedback of the fuel metering valve position, was designed.

  7. Automated Sensitivity Analysis of Interplanetary Trajectories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knittel, Jeremy; Hughes, Kyle; Englander, Jacob; Sarli, Bruno

    2017-01-01

    This work describes a suite of Python tools known as the Python EMTG Automated Trade Study Application (PEATSA). PEATSA was written to automate the operation of trajectory optimization software, simplify the process of performing sensitivity analysis, and was ultimately found to out-perform a human trajectory designer in unexpected ways. These benefits will be discussed and demonstrated on sample mission designs.

  8. Student Perceptions and Performance in Online and Offline Collaboration in an Interior Design Studio

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Ji Young; Cho, Moon-Heum

    2014-01-01

    Competence in collaboration is one of the critical abilities that interior design majors are expected to develop during the course of their education; however, few students are competent to collaborate with others online. The purposes of this study were to identify student perceptions and performance in online collaboration compared to those of…

  9. Chinese Middle School Teachers' Preferences Regarding Performance Evaluation Measures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Shujie; Xu, Xianxuan; Stronge, James H.

    2016-01-01

    Teacher performance evaluation currently is receiving unprecedented attention from policy makers, scholars, and practitioners worldwide. This study is one of the few studies of teacher perceptions regarding teacher performance measures that focus on China. We employed a quantitative dominant mixed research design to investigate Chinese teachers'…

  10. Organisational Climate as a Predictor of Workforce Performance in the Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Musah, Mohammed Borhandden; Ali, Hairuddin Mohd; al-Hudawi, Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi; Tahir, Lokman Mohd; Binti Daud, Khadijah; Bin Said, Hamdan; Kamil, Naail Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether organisational climate (OC) predicts academic staff performance at Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs). The study equally aims at validating the psychometric properties of OC and workforce performance (WFP) constructs. Design/methodology/approach: Survey questionnaires were administered to…

  11. Development of monofilar rotor hub vibration absorber

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duh, J.; Miao, W.

    1983-01-01

    A design and ground test program was conducted to study the performance of the monofilar absorber for vibration reduction on a four-bladed helicopter. A monofilar is a centrifugal tuned two degree-of-freedom rotor hub absorber that provides force attenuation at two frequencies using the same dynamic mass. Linear and non-linear analyses of the coupled monofilar/airframe system were developed to study tuning and attenuation characteristics. Based on the analysis, a design was fabricated and impact bench tests verified the calculated non-rotating natural frequencies and mode shapes. Performance characteristics were measured using a rotating absorber test facility. These tests showed significant attenuation of fixed-system 4P hub motions due to 3P inplane rotating-system hub forces. In addition, detuning effects of the 3P monofilar modal response were small due to the nonlinearities and tuning pin slippage. However, attenuation of 4P hub motions due to 5P inplane hub forces was poor. The performance of the 5P monofilar modal response was degraded by torsional motion of the dynamic mass relative to the support arm which resulted in binding of the dynamic components. Analytical design studies were performed to evaluate this torsional motion problem. An alternative design is proposed which may alleviate the torsional motion of the dynamic mass.

  12. IDEAS: A multidisciplinary computer-aided conceptual design system for spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferebee, M. J., Jr.

    1984-01-01

    During the conceptual development of advanced aerospace vehicles, many compromises must be considered to balance economy and performance of the total system. Subsystem tradeoffs may need to be made in order to satisfy system-sensitive attributes. Due to the increasingly complex nature of aerospace systems, these trade studies have become more difficult and time-consuming to complete and involve interactions of ever-larger numbers of subsystems, components, and performance parameters. The current advances of computer-aided synthesis, modeling and analysis techniques have greatly helped in the evaluation of competing design concepts. Langley Research Center's Space Systems Division is currently engaged in trade studies for a variety of systems which include advanced ground-launched space transportation systems, space-based orbital transfer vehicles, large space antenna concepts and space stations. The need for engineering analysis tools to aid in the rapid synthesis and evaluation of spacecraft has led to the development of the Interactive Design and Evaluation of Advanced Spacecraft (IDEAS) computer-aided design system. The ADEAS system has been used to perform trade studies of competing technologies and requirements in order to pinpoint possible beneficial areas for research and development. IDEAS is presented as a multidisciplinary tool for the analysis of advanced space systems. Capabilities range from model generation and structural and thermal analysis to subsystem synthesis and performance analysis.

  13. Numerical investigation of design and operation parameters on CHI spheromak performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Bryan, J. B.; Romero-Talamás, C. R.; Woodruff, S.

    2017-10-01

    Nonlinear, numerical computation with the NIMROD code is used to explore magnetic self-organization in spheromaks formed with coaxial helicity injection, particularly with regard to how externally controllable parameters affect the resulting spheromak performance. The overall goal of our study is to inform the design and operational parameters of a future proof-of-principle spheromak experiment. Our calculations start from vacuum magnetic fields and model multiple distinct phases of evolution. Results indicate that modest changes to the design and operation of past experiments, e.g. SSPX [E.B. Hooper et al. PPCF 2012], could have significantly improved the plasma-current injector coupling efficiency and performance, particularly with respect to peak temperature and lifetime. While we frequently characterize performance relative to SSPX, our conclusions extrapolate to fundamentally different experimental designs. We also explore adiabatic magnetic compression of spheromaks, which may allow for a small-scale, high-performance and high-yield pulsed neutron source. This work is supported by DAPRA under Grant No. N66001-14-1-4044.

  14. Numerical investigation of design and operational parameters on CHI spheromak performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Bryan, J. B.; Romero-Talamas, C. A.; Woodruff, S.

    2016-10-01

    Nonlinear, extended-MHD computation with the NIMROD code is used to explore magnetic self-organization and performance with respect to externally controllable parameters in spheromaks formed with coaxial helicity injection. The goal of this study is to inform the design and operational parameters of proposed proof-of-principle spheromak experiment. The calculations explore multiple distinct phases of evolution (including adiabatic magnetic compression), which must be explored and optimized separately. Results indicate that modest changes to the design and operation of past experiments, e.g. SSPX [E.B. Hooper et al. PPCF 2012], could have significantly improved the plasma-current injector coupling efficiency and performance, particularly with respect to peak temperature and lifetime. Though we frequently characterize performance relative to SSPX, we are also exploring fundamentally different designs and modes of operation, e.g. flux compression. This work is supported by DAPRA under Grant No. N66001-14-1-4044.

  15. Solar concentrators for advanced solar-dynamic power systems in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rockwell, Richard

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the results of a study performed by Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, HDOS, (formerly Perkin-Elmer) to design, fabricate, and test a lightweight (2 kg/sq M), self supporting, and highly reflective sub-scale concentrating mirror panel suitable for use in space. The HDOS panel design utilizes Corning's 'micro sheet' glass as the top layer of a composite honeycomb sandwich. This approach, whose manufacturability was previously demonstrated under an earlier NASA contract, provides a smooth (specular) reflective surface without the weight of a conventional glass panel. The primary result of this study is a point design and it's performance assessment.

  16. Performance of Axial-Flow Supersonic Compressor of XJ55-FF-1 Turbojet Engine. III; Over-All Performance of Compressor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartmann, Melvin J.; Tysl, Edward R.

    1949-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to determine the performance characteristics of the rotor and inlet guide vanes used in the axial-flow supersonic compressor of the XJ55-FF-1 turbojet engine. Outlet stators used in the engine were omitted to facilitate study of the supersonic rotor. The extent of the deviation from design performance indicates that the design-shock configuration was not obtained. A maximum pressure ratio of 2.26 was obtained at an equivalent tip speed of 1614 feet per second and an adiabatic efficiency of 0.61. The maximum efficiency obtained was 0.79 at an equivalent tip speed of 801 feet per second and a pressure ratio of 1.29. The performance obtained was considerably below design performance. The effective aerodynamic forces encountered appeared to be large enough to cause considerable damage to the thin aluminum leading edges of the rotor blades.

