Life sciences

Space life sciences research activities are reviewed for 2003. Many life sciences experiments were lost with the tragic loss of STS-107. Life sciences experiments continue to fly as small payloads to the International Space Station (ISS) via the Russian Progress vehicle. Health-related studies continue with the Martian Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) aboard the Odyssey spacecraft, collecting data on the radiation environment in Mars orbit. NASA Ames increased nanotechnology research in all areas, including fundamental biology, bioastronautics, life support systems, and homeland security. Plant research efforts continued at NASA Kennedy, testing candidate crops for ISS. Research included plant growth studies at different light intensities, varying carbon dioxide concentrations, and different growth media. Education and outreach efforts included development of a NASA/USDA program called Space Agriculture in the Classroom. Canada sponsored a project called Tomatosphere, with classrooms across North America exposing seeds to simulated Mars environment for growth studies. NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research released an updated strategic research plan.     

Human factors in spacecraft design

This paper describes some of the salient implications of evolving mission parameters for spacecraft design. Among the requirements for future spacecraft are new, higher standards of living, increased support of human productivity, and greater accommodation of physical and cultural variability. Design issues include volumetric allowances, architecture and layouts, closed life support systems, health maintenance systems, recreational facilities, automation, privacy, and decor. An understanding of behavioral responses to design elements is a precondition for critical design decisions. Human factors research results must be taken into account early in the course of the design process.     

Avionics Development and Integration System Methods

This paper describes a set of life cycle methods that were developed in 1980 and 1981 and used in the later phases of the 757/767 airplane programs. They have been used as a framework to establish and guide the introduction of a wide use of similar methods for the future avionics of Boeing's next airplane, the 7J7. The methods were designed to improve communication of the system's requirements, architecture and implementation to a wide group of interested parties ? not just the development engineers but also the users, maintainers, customers and support organizations. A major aspect of these methods is that they were designed to be used for systems in general not just software systems. This paper will describe the background and goals and objectives leading to the need for systems engineering methods, describe the methods and give an example of their use. It will conclude with remarks on steps taken to introduce methods of this type on a wide scale to support the next Boeing airplane.     

大型客机信息化研制支撑体系架构研究

大型客机的研制具有复杂程度高、技术难度大、协作范围广等特点，随着研制要求的不断提高与研制范围的不断扩大，传统研制模式已经发生重大转变，需要将信息化技术融入大型客机研制过程，以提高大型客机的研制质量和效率。本文提出了大型客机信息化研制支撑体系的基本概念以及总体架构，包括业务应用平台、数据管理平台、基础技术平台，并通过产品生命周期、管理业务流程、产业价值链3个方面的应用管理，可实现对大型客机研制过程的有效支撑。经过实际型号工程研制的验证，该体系能够支撑大型客机研制的全过程，大幅度地提高研制质量、缩短研制周期、降低研制成本。     

新形势下航天测控系统建设转型思考

针对航天测控系统建设目前所面临的角色定位转换、功能体制转型,以及任务要求不断提高、测控技术快速发展等新形势和新要求,分析了航天测控系统的建设管理和功能体制现状,提出了坚持一体规划、推动系统建设,坚持与时俱进、提升建设标准,坚持信息主导、突出建设重点的系统建设转型思路.并在此建设思路的基础上,提出了装备研制向型谱化、标准化转型,维修保障向全寿命、体制化转型,软件开发向产品化、装备化转型,以及推进一体化网络化、强化综合能力、重视安全性可靠性等建设举措.     

卫星与地面测控系统协调设计研究

卫星运行需要地面测控系统的支持.通过对某些卫星运行与地面测控系统支持方面的实际分析,总结其设计研制和协调中不足,研究卫星系统与地面测控系统的协调设计,并提出相应建议,为我国的卫星发展作一些借鉴.     

Engineering test beds on the International Space Station

The International Space Station is a unique multi-faceted orbiting laboratory supporting research, development, test and evaluation of new innovative space and Earth-based applications. While NASA sponsored investigations on the ISS are focused largely on enabling future long duration human space exploration missions, Congress designated the US portion of the space station as a National Laboratory making its facilities available to other Federal agencies and private entities for non-exploration related ventures. RDT&E activities on the ISS encompass a number of technical areas including environmental control and life support, communications, materials science, guidance, navigation and control, propulsion, electrical power, and thermal control systems.     