  17. Using a contextualized sensemaking model for interaction design: A case study of tumor contouring.

    PubMed

    Aselmaa, Anet; van Herk, Marcel; Laprie, Anne; Nestle, Ursula; Götz, Irina; Wiedenmann, Nicole; Schimek-Jasch, Tanja; Picaud, Francois; Syrykh, Charlotte; Cagetti, Leonel V; Jolnerovski, Maria; Song, Yu; Goossens, Richard H M

    2017-01-01

    Sensemaking theories help designers understand the cognitive processes of a user when he/she performs a complicated task. This paper introduces a two-step approach of incorporating sensemaking support within the design of health information systems by: (1) modeling the sensemaking process of physicians while performing a task, and (2) identifying software interaction design requirements that support sensemaking based on this model. The two-step approach is presented based on a case study of the tumor contouring clinical task for radiotherapy planning. In the first step of the approach, a contextualized sensemaking model was developed to describe the sensemaking process based on the goal, the workflow and the context of the task. In the second step, based on a research software prototype, an experiment was conducted where three contouring tasks were performed by eight physicians respectively. Four types of navigation interactions and five types of interaction sequence patterns were identified by analyzing the gathered interaction log data from those twenty-four cases. Further in-depth study on each of the navigation interactions and interaction sequence patterns in relation to the contextualized sensemaking model revealed five main areas for design improvements to increase sensemaking support. Outcomes of the case study indicate that the proposed two-step approach was beneficial for gaining a deeper understanding of the sensemaking process during the task, as well as for identifying design requirements for better sensemaking support. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Preliminary Assessment of Variable Speed Power Turbine Technology on Civil Tiltrotor Size and Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Snyder, Christopher A.; Acree, Cecil W., Jr.

    2012-01-01

    A Large Civil Tiltrotor (LCTR) conceptual design was developed as part of the NASA Heavy Lift Rotorcraft Systems Investigation in order to establish a consistent basis for evaluating the benefits of advanced technology for large tiltrotors. The concept has since evolved into the second-generation LCTR2, designed to carry 90 passengers for 1,000 nm at 300 knots, with vertical takeoff and landing capability. This paper performs a preliminary assessment of variable-speed power turbine technology on LCTR2 sizing, while maintaining the same, advanced technology engine core. Six concepts were studied; an advanced, single-speed engine with a conventional power turbine layout (Advanced Conventional Engine, or ACE) using a multi-speed (shifting) gearbox. There were five variable-speed power turbine (VSPT) engine concepts, comprising a matrix of either three or four turbine stages, and fixed or variable guide vanes; plus a minimum weight, twostage, fixed-geometry VSPT. The ACE is the lightest engine, but requires a multi-speed (shifting) gearbox to maximize its fuel efficiency, whereas the VSPT concepts use a lighter, fixed-ratio gearbox. The NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft (NDARC) design code was used to study the trades between rotor and engine efficiency and weight. Rotor performance was determined by Comprehensive Analytical Model of Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Dynamics (CAMRAD II), and engine performance was estimated with the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS). Design trades for the ACE vs. VSPT are presented in terms of vehicle gross and empty weight, propulsion system weight and mission fuel burn for the civil mission. Because of its strong effect on gearbox weight and on both rotor and engine efficiency, rotor speed was chosen as the reference design variable for comparing design trades. Major study assumptions are presented and discussed. Impressive engine power-to-weight and fuel efficiency reduced vehicle sensitivity to propulsion system choice. The 10% weight penalty for multi-speed gearbox was more significant than most engine technology weight penalties to the vehicle design because drive system weight is more than two times engine weight. Based on study assumptions, fixed-geometry VSPT concept options performed better than their variable-geometry counterparts. Optimum design gross weights varied 1% or less and empty weights less than 2% among the concepts studied, while optimum fuel burns varied up to 5%. The outcome for some optimum configurations was so unexpected as to recommend a deeper look at the underlying technology assumptions.

  19. Low Life Cycle Cost Paratransit Vehicle Design Study

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-08-01

    A preliminary design and cost study was performed for a low life cycle cost paratransit vehicle. The manufacturing technique and cost analysis were based on limited production of 5000 units per year for a ten year period. The vehicle configuration re...

  20. CFD-Based Design Optimization Tool Developed for Subsonic Inlet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    The traditional approach to the design of engine inlets for commercial transport aircraft is a tedious process that ends with a less-than-optimum design. With the advent of high-speed computers and the availability of more accurate and reliable computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers, numerical optimization processes can effectively be used to design an aerodynamic inlet lip that enhances engine performance. The designers' experience at Boeing Corporation showed that for a peak Mach number on the inlet surface beyond some upper limit, the performance of the engine degrades excessively. Thus, our objective was to optimize efficiency (minimize the peak Mach number) at maximum cruise without compromising performance at other operating conditions. Using a CFD code NPARC, the NASA Lewis Research Center, in collaboration with Boeing, developed an integrated procedure at Lewis to find the optimum shape of a subsonic inlet lip and a numerical optimization code, ADS. We used a GRAPE-based three-dimensional grid generator to help automate the optimization procedure. The inlet lip shape at the crown and the keel was described as a superellipse, and the superellipse exponents and radii ratios were considered as design variables. Three operating conditions: cruise, takeoff, and rolling takeoff, were considered in this study. Three-dimensional Euler computations were carried out to obtain the flow field. At the initial design, the peak Mach numbers for maximum cruise, takeoff, and rolling takeoff conditions were 0.88, 1.772, and 1.61, respectively. The acceptable upper limits on the takeoff and rolling takeoff Mach numbers were 1.55 and 1.45. Since the initial design provided by Boeing was found to be optimum with respect to the maximum cruise condition, the sum of the peak Mach numbers at takeoff and rolling takeoff were minimized in the current study while the maximum cruise Mach number was constrained to be close to that at the existing design. With this objective, the optimum design satisfied the upper limits at takeoff and rolling takeoff while retaining the desirable cruise performance. Further studies are being conducted to include static and cross-wind operating conditions in the design optimization procedure. This work was carried out in collaboration with Dr. E.S. Reddy of NYMA, Inc.

  1. Design of Novel Chemotherapeutic Agents Targeting Checkpoint Kinase 1 Using 3D-QSAR Modeling and Molecular Docking Methods.

    PubMed

    Balupuri, Anand; Balasubramanian, Pavithra K; Cho, Seung J

    2016-01-01

    Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for design and development of novel anticancer drugs. Herein, we have performed three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) and molecular docking analyses on a series of diazacarbazoles to design potent Chk1 inhibitors. 3D-QSAR models were developed using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) techniques. Docking studies were performed using AutoDock. The best CoMFA and CoMSIA models exhibited cross-validated correlation coefficient (q2) values of 0.631 and 0.585, and non-cross-validated correlation coefficient (r2) values of 0.933 and 0.900, respectively. CoMFA and CoMSIA models showed reasonable external predictabilities (r2 pred) of 0.672 and 0.513, respectively. A satisfactory performance in the various internal and external validation techniques indicated the reliability and robustness of the best model. Docking studies were performed to explore the binding mode of inhibitors inside the active site of Chk1. Molecular docking revealed that hydrogen bond interactions with Lys38, Glu85 and Cys87 are essential for Chk1 inhibitory activity. The binding interaction patterns observed during docking studies were complementary to 3D-QSAR results. Information obtained from the contour map analysis was utilized to design novel potent Chk1 inhibitors. Their activities and binding affinities were predicted using the derived model and docking studies. Designed inhibitors were proposed as potential candidates for experimental synthesis.

  2. Inner structural vibration isolation method for a single control moment gyroscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jingrui; Guo, Zixi; Zhang, Yao; Tang, Liang; Guan, Xin

    2016-01-01

    Assembling and manufacturing errors of control moment gyros (CMG) often generate high frequency vibrations which are detrimental to spacecrafts with high precision pointing requirement. In this paper, some design methods of vibration isolation between CMG and spacecraft is dealt with. As a first step, the dynamic model of the CMG with and without supporting isolation structures is studied and analyzed. Subsequently, the frequency domain analysis of CMG with isolation system is performed and the effectiveness of the designed system is ascertained. Based on the above studies, an adaptive design suitable with appropriate design parameters are carried out. A numerical analysis is also performed to understand the effectiveness of the system and the comparison made. The simulation results clearly indicate that when the ideal isolation structure was implemented in the spacecraft, the vibrations generated by the rotor were found to be greatly reduced, while the capacity of the output torque was not lost, which means that the isolation system will not affect the performance of attitude control.

  3. Extended performance solar electric propulsion thrust system study. Volume 3: Tradeoff studies of alternate thrust system configurations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hawthorne, E. I.

    1977-01-01

    Several thrust system design concepts were evaluated and compared using the specifications of the most advanced 30 cm engineering model thruster as the technology base. Emphasis was placed on relatively high power missions. The extensions in thruster performance required for the Halley's comet mission were defined and alternative thrust system concepts were designed in sufficient detail for comparing mass, efficiency, reliability, structure, and thermal characteristics. Confirmation testing and analysis of thruster and power-processing components were performed. A baseline design was selected from the alternatives considered, and the design analysis and documentation were refined. A program development plan was formulated that outlines the work structure considered necessary for developing, qualifying, and fabricating the flight hardware for the baseline thrust system within the time frame of a project to rendezvous with Halley's comet. An assessment was made of the costs and risks associated with a baseline thrust system as provided to the mission project under this plan. Critical procurements and interfaces were identified and defined.

  4. Solar Electric Propulsion Vehicle Design Study for Cargo Transfer to Earth-moon L1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sarver-Verhey, Timothy R.; Kerslake, Thomas W.; Rawlin, Vincent K.; Falck, Robert D.; Dudzinski, Leonard J.; Oleson, Steven R.

    2002-01-01

    A design study for a cargo transfer vehicle using solar electric propulsion was performed for NASA's Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts program. Targeted for 2016, the solar electric propulsion (SEP) transfer vehicle is required to deliver a propellant supply module with a mass of approximately 36 metric tons from Low Earth Orbit to the first Earth-Moon libration point (LL1) within 270 days. Following an examination of propulsion and power technology options, a SEP transfer vehicle design was selected that incorporated large-area (approx. 2700 sq m) thin film solar arrays and a clustered engine configuration of eight 50 kW gridded ion thrusters mounted on an articulated boom. Refinement of the SEP vehicle design was performed iteratively to properly estimate the required xenon propellant load for the out-bound orbit transfer. The SEP vehicle performance, including the xenon propellant estimation, was verified via the SNAP trajectory code. Further efforts are underway to extend this system model to other orbit transfer missions.

  5. Feedback control laws for highly maneuverable aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garrard, William L.; Balas, Gary J.

    1992-01-01

    The results of a study of the application of H infinity and mu synthesis techniques to the design of feedback control laws for the longitudinal dynamics of the High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) are presented. The objective of this study is to develop methods for the design of feedback control laws which cause the closed loop longitudinal dynamics of the HARV to meet handling quality specifications over the entire flight envelope. Control law designs are based on models of the HARV linearized at various flight conditions. The control laws are evaluated by both linear and nonlinear simulations of typical maneuvers. The fixed gain control laws resulting from both the H infinity and mu synthesis techniques result in excellent performance even when the aircraft performs maneuvers in which the system states vary significantly from their equilibrium design values. Both the H infinity and mu synthesis control laws result in performance which compares favorably with an existing baseline longitudinal control law.

  6. Theoretical design study of the MSFC wind-wheel turbine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frost, W.; Kessel, P. A.

    1982-01-01

    A wind wheel turbine (WWT) is studied. Evaluation of the probable performance, possible practical applications, and economic viability as compared to other conventional wind energy systems is discussed. The WWT apparatus is essentially a bladed wheel which is directly exposed to the wind on the upper half and exposed to wind through multiple ducting on the lower half. The multiple ducts consist of a forward duct (front concentrator) and two side ducts (side concentrators). The forced rotation of the wheel is then converted to power through appropriate subsystems. Test results on two simple models, a paper model and a stainless steel model, are reported. Measured values of power coefficients over wind speeds ranging from 4 to 16 m/s are given. An analytical model of a four bladed wheel is also developed. Overall design features of the wind turbine are evaluated and discussed. Turbine sizing is specified for a 5 and 25 kW machine. Suggested improvements to the original design to increase performance and performance predictions for an improved WWT design are given.

  7. A review of hospital characteristics associated with improved performance.

    PubMed

    Brand, Caroline A; Barker, Anna L; Morello, Renata T; Vitale, Michael R; Evans, Sue M; Scott, Ian A; Stoelwinder, Johannes U; Cameron, Peter A

    2012-10-01

    The objective of this review was to critically appraise the literature relating to associations between high-level structural and operational hospital characteristics and improved performance. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, proQuest and PsychINFO were searched for articles published between January 1996 and May 2010. Reference lists of included articles were reviewed and key journals were hand searched for relevant articles. and data extraction Studies were included if they were systematic reviews or meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, controlled before and after studies or observational studies (cohort and cross-sectional) that were multicentre, comparative performance studies. Two reviewers independently extracted data, assigned grades of evidence according to the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines and critically appraised the included articles. Data synthesis Fifty-seven studies were reported within 12 systematic reviews and 47 observational articles. There was heterogeneity in use and definition of performance outcomes. Hospital characteristics investigated were environment (incentives, market characteristics), structure (network membership, ownership, teaching status, geographical setting, service size) and operational design (innovativeness, leadership, organizational culture, public reporting and patient safety practices, information technology systems and decision support, service activity and planning, workforce design, staff training and education). The strongest evidence for an association with overall performance was identified for computerized physician order entry systems. Some evidence supported the associations with workforce design, use of financial incentives, nursing leadership and hospital volume. There is limited, mainly low-quality evidence, supporting the associations between hospital characteristics and healthcare performance. Further characteristic-specific systematic reviews are indicated.

  8. Multidisciplinary design optimization using genetic algorithms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Unal, Resit

    1994-01-01

    Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is an important step in the conceptual design and evaluation of launch vehicles since it can have a significant impact on performance and life cycle cost. The objective is to search the system design space to determine values of design variables that optimize the performance characteristic subject to system constraints. Gradient-based optimization routines have been used extensively for aerospace design optimization. However, one limitation of gradient based optimizers is their need for gradient information. Therefore, design problems which include discrete variables can not be studied. Such problems are common in launch vehicle design. For example, the number of engines and material choices must be integer values or assume only a few discrete values. In this study, genetic algorithms are investigated as an approach to MDO problems involving discrete variables and discontinuous domains. Optimization by genetic algorithms (GA) uses a search procedure which is fundamentally different from those gradient based methods. Genetic algorithms seek to find good solutions in an efficient and timely manner rather than finding the best solution. GA are designed to mimic evolutionary selection. A population of candidate designs is evaluated at each iteration, and each individual's probability of reproduction (existence in the next generation) depends on its fitness value (related to the value of the objective function). Progress toward the optimum is achieved by the crossover and mutation operations. GA is attractive since it uses only objective function values in the search process, so gradient calculations are avoided. Hence, GA are able to deal with discrete variables. Studies report success in the use of GA for aircraft design optimization studies, trajectory analysis, space structure design and control systems design. In these studies reliable convergence was achieved, but the number of function evaluations was large compared with efficient gradient methods. Applicaiton of GA is underway for a cost optimization study for a launch-vehicle fuel-tank and structural design of a wing. The strengths and limitations of GA for launch vehicle design optimization is studied.

  9. Human Mars Ascent Vehicle Performance Sensitivities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Polsgrove, Tara P.; Thomas, Herbert D.

    2016-01-01

    Human Mars mission architecture studies have shown that the ascent vehicle mass drives performance requirements for the descent and in-space transportation elements. Understanding the sensitivity of Mars ascent vehicle (MAV) mass to various mission and vehicle design choices enables overall transportation system optimization. This paper presents the results of a variety of sensitivity trades affecting MAV performance including: landing site latitude, target orbit, initial thrust to weight ratio, staging options, specific impulse, propellant type and engine design.

  10. Two-Phase Cryogenic Heat Exchanger for the Thermodynamic Vent System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Christie, Robert J.

    2011-01-01

    A two-phase cryogenic heat exchanger for a thermodynamic vent system was designed and analyzed, and the predicted performance was compared with test results. A method for determining the required size of the Joule-Thomson device was also developed. Numerous sensitivity studies were performed to show that the design was robust and possessed a comfortable capacity margin. The comparison with the test results showed very similar heat extraction performance for similar inlet conditions. It was also shown that estimates for Joule- Thomson device flow rates and exit quality can vary significantly and these need to be accommodated for with a robust system design.

  11. A High-Voltage Bipolar Transconductance Amplifier for Electrotactile Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Schaning, Matthew A.; Kaczmarek, Kurt A.

    2008-01-01

    This article describes a high-performance transconductance amplifier specifically designed for electrotactile (electrocutaneous) stimulation. It enables voltages up to ±600 V to be produced at the output which will allow the psychophysiological performance associated with stimulation of the fingertip using various stimulation waveforms to be studied more thoroughly. The design has a transconductance of up to 20 mA/V, an 8.8-MΩ output resistance, and can provide output currents up to ±20 mA. A complete schematic diagram is presented along with a discussion of theory of operation and safety issues as well as performance and derating plots from the implemented design. PMID:18838369

  12. Mission Options for an Electric Propulsion Demonstration Flight Test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garner, Charles

    1989-01-01

    Several mission options are discussed for an electric propulsion space test which provides operational and performance data for ion and arcjet propulsion systems and testing of APSA arrays and a super power system. The results of these top-level studies are considered preliminary. Ion propulsion system design and architecture for the purposes of performing orbit raising missions for payloads in the range of 2400 to 2700 kg are described. Focus was placed on a design which can be characterized by simplicity, reliability, and performance. Systems of this design are suitable for an electric propulsion precursor flight which would provide proof of principle data necessary for more ambitious and complex missions.