空间微小脉冲管制冷机研制

随着空间机械制冷技术的迅速发展,空间脉冲管制冷机在80 K温区整机效率已经优于1 W/18 W（制冷量/输入电功）。针对中国航天未来微小卫星的发展,中国科学院理化技术研究所开展了空间微小脉冲管制冷机的研究,并获得突破性的进展。理化技术研究所研制的宇航级微型脉冲管制冷机,80 K温区制冷量与重量比已经大于1.5 W/1 kg,制冷效率达到1 W/22.5 W（制冷量/输入电功）,在轨设计寿命超过30 000 h,可以与中波红外320×256以下面阵探测器直接耦合。系统介绍了中国科学院理化技术研究所微型脉冲管制冷机的研发过程,并给出了最新的研发结果。该制冷机除了可以实现给中波红外探测器制冷以外,还可以作为辅助热控手段,对220 K以下温区的载荷热控、载荷在轨气体多余污染物吸附等应用提供帮助。     

基于临界平面法的镍基单晶高温合金高周疲劳寿命模型

由于目前,国外已经基于八面体滑移系,采用临界平面法对镍基单晶高温合金〈001〉取向的高周疲劳寿命进行预测.然而,该方法未考虑〈111〉取向受载时滑移系参量的特点,所以不能较准确地预测镍基单晶高温合金〈111〉取向的高周疲劳寿命.为此,选取临界平面时综合考虑六面体、八面体滑移系,选定疲劳参量最大的滑移面作为临界平面,采用SSR(shear stress range)，CCB(Chu-Conle-Bonnen)，Walls寿命模型进行镍基单晶高温合金高周疲劳寿命预测,并根据800℃下DD6镍基单晶高温合金〈001〉,〈011〉,〈111〉3个取向的高周疲劳试验结果,对寿命模型的预测精度进行验证.结果表明:当基于两种滑移系预测镍基单晶高温合金的高周疲劳寿命时,寿命模型的拟合系数可达到0.9134.      

Analysis tools for the evaluation of maintenance software

Test packages written for built-in test (BIT) and mobile automatic test equipment (ATE) systems for the forward support of electronic and thermal imaging equipment used by the British Army are currently scrutinized and subjected to objective tests by test package evaluation and acceptance teams (TPEATs) before being accepted for field use. This is a time-consuming and costly exercise that can result in the rejection of unsuitable software. The result of such rejection on equipment logistics is for reaching, since the hardware will enter service without adequate maintenance support. In an attempt to address this problem a suite of programs aimed at assisting the verification and validation activities of the TPEAT at every stage of the software life cycle from requirements analysis through to testing and acceptance is being devised. The development of these tools is discussed     

Analysis of queuing behavior of automatic ESM systems

Radar electronic support measures (ESM) systems detect active emitters in a given area and determine their identities and bearings. The high arrival rate of radar pulses in dense emitter environments demands fast automatic processing of arriving pulses so that the ESM system can fulfill its functions properly in real time. Yet, the performance analysis of automatic ESM system in real life Is difficult since both pulse arrivals and widths can be specified only probabilistically. The success of queuing theory in many applications such as computer communication networks and flow-control has encouraged designers to utilize queuing theory in qualifying and judging the performance of automatic ESM systems in dense emitter environments. The queuing behavior of these systems is analytically evaluated under different service disciplines and elaborate computer simulations validate the results. The analysis involves statistical modeling of arrival and departure processes as well as distribution of service times. It permits estimating the blocking probability due to high arrival rates of intercepted radar pulses or due to limited speed of the deinterleaver processor. Queuing analysis is shown to be quite useful to quantitatively assess tradeoffs in ESM systems design     

Applications of Systems Engineering to Urban Utilities

Urban utilities are the technologies by which are provided life support services, resource distribution, and information transfers to the individuals and institutions in the city. These utilities now require about one third of the budgets of all major cities and are rapidly increasing in cost. Technological innovation in these systems has been minor, yet they are the aspects of urban function most sensitive to technological change. Systems engineering, using criteria based upon urban development needs, and large scale demonstration programs affords the best opportunity for development of utility technologies that satisfy rather than limit urban development and social organization.     