  13. Reliability of Radioisotope Stirling Convertor Linear Alternator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, Ashwin; Korovaichuk, Igor; Geng, Steven M.; Schreiber, Jeffrey G.

    2006-01-01

    Onboard radioisotope power systems being developed and planned for NASA s deep-space missions would require reliable design lifetimes of up to 14 years. Critical components and materials of Stirling convertors have been undergoing extensive testing and evaluation in support of a reliable performance for the specified life span. Of significant importance to the successful development of the Stirling convertor is the design of a lightweight and highly efficient linear alternator. Alternator performance could vary due to small deviations in the permanent magnet properties, operating temperature, and component geometries. Durability prediction and reliability of the alternator may be affected by these deviations from nominal design conditions. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effect of these uncertainties in predicting the reliability of the linear alternator performance. This paper presents a study in which a reliability-based methodology is used to assess alternator performance. The response surface characterizing the induced open-circuit voltage performance is constructed using 3-D finite element magnetic analysis. Fast probability integration method is used to determine the probability of the desired performance and its sensitivity to the alternator design parameters.

  14. VEEP - Vehicle Economy, Emissions, and Performance program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heimburger, D. A.; Metcalfe, M. A.

    1977-01-01

    VEEP is a general-purpose discrete event simulation program being developed to study the performance, fuel economy, and exhaust emissions of a vehicle modeled as a collection of its separate components. It is written in SIMSCRIPT II.5. The purpose of this paper is to present the design methodology, describe the simulation model and its components, and summarize the preliminary results. Topics include chief programmer team concepts, the SDDL design language, program portability, user-oriented design, the program's user command syntax, the simulation procedure, and model validation.

  15. Money for Research, Not for Energy Bills: Finding Energy and Cost Savings in High Performance Computer Facility Designs

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

    Drewmark Communications; Sartor, Dale; Wilson, Mark

    2010-07-01

    High-performance computing facilities in the United States consume an enormous amount of electricity, cutting into research budgets and challenging public- and private-sector efforts to reduce energy consumption and meet environmental goals. However, these facilities can greatly reduce their energy demand through energy-efficient design of the facility itself. Using a case study of a facility under design, this article discusses strategies and technologies that can be used to help achieve energy reductions.

  16. Output feedback regulator design for jet engine control systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Merrill, W. C.

    1977-01-01

    A multivariable control design procedure based on the output feedback regulator formulation is described and applied to turbofan engine model. Full order model dynamics, were incorporated in the example design. The effect of actuator dynamics on closed loop performance was investigaged. Also, the importance of turbine inlet temperature as an element of the dynamic feedback was studied. Step responses were given to indicate the improvement in system performance with this control. Calculation times for all experiments are given in CPU seconds for comparison purposes.

  17. Self-adjusting wind turbine rotors: a concept

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

    Jordan, P.F.

    A conceptual design is described for wind turbine rotor blades that can react to changing wind conditions. Studies indicate that self-adjusting rotors will be more economical to operate with large rotors, although there are still mechanical problems of scaling-up to be solved. Details of the design specifications, accompanied by a schematic drawing, are explained in terms of the aerodynamic test performance date obtained and the expected effect on overall performance. The segmented design concept will make the turbine blades easier to manufacture, transport, erect, and maintain.

  18. Technology Solutions Case Study: Design Guidance for Passive Vents in New Construction, Multifamily Buildings

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

    None

    In an effort to improve indoor air quality in high-performance, new construction, multifamily buildings, dedicated sources of outdoor air are being implemented. Passive vents are being selected by some design teams over other strategies because of their lower first costs and operating costs. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America research team Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings constructed eight steps, which outline the design and commissioning required for these passive vents to perform as intended.

  19. Lattice design for the CEPC double ring scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yiwei; Su, Feng; Bai, Sha; Zhang, Yuan; Bian, Tianjian; Wang, Dou; Yu, Chenghui; Gao, Jie

    2018-01-01

    A future Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) has been proposed by China with the main goal of studying the Higgs boson. Its baseline design, chosen on the basis of its performance, is a double ring scheme; an alternative design is a partial double ring scheme which reduces the budget while maintaining an adequate performance. This paper will present the collider ring lattice design for the double ring scheme. The CEPC will also work as a W and a Z factory. For the W and Z modes, except in the RF region, compatible lattices were obtained by scaling down the magnet strength with energy.

  20. Use of constrained optimization in the conceptual design of a medium-range subsonic transport

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sliwa, S. M.

    1980-01-01

    Constrained parameter optimization was used to perform the optimal conceptual design of a medium range transport configuration. The impact of choosing a given performance index was studied, and the required income for a 15 percent return on investment was proposed as a figure of merit. A number of design constants and constraint functions were systematically varied to document the sensitivities of the optimal design to a variety of economic and technological assumptions. A comparison was made for each of the parameter variations between the baseline configuration and the optimally redesigned configuration.

  1. An analytical study for the design of advanced rotor airfoils

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kemp, L. D.

    1973-01-01

    A theoretical study has been conducted to design and evaluate two airfoils for helicopter rotors. The best basic shape, designed with a transonic hodograph design method, was modified to meet subsonic criteria. One airfoil had an additional constraint for low pitching-moment at the transonic design point. Airfoil characteristics were predicted. Results of a comparative analysis of helicopter performance indicate that the new airfoils will produce reduced rotor power requirements compared to the NACA 0012. The hodograph design method, written in CDC Algol, is listed and described.

  2. The Oporto mixed-longitudinal growth, health and performance study. Design, methods and baseline results.

    PubMed

    Souza, Michele Caroline de; Chaves, Raquel Nichele de; Dos Santos, Fernanda Karina; Gomes, Thayse Natacha Queiroz Ferreira; Santos, Daniel Vilhena E; Borges, Alessandra Silva; Pereira, Sara Isabel Sampaio; Forjaz, Cláudia Lúcia de Moraes; Eisenmann, Joey; Maia, José António Ribeiro

    2017-02-01

    Studies concerning child and adolescent growth, development, performance and health aimed at the multiple interactions amongst this complex set of variables are not common in the Portuguese speaking countries. The aim of this paper is to address the key ideas, methodology and design of the Oporto Growth, Health and Performance Study (OGHPS). The OGHPS is a multidisciplinary mixed-longitudinal study whose main purpose is to examine the multiple interactions among biological, environmental and lifestyle indicators that affect growth, development, health and performance of Portuguese adolescents aged 10-18 years old. This study briefly presents baseline results for growth, physical fitness and lifestyle behaviours for those participating in the cross-sectional sample (n ≈ 8000). Approximately 30% were over-fat or obese. On average, boys were more physically fit and active than girls. Few adolescents meet the guidelines for sleep duration (≈10%) and eating habits (16.2-24.8%), while 76-85% meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The OGHPS has an innovative approach due to its mixed-longitudinal design and the broad array of variables. Furthermore, subsequent analyses of the longitudinal data will enable a detailed exploration of important factors affecting the growth trajectories of health and performance variables and will also help to identify some of the most opportune times for interventions in terms of health behaviours.

  3. Energy absorption in aluminum extrusions for a spaceframe chassis

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

    Logan, R.W.; Perfect, S.A.; Parkinson, R.D.

    1994-09-19

    This work describes the design, finite-element analysis, and verifications performed by LLNL and Kaiser Aluminum for the prototype design of the CALSTART Running Chassis purpose-built electric vehicle. Component level studies, along with our previous experimental and finite-element works, provided the confidence to study the crashworthiness of a complete aluminum spaceframe. Effects of rail geometry, size, and thickness were studied in order to achieve a controlled crush of the front end structure. These included the performance of the spaceframe itself, and the additive effects of the powertrain cradle and powertrain (motor/controller in this case) as well as suspension. Various design iterationsmore » for frontal impact at moderate and high speed are explored.« less

  4. Relationship between meaningful work and job performance in nurses.

    PubMed

    Tong, Ling

    2018-04-01

    The present study was designed to determine the relationship between meaningful work and job performance, and the impact of meaningful work on nursing care quality. Meaningful work has been suggested as a significant factor affecting job performance, but the relationship has never been studied in nurses in China. A descriptive correlational study was designed to assess the level of meaningful work, tasks, and contextual performance as well as their relationships. We used a stratified random-sampling approach to enrol nurses from hospitals. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the relationship between meaningful work and their demographic data. There were significant, positive relationships between meaningful work and task performance and contextual performance. Education level, work unit, and employment type influenced meaningful work. The work motivation score of the nurses was lower than that of the other 2 dimensions, and a negative work motivation score negatively influenced job performance. Improving meaningful work and providing more support and assistance could improve nurse performance, thereby improving the quality of nursing care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  5. Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

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

    Cunningham, Kerrie; Hannigan, Eileen

    2013-03-01

    To explore ways to reduce customer barriers and increase home retrofit completions, several different existing home retrofit models have been implemented in the state of Wisconsin. This study compared these programs' performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of each program design. However, given the many variations in these different programs, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison based on only a small number of metrics. Therefore, the overall purpose of the study is to document these programs' performance in a case study approach to look at general patternsmore » of these metrics and other variables within the context of each program. This information can be used by energy efficiency program administrators and implementers to inform home retrofit program design. Six different program designs offered in Wisconsin for single-family energy efficiency improvements were included in the study. For each program, the research team provided information about the programs' approach and goals, characteristics, achievements and performance. The program models were then compared with performance results-program cost and energy savings-to help understand the overall strengths and weaknesses or challenges of each model.« less

  6. Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

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

    Cunningham, K.; Hannigan, E.

    2013-03-01

    To explore ways to reduce customer barriers and increase home retrofit completions, several different existing home retrofit models have been implemented in the state of Wisconsin. This study compared these programs' performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of each program design. However, given the many variations in these different programs, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison based on only a small number of metrics. Therefore, the overall purpose of the study is to document these programs' performance in a case study approach to look at general patternsmore » of these metrics and other variables within the context of each program. This information can be used by energy efficiency program administrators and implementers to inform home retrofit program design. Six different program designs offered in Wisconsin for single-family energy efficiency improvements were included in the study. For each program, the research team provided information about the programs' approach and goals, characteristics, achievements and performance. The program models were then compared with performance results -- program cost and energy savings -- to help understand the overall strengths and weaknesses or challenges of each model.« less

  7. Pinhole occulter experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ring, Jeff; Pflug, John

    1987-01-01

    Viewgraphs and charts from a briefing summarize the accomplishments, results, conclusions, and recommendations of a feasibility study using the Pinhole Occulter Facility (POF). Accomplishments for 1986 include: (1) improved IPS Gimbal Model; (2) improved Crew Motion Disturbance Model; (3) use of existing shuttle on-orbit simulation to study the effects of orbiter attitude deadband size on POF performance; (4) increased understanding of maximum performance expected from current actuator/sensor set; (5) use of TREETOPS nonlinear time domain program to obtain system dynamics describing the complex multibody flexible structures; (6) use of HONEY-X design tool to design and evaluate multivariable compensator for stability, robustness, and performance; (7) application of state-of-the-art compensator design methodology Linear Quadratic Gaussian/Loop Transfer Recovery (LQG/LTR); and (8) examination of tolerance required on knowledge of the POF boom flexible mode frequencies to insure stability, using structure uncertainty analysis.

  8. Changing the Way We Build Games: A Design-Based Research Study Examining the Implementation of Homemade PowerPoint Games in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siko, Jason Paul

    2012-01-01

    This design-based research study examined the effects of a game design project on student test performance, with refinements made to the implementation after each of the three iterations of the study. The changes to the implementation over the three iterations were based on the literature for the three justifications for the use of homemade…

  9. The effect of ergonomic laparoscopic tool handle design on performance and efficiency.

    PubMed

    Tung, Kryztopher D; Shorti, Rami M; Downey, Earl C; Bloswick, Donald S; Merryweather, Andrew S

    2015-09-01

    Many factors can affect a surgeon's performance in the operating room; these may include surgeon comfort, ergonomics of tool handle design, and fatigue. A laparoscopic tool handle designed with ergonomic considerations (pistol grip) was tested against a current market tool with a traditional pinch grip handle. The goal of this study is to quantify the impact ergonomic design considerations which have on surgeon performance. We hypothesized that there will be measurable differences between the efficiency while performing FLS surgical trainer tasks when using both tool handle designs in three categories: time to completion, technical skill, and subjective user ratings. The pistol grip incorporates an ergonomic interface intended to reduce contact stress points on the hand and fingers, promote a more neutral operating wrist posture, and reduce hand tremor and fatigue. The traditional pinch grip is a laparoscopic tool developed by Stryker Inc. widely used during minimal invasive surgery. Twenty-three (13 M, 10 F) participants with no existing upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders or experience performing laparoscopic procedures were selected to perform in this study. During a training session prior to testing, participants performed practice trials in a SAGES FLS trainer with both tools. During data collection, participants performed three evaluation tasks using both handle designs (order was randomized, and each trial completed three times). The tasks consisted of FLS peg transfer, cutting, and suturing tasks. Feedback from test participants indicated that they significantly preferred the ergonomic pistol grip in every category (p < 0.05); most notably, participants experienced greater degrees of discomfort in their hands after using the pinch grip tool. Furthermore, participants completed cutting and peg transfer tasks in a shorter time duration (p < 0.05) with the pistol grip than with the pinch grip design; there was no significant difference between completion times for the suturing task. Finally, there was no significant interaction between tool type and errors made during trials. There was a significant preference for as well as lower pain experienced during use of the pistol grip tool as seen from the survey feedback. Both evaluation tasks (cutting and peg transfer) were also completed significantly faster with the pistol grip tool. Finally, due to the high degree of variability in the error data, it was not possible to draw any meaningful conclusions about the effect of tool design on the number or degree of errors made.

  10. Conceptual design study of 1985 commercial tilt rotor transports. Volume 1: VTOL design summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Detore, J. A.; Sambell, K. W.

    1975-01-01

    Aircraft were synthesized in the 21-, 45-, and 100- passenger categories. Technological factors were considered and the 45-passenger point design, designated the D312, was selected. Variants of the D312 having sideline noise levels in hover of + or - 5 PNdB were also studied. All three 45-passenger aircraft were analyzed for performance, weights, economics, handling qualities, noise footprints, aeroelastic stability and ride comfort. Results are presented.

  11. Lean, Premixed-Prevaporized (LPP) combustor conceptual design study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dickman, R. A.; Dodds, W. J.; Ekstedt, E. E.

    1979-01-01

    Four combustion systems were designed and sized for the energy efficient engine. A fifth combustor was designed for the cycle and envelope of the twin-spool, high bypass ratio, high pressure ratio turbofan engine. Emission levels, combustion performance, life, and reliability assessments were made for these five combustion systems. Results of these design studies indicate that cruise NOx emission can be reduced by the use of lean, premixed-prevaporaized combustion and airflow modulation.

  12. Phased-array-fed antenna configuration study, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sorbello, R. M.; Zaghloul, A. I.; Lee, B. S.; Siddiqi, S.; Geller, B. D.

    1983-01-01

    Increased capacity in future satellite systems can be achieved through antenna systems which provide multiplicity of frequency reuses at K sub a band. A number of antenna configurations which can provide multiple fixed spot beams and multiple independent spot scanning beams at 20 GHz are addressed. Each design incorporates a phased array with distributed MMIC amplifiers and phasesifters feeding a two reflector optical system. The tradeoffs required for the design of these systems and the corresponding performances are presented. Five final designs are studied. In so doing, a type of MMIC/waveguide transition is described, and measured results of the breadboard model are presented. Other hardware components developed are described. This includes a square orthomode transducer, a subarray fed with a beamforming network to measure scanning performance, and another subarray used to study mutual coupling considerations. Discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of the final design are included.

  13. Block 2 Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) conceptual design study, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1986-01-01

    Segmented and monolithic Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) design concepts were evaluated with emphasis on joints and seals. Particular attention was directed to eliminating deficiencies in the SRM High Performance Motor (HPM). The selected conceptual design is described and discussed.

  14. Topical Reports: Sustainable Design for Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Anne W.

    This document presents several reports on the practical applications of sustainable design and schools; it includes information about student performance and sustainable design features involving lighting, acoustics, air quality, and student well-being. Three case studies (Washington's Bainbridge Island School District, Texas' Roy Lee Walker…

  15. A case study of the design, installation, and early performance of a nineteen-millimeter superpave mix.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-07-01

    An attempt was made to design and construct a coarse matrix high binder (CMHB) mix. When the design of the CMHB mix was unsuccessful a coarse 19.0-mm Superpave mix was substituted. This report describes the attempted design of the CMHB mix, as well a...

  16. A Case Study Based Analysis of Performance Metrics for Green Infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gordon, B. L.; Ajami, N.; Quesnel, K.

    2017-12-01

    Aging infrastructure, population growth, and urbanization are demanding new approaches to management of all components of the urban water cycle, including stormwater. Traditionally, urban stormwater infrastructure was designed to capture and convey rainfall-induced runoff out of a city through a network of curbs, gutters, drains, and pipes, also known as grey infrastructure. These systems were planned with a single-purpose and designed under the assumption of hydrologic stationarity, a notion that no longer holds true in the face of a changing climate. One solution gaining momentum around the world is green infrastructure (GI). Beyond stormwater quality improvement and quantity reduction (or technical benefits), GI solutions offer many environmental, economic, and social benefits. Yet many practical barriers have prevented the widespread adoption of these systems worldwide. At the center of these challenges is the inability of stakeholders to know how to monitor, measure, and assess the multi-sector performance of GI systems. Traditional grey infrastructure projects require different monitoring strategies than natural systems; there are no overarching policies on how to best design GI monitoring and evaluation systems and measure performance. Previous studies have attempted to quantify the performance of GI, mostly using one evaluation method on a specific case study. We use a case study approach to address these knowledge gaps and develop a conceptual model of how to evaluate the performance of GI through the lens of financing. First, we examined many different case studies of successfully implemented GI around the world. Then we narrowed in on 10 exemplary case studies. For each case studies, we determined what performance method the project developer used such as LCA, TBL, Low Impact Design Assessment (LIDA) and others. Then, we determined which performance metrics were used to determine success and what data was needed to calculate those metrics. Finally, we examine risk priorities of both public and private actors to see how they varied and how risk was overcome. We synthesized these results to pull out key themes and lessons for the future. If project implementers are able to quantify the benefits and show investors how beneficial these systems can be, more will be implemented in the future.

  17. Design and fabrication of forward-swept counterrotation blade configuration for wind tunnel testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nichols, G. H.

    1994-01-01

    Work performed by GE Aircraft on advanced counterrotation blade configuration concepts for high speed turboprop system is described. Primary emphasis was placed on theoretically and experimentally evaluating the aerodynamic, aeromechanical, and acoustic performance of GE-defined counterrotating blade concepts. Several blade design concepts were considered. Feasibility studies were conducted to evaluate a forward-swept versus an aft-swept blade application and how the given blade design would affect interaction between rotors. Two blade designs were initially selected. Both designs involved in-depth aerodynamic, aeromechanical, mechanical, and acoustic analyses followed by the fabrication of forward-swept, forward rotor blade sets to be wind tunnel tested with an aft-swept, aft rotor blade set. A third blade set was later produced from a NASA design that was based on wind tunnel test results from the first two blade sets. This blade set had a stiffer outer ply material added to the original blade design, in order to reach the design point operating line. Detailed analyses, feasibility studies, and fabrication procedures for all blade sets are presented.

  18. Developing Elementary Math and Science Process Skills Through Engineering Design Instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strong, Matthew G.

    This paper examines how elementary students can develop math and science process skills through an engineering design approach to instruction. The performance and development of individual process skills overall and by gender were also examined. The study, preceded by a pilot, took place in a grade four extracurricular engineering design program in a public, suburban school district. Students worked in pairs and small groups to design and construct airplane models from styrofoam, paper clips, and toothpicks. The development and performance of process skills were assessed through a student survey of learning gains, an engineering design packet rubric (student work), observation field notes, and focus group notes. The results indicate that students can significantly develop process skills, that female students may develop process skills through engineering design better than male students, and that engineering design is most helpful for developing the measuring, suggesting improvements, and observing process skills. The study suggests that a more regular engineering design program or curriculum could be beneficial for students' math and science abilities both in this school and for the elementary field as a whole.

  19. Laboratory study - laboratory testing of bridge deck mixes

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-03-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to develop bridge deck mixes that will improve field performance and minimize cracking potential compared to MoDOT's current (B-2) bridge deck mix design. The mix designs developed in this study were tested and c...

  20. A Quantitative Research Investigation into High School Design and Art Education in a Local High School in Texas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Yi-Hsien

    2013-01-01

    This study was designed to explore the differences between high school teachers with art and science backgrounds in terms of curriculum and student performance in art and design education, federal educational policy, and financial support. The study took place in a local independent school district in Texarkana, Texas. The independent school…

  1. Design study for a magnetically supported reaction wheel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stocking, G.; Dendy, J.; Sabnis, A.

    1974-01-01

    Results are described of a study program in which the characteristics of a magnetically supported reaction wheel are defined. Tradeoff analyses are presented for the principal components, which are then combined in several reaction wheel design concepts. A preliminary layout of the preferred configuration is presented along with calculated design and performance parameters. Recommendations are made for a prototype development program.

  2. Analysis of advanced optical glass and systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, R. Barry; Feng, Chen

    1991-01-01

    Optical lens systems performance utilizing optical materials comprising reluctant glass forming compositions was studied. Such special glasses are being explored by NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) researchers utilizing techniques such as containerless processing in space on the MSFC Acoustic Levitation Furnace and on the High Temperature Acoustic Levitation Furnace in the conceptual design phase for the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML) series of shuttle flights. The application of high refractive index and low dispersive power glasses in optical lens design was investigated. The potential benefits and the impacts to the optical lens design performance were evaluated. The results of the studies revealed that the use of these extraordinary glasses can result in significant optical performance improvements. Recommendations of proposed optical properties for potential new glasses were also made. Applications of these new glasses are discussed, including the impact of high refractive index and low dispersive power, improvements of the system performance by using glasses which are located outside of traditional glass map, and considerations in establishing glass properties beyond conventional glass map limits.

  3. Effects of organizational scheme and labeling on task performance in product-centered and user-centered retail Web sites.

    PubMed

    Resnick, Marc L; Sanchez, Julian

    2004-01-01

    As companies increase the quantity of information they provide through their Web sites, it is critical that content is structured with an appropriate architecture. However, resource constraints often limit the ability of companies to apply all Web design principles completely. This study quantifies the effects of two major information architecture principles in a controlled study that isolates the incremental effects of organizational scheme and labeling on user performance and satisfaction. Sixty participants with a wide range of Internet and on-line shopping experience were recruited to complete a series of shopping tasks on a prototype retail shopping Web site. User-centered labels provided a significant benefit in performance and satisfaction over labels obtained through company-centered methods. User-centered organization did not result in improved performance except when the label quality was poor. Significant interactions suggest specific guidelines for allocating resources in Web site design. Applications of this research include the design of Web sites for any commercial application, particularly E-commerce.

  4. Power Peaking Effect of OTTO Fuel Scheme Pebble Bed Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setiadipura, T.; Suwoto; Zuhair; Bakhri, S.; Sunaryo, G. R.

    2018-02-01

    Pebble Bed Reactor (PBR) type of Hight Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is a very interesting nuclear reactor design to fulfill the growing electricity and heat demand with a superior passive safety features. Effort to introduce the PBR design to the market can be strengthen by simplifying its system with the Once-through-then-out (OTTO) cycle PBR in which the pebble fuel only pass the core once. Important challenge in the OTTO fuel scheme is the power peaking effect which limit the maximum nominal power or burnup of the design. Parametric survey is perform in this study to investigate the contribution of different design parameters to power peaking effect of OTTO cycle PBR. PEBBED code is utilized in this study to perform the equilibrium PBR core analysis for different design parameter and fuel scheme. The parameters include its core diameter, height-per-diameter (H/D), power density, and core nominal power. Results of this study show that diameter and H/D effectsare stronger compare to the power density and nominal core power. Results of this study might become an importance guidance for design optimization of OTTO fuel scheme PBR.

  5. Comparative study on different types of segmented micro deformable mirrors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiao, Dayong; Yuan, Weizheng; Li, Kaicheng; Li, Xiaoying; Rao, Fubo

    2006-02-01

    In an adaptive-optical (AO) system, the wavefront of optical beam can be corrected with deformable mirror (DM). Based on MicroElectroMechanical System (MEMS) technology, segmented micro deformable mirrors can be built with denser actuator spacing than continuous face-sheet designs and have been widely researched. But the influence of the segment structure has not been thoroughly discussed until now. In this paper, the design, performance and fabrication of several micromachined, segmented deformable mirror for AO were investigated. The wavefront distorted by atmospheric turbulence was simulated in the frame of Kolmogorov turbulence model. Position function was used to describe the surfaces of the micro deformable mirrors in working state. The performances of deformable mirrors featuring square, brick, hexagonal and ring segment structures were evaluated in criteria of phase fitting error, the Strehl ratio after wavefront correction and the design considerations. Then the micro fabrication process and mask layout were designed and the fabrication of micro deformable mirrors was implemented. The results show that the micro deformable mirror with ring segments performs the best, but it is very difficult in terms of layout design. The micro deformable mirrors with square and brick segments are easy to design, but their performances are not good. The micro deformable mirror with hexagonal segments has not only good performance in terms of phase fitting error, the Strehl ratio and actuation voltage, but also no overwhelming difficulty in layout design.

  6. Robust optimization of a tandem grating solar thermal absorber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Jongin; Kim, Mingeon; Kang, Kyeonghwan; Lee, Ikjin; Lee, Bong Jae

    2018-04-01

    Ideal solar thermal absorbers need to have a high value of the spectral absorptance in the broad solar spectrum to utilize the solar radiation effectively. Majority of recent studies about solar thermal absorbers focus on achieving nearly perfect absorption using nanostructures, whose characteristic dimension is smaller than the wavelength of sunlight. However, precise fabrication of such nanostructures is not easy in reality; that is, unavoidable errors always occur to some extent in the dimension of fabricated nanostructures, causing an undesirable deviation of the absorption performance between the designed structure and the actually fabricated one. In order to minimize the variation in the solar absorptance due to the fabrication error, the robust optimization can be performed during the design process. However, the optimization of solar thermal absorber considering all design variables often requires tremendous computational costs to find an optimum combination of design variables with the robustness as well as the high performance. To achieve this goal, we apply the robust optimization using the Kriging method and the genetic algorithm for designing a tandem grating solar absorber. By constructing a surrogate model through the Kriging method, computational cost can be substantially reduced because exact calculation of the performance for every combination of variables is not necessary. Using the surrogate model and the genetic algorithm, we successfully design an effective solar thermal absorber exhibiting a low-level of performance degradation due to the fabrication uncertainty of design variables.

  7. Planetary Suit Hip Bearing Model for Predicting Design vs. Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cowley, Matthew S.; Margerum, Sarah; Harvil, Lauren; Rajulu, Sudhakar

    2011-01-01

    Designing a planetary suit is very complex and often requires difficult trade-offs between performance, cost, mass, and system complexity. In order to verifying that new suit designs meet requirements, full prototypes must eventually be built and tested with human subjects. Using computer models early in the design phase of new hardware development can be advantageous, allowing virtual prototyping to take place. Having easily modifiable models of the suit hard sections may reduce the time it takes to make changes to the hardware designs and then to understand their impact on suit and human performance. A virtual design environment gives designers the ability to think outside the box and exhaust design possibilities before building and testing physical prototypes with human subjects. Reductions in prototyping and testing may eventually reduce development costs. This study is an attempt to develop computer models of the hard components of the suit with known physical characteristics, supplemented with human subject performance data. Objectives: The primary objective was to develop an articulating solid model of the Mark III hip bearings to be used for evaluating suit design performance of the hip joint. Methods: Solid models of a planetary prototype (Mark III) suit s hip bearings and brief section were reverse-engineered from the prototype. The performance of the models was then compared by evaluating the mobility performance differences between the nominal hardware configuration and hardware modifications. This was accomplished by gathering data from specific suited tasks. Subjects performed maximum flexion and abduction tasks while in a nominal suit bearing configuration and in three off-nominal configurations. Performance data for the hip were recorded using state-of-the-art motion capture technology. Results: The results demonstrate that solid models of planetary suit hard segments for use as a performance design tool is feasible. From a general trend perspective, the suited performance trends were comparable between the model and the suited subjects. With the three off-nominal bearing configurations compared to the nominal bearing configurations, human subjects showed decreases in hip flexion of 64%, 6%, and 13% and in hip abduction of 59%, 2%, and 20%. Likewise the solid model showed decreases in hip flexion of 58%, 1%, and 25% and in hip abduction of 56%, 0%, and 30%, under the same condition changes from the nominal configuration. Differences seen between the model predictions and the human subject performance data could be attributed to the model lacking dynamic elements and performing kinematic analysis only, the level of fit of the subjects with the suit, the levels of the subject s suit experience.

  8. Conceptual design study of 1985 commercial VTOL transports that utilize rotors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kefford, N. F. K.; Munch, C. L.

    1975-01-01

    Conceptual design studies of pure and compound helicopter commercial short-haul transport aircraft for initial fabrication in 1980 were performed to determine their technical and economic feasibility. One-hundred-passenger configurations were optimized for minimum direct operating cost consistent with producibility and marketability, with emphasis on proper account of mass properties, performance and handling qualities adequacy, and suppression of internal and external noise. The effect of external noise constraints was assessed, in terms of gross weight and direct operating cost, for each aircraft.

  9. Low-Cost Jet Fuel Starter Design Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1974-12-02

    2G 27 3^ 38 & 39 60 vi WflU I LIST OF TABLES (continued) TABLE NO, 7 D-l I>-2 TITLE PAGE NO, Sea Level Design Point Component...Improvements 60 Turbojet Performance Summary D-3 Turbofan Performance Summary D-5 vii 1 SECTION INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to define...temperature difference between the top and bot- tom of the starter, does not begin to have an effect until after 60 seconds from shutdown. The Jet fuel

  10. Multiple-Purpose Subsonic Naval Aircraft (MPSNA) Multiple Application Propfan Study (MAPS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Winkeljohn, D. M.; Mayrand, C. H.

    1986-01-01

    A conceptual design study compared a selected propfan-powered aircraft to a turbofan-powered aircraft for multiple Navy carrier-based support missions in the 1995 timeframe. Conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) propfan and turbofan-powered designs and short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) propfan-powered designs are presented. Ten support mission profiles were defined and the aircraft were sized to be able to perform all ten missions. Emphasis was placed on efficient high altitude loiter for Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and low altitude high speed capability for various offensive and tactical support missions. The results of the study show that the propfan-powered designs have lighter gross weights, lower fuel fractions, and equal or greater performance capability than the turbofan-powered designs. Various sensitives were developed in the study, including the effect of using single-rotation versus counter-rotation propfans and the effect of AEW loiter altitude on vehicle gross weight and empty weight. A propfan technology development plan was presented which illustrates that the development of key components can be achieved without accelerated schedules through the extension of current and planned government and civil propfan programs.

  11. Energy Efficient Engine Flight Propulsion System Preliminary Analysis and Design Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bisset, J. W.; Howe, D. C.

    1983-01-01

    The final design and analysis of the flight propulsion system is presented. This system is the conceptual study engine defined to meet the performance, economic and environmental goals established for the Energy Efficient Engine Program. The design effort included a final definition of the engine, major components, internal subsystems, and nacelle. Various analytical representations and results from component technology programs are used to verify aerodynamic and structural design concepts and to predict performance. Specific design goals and specifications, reflecting future commercial aircraft propulsion system requirements for the mid-1980's, are detailed by NASA and used as guidelines during engine definition. Information is also included which details salient results from a separate study to define a turbofan propulsion system, known as the maximum efficiency engine, which reoptimized the advanced fuel saving technologies for improved fuel economy and direct operating costs relative to the flight propulsion system.

  12. Improvements in Mixing Time and Mixing Uniformity in Devices Designed for Studies of Protein Folding Kinetics

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

    Yao, Shuhuai; Bakajin, Olgica

    2007-08-01

    Using a microfluidic laminar flow mixer designed for studies of protein folding kinetics, we demonstrate a mixing time of 1 +/- 1 micros with sample consumption on the order of femtomoles. We recognize two limitations of previously proposed designs: (1) size and shape of the mixing region, which limits mixing uniformity and (2) the formation of Dean vortices at high flow rates, which limits the mixing time. We address these limitations by using a narrow shape-optimized nozzle and by reducing the bend of the side channel streamlines. The final design, which combines both of these features, achieves the best performance.more » We quantified the mixing performance of the different designs by numerical simulation of coupled Navier-Stokes and convection-diffusion equations and experiments using fluorescence resonance energy-transfer (FRET)-labeled DNA.« less

  13. 6 CFR 25.6 - Procedures for designation of qualified anti-terrorism technologies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ...; (ii) Classified and otherwise confidential studies; (iii) Studies, tests, or other performance records...) Perform studies or analyses of the subject Technology or the insurance market for such Technology; and (v... prior experience and, thus, may be expedited. The Under Secretary may consider any scientific studies...

  14. 6 CFR 25.6 - Procedures for designation of qualified anti-terrorism technologies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ...; (ii) Classified and otherwise confidential studies; (iii) Studies, tests, or other performance records...) Perform studies or analyses of the subject Technology or the insurance market for such Technology; and (v... prior experience and, thus, may be expedited. The Under Secretary may consider any scientific studies...

  15. Lunar base thermal management/power system analysis and design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcghee, Jerry R.

    1992-01-01

    A compilation of several lunar surface thermal management and power system studies completed under contract and IR&D is presented. The work includes analysis and preliminary design of all major components of an integrated thermal management system, including loads determination, active internal acquisition and transport equipment, external transport systems (active and passive), passive insulation, solar shielding, and a range of lunar surface radiator concepts. Several computer codes were utilized in support of this study, including RADSIM to calculate radiation exchange factors and view factors, RADIATOR (developed in-house) for heat rejection system sizing and performance analysis over a lunar day, SURPWER for power system sizing, and CRYSTORE for cryogenic system performance predictions. Although much of the work was performed in support of lunar rover studies, any or all of the results can be applied to a range of surface applications. Output data include thermal loads summaries, subsystem performance data, mass, and volume estimates (where applicable), integrated and worst-case lunar day radiator size/mass and effective sink temperatures for several concepts (shielded and unshielded), and external transport system performance estimates for both single and two-phase (heat pumped) transport loops. Several advanced radiator concepts are presented, along with brief assessments of possible system benefits and potential drawbacks. System point designs are presented for several cases, executed in support of the contract and IR&D studies, although the parametric nature of the analysis is stressed to illustrate applicability of the analysis procedure to a wide variety of lunar surface systems. The reference configuration(s) derived from the various studies will be presented along with supporting criteria. A preliminary design will also be presented for the reference basing scenario, including qualitative data regarding TPS concerns and issues.

  16. MODEL BASED BIOMASS SYSTEM DESIGN OF FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY SYSTEMS FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCTION

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

    David J. Muth, Jr.; Jacob J. Jacobson; Kenneth M. Bryden

    Engineering feedstock supply systems that deliver affordable, high-quality biomass remains a challenge for the emerging bioenergy industry. Cellulosic biomass is geographically distributed and has diverse physical and chemical properties. Because of this feedstock supply systems that deliver cellulosic biomass resources to biorefineries require integration of a broad set of engineered unit operations. These unit operations include harvest and collection, storage, preprocessing, and transportation processes. Design decisions for each feedstock supply system unit operation impact the engineering design and performance of the other system elements. These interdependencies are further complicated by spatial and temporal variances such as climate conditions and biomassmore » characteristics. This paper develops an integrated model that couples a SQL-based data management engine and systems dynamics models to design and evaluate biomass feedstock supply systems. The integrated model, called the Biomass Logistics Model (BLM), includes a suite of databases that provide 1) engineering performance data for hundreds of equipment systems, 2) spatially explicit labor cost datasets, and 3) local tax and regulation data. The BLM analytic engine is built in the systems dynamics software package PowersimTM. The BLM is designed to work with thermochemical and biochemical based biofuel conversion platforms and accommodates a range of cellulosic biomass types (i.e., herbaceous residues, short- rotation woody and herbaceous energy crops, woody residues, algae, etc.). The BLM simulates the flow of biomass through the entire supply chain, tracking changes in feedstock characteristics (i.e., moisture content, dry matter, ash content, and dry bulk density) as influenced by the various operations in the supply chain. By accounting for all of the equipment that comes into contact with biomass from the point of harvest to the throat of the conversion facility and the change in characteristics, the BLM evaluates economic performance of the engineered system, as well as determining energy consumption and green house gas performance of the design. This paper presents a BLM case study delivering corn stover to produce cellulosic ethanol. The case study utilizes the BLM to model the performance of several feedstock supply system designs. The case study also explores the impact of temporal variations in climate conditions to test the sensitivity of the engineering designs. Results from the case study show that under certain conditions corn stover can be delivered to the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery for $35/dry ton.« less

  17. Advanced Technology Composite Fuselage-Structural Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, T. H.; Minguet, P. J.; Flynn, B. W.; Carbery, D. J.; Swanson, G. D.; Ilcewicz, L. B.

    1997-01-01

    Boeing is studying the technologies associated with the application of composite materials to commercial transport fuselage structure under the NASA-sponsored contracts for Advanced Technology Composite Aircraft Structures (ATCAS) and Materials Development Omnibus Contract (MDOC). This report addresses the program activities related to structural performance of the selected concepts, including both the design development and subsequent detailed evaluation. Design criteria were developed to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and typical company objectives. Accurate analysis methods were selected and/or developed where practical, and conservative approaches were used where significant approximations were necessary. Design sizing activities supported subsequent development by providing representative design configurations for structural evaluation and by identifying the critical performance issues. Significant program efforts were directed towards assessing structural performance predictive capability. The structural database collected to perform this assessment was intimately linked to the manufacturing scale-up activities to ensure inclusion of manufacturing-induced performance traits. Mechanical tests were conducted to support the development and critical evaluation of analysis methods addressing internal loads, stability, ultimate strength, attachment and splice strength, and damage tolerance. Unresolved aspects of these performance issues were identified as part of the assessments, providing direction for future development.

  18. Assessing Cost-effectiveness of Green Infrastructures in response to Large Storm Events at Household Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chui, T. F. M.; Liu, X.; Zhan, W.

    2015-12-01

    Green infrastructures (GI) are becoming more important for urban stormwater control worldwide. However, relatively few studies focus on researching the specific designs of GI at household scale. This study assesses the hydrological performance and cost-effectiveness of different GI designs, namely green roofs, bioretention systems and porous pavements. It aims to generate generic insights by comparing the optimal designs of each GI in 2-year and 50-year storms of Hong Kong, China and Seattle, US. EPA SWMM is first used to simulate the hydrologic performance, in particular, the peak runoff reduction of thousands of GI designs. Then, life cycle costs of the designs are computed and their effectiveness, in terms of peak runoff reduction percentage per thousand dollars, is compared. The peak runoff reduction increases almost linearly with costs for green roofs. However, for bioretention systems and porous pavements, peak runoff reduction only increases significantly with costs in the mid values. For achieving the same peak runoff reduction percentage, the optimal soil depth of green roofs increases with the design storm, while surface area does not change significantly. On the other hand, for bioretention systems and porous pavements, the optimal surface area increases with the design storm, while thickness does not change significantly. In general, the cost effectiveness of porous pavements is highest, followed by bioretention systems and then green roofs. The cost effectiveness is higher for a smaller storm, and is thus higher for 2-year storm than 50-year storm, and is also higher for Seattle when compared to Hong Kong. This study allows us to better understand the hydrological performance and cost-effectiveness of different GI designs. It facilitates the implementation of optimal choice and design of each specific GI for stormwater mitigation.

  19. Stated Choice design comparison in a developing country: recall and attribute nonattendance

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Experimental designs constitute a vital component of all Stated Choice (aka discrete choice experiment) studies. However, there exists limited empirical evaluation of the statistical benefits of Stated Choice (SC) experimental designs that employ non-zero prior estimates in constructing non-orthogonal constrained designs. This paper statistically compares the performance of contrasting SC experimental designs. In so doing, the effect of respondent literacy on patterns of Attribute non-Attendance (ANA) across fractional factorial orthogonal and efficient designs is also evaluated. The study uses a ‘real’ SC design to model consumer choice of primary health care providers in rural north India. A total of 623 respondents were sampled across four villages in Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods Comparison of orthogonal and efficient SC experimental designs is based on several measures. Appropriate comparison of each design’s respective efficiency measure is made using D-error results. Standardised Akaike Information Criteria are compared between designs and across recall periods. Comparisons control for stated and inferred ANA. Coefficient and standard error estimates are also compared. Results The added complexity of the efficient SC design, theorised elsewhere, is reflected in higher estimated amounts of ANA among illiterate respondents. However, controlling for ANA using stated and inferred methods consistently shows that the efficient design performs statistically better. Modelling SC data from the orthogonal and efficient design shows that model-fit of the efficient design outperform the orthogonal design when using a 14-day recall period. The performance of the orthogonal design, with respect to standardised AIC model-fit, is better when longer recall periods of 30-days, 6-months and 12-months are used. Conclusions The effect of the efficient design’s cognitive demand is apparent among literate and illiterate respondents, although, more pronounced among illiterate respondents. This study empirically confirms that relaxing the orthogonality constraint of SC experimental designs increases the information collected in choice tasks, subject to the accuracy of the non-zero priors in the design and the correct specification of a ‘real’ SC recall period. PMID:25386388

  20. Contributions of Self-Efficacy and Problem Solving Skills on Secretaries' Job Performance in Ogun State Public Service, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abosede, Subuola Catherine; Adesanya, Adebimpe Olusola

    2017-01-01

    This study is aimed at determining the contributions of self-efficacy and problem solving skills to the job performance of secretaries. The study also ascertained the relationship among self-efficacy, problem solving skills and job performance of the secretaries. The study employed the descriptive research design. Ten (10) secretaries were…

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