Ferri project: technologies to support advanced transportationsystems

The authors present the plan under discussion in Italy between the government entities and Aeritalia, the leading Italian aerospace company, for the technology development needed to support advanced transportation systems. The plan centers around the following areas: thermal protection and control; advanced structures and materials; guidance, navigation, and control; and tests and computation methods. Experimental activities needed to support the development of such systems and the difficulties involved are examined     

试验信息系统兼容性测试策略

结合试验信息系统的特点,以测试发射试验信息系统与安全管理系统的兼容性测试为例,提出了对试验信息系统进行兼容性测试的主要策略,包括业务软件与新增支撑软件在同一运行环境下的运行稳定性、安装/卸载兼容性测试;新增支撑系统或设备在运行期间对交换机网络流量影响的测试;新增系统或软件对CPU（中央处理器）、内存、端口等的占用情况测试等。通过对应用该测试策略的测试结果进行分析,发现了系统兼容性方面的问题。这些策略也可为其他类似系统的兼容性测试提供参考。     

New approaches to weapon system testing or “back to thefuture”

This paper proposes abandoning the use of multipurpose ATE for “horizontal” support of weapon systems in favor of returning to “vertical” support. An R&D effort is proposed to develop a software “hot mock-up” system for field testing weapon system assemblies     

Avionics cost of ownership

The cost of ownership of avionics includes not only the development and acquisition cost, but also the yearly operating and support (O and S) (maintenance) cost of hardware, software, and support equipment. This paper presents an avionics cost of ownership methodology developed for USAF, its data sources, and business metrics computed for USAF decision makers as we move toward operating avionics as a business. The business model is used to determine which existing avionics are candidates for replacement with new technology and to prioritize the replacements. These avionics are often used on multiple aircraft types which necessitates analysis of the causes of the high cost of ownership on each type. Databases are used to document the processing functions, data flow, and constraints of the item being analyzed. These constraints include physical, environmental, electrical, and data interfaces. Databases containing alternatives are evaluated against standard mission scenarios for aircraft utilizing these high cost avionics to determine their impact on performance, O and S costs, and mission effectiveness. The results of the foregoing analyses steps are then used in life cycle cost analyses which consider different retrofit scenarios for each alternative for each aircraft type against the avionics being analyzed for replacement. The alternatives are prioritized and a risk analysis performed considering technical, schedule, and cost growth risks. The avionics cost of ownership methodology described in this paper processes data from USAF maintenance organizations. This has revealed the very large expenditures being made to support highly unreliable avionics. These methods can be applied to all military and commercial aircraft systems to determine not only the cost of ownership of existing systems, but also the cost of ownership of new systems when they are retrofit     

装备虚拟保障系统的概念及其技术框架

针对传统的装备保障系统仿真存在的不足,在理解保障系统的物理意义的基础上提出了虚拟保障系统的概念,分析了虚拟保障系统的特点和优点,提出了虚拟保障系统的技术框架,其主要包括保障对象建模、系统任务建模、保障系统建模、离散事件仿真和可视化仿真。在建模过程中考虑了实体的三维模型,包括保障对象和保障系统中的资源实体,构建了保障任务的虚拟设计环境。最后讨论了虚拟保障系统的运行与评价方法,可在装备的研制阶段和使用阶段为保障系统的设计、分析和评价提供技术手段。     

Principles and methods for determining calendar life and corrosion tolerance of mechanical parts

In order to facilitate the determination of the calendar life of mechanical parts, the author summarized his relevant research papers that had studied for many years as eight distinct topics: (A). The principle and method for compiling the equal-damage temperature and humidity spectrum; (B). The principle for preparing the high concentration medium solution; (C). The principle and method for determining the metal calendar life; (D). The principle and method for determining the protective coating calendar life; (E). The principle and method for determining the total calendar life; (F). The principle of the reliability processing; (G). The principle and method for determining the corrosion damage tolerance; (H). The principle and matching design method to ensure that the total fatigue life and the total calendar life of the mechanical part were safe simultaneously. The above contents established a complete set of theoretical systems and methods for determining the calendar life.     

大型民用飞机燃油箱污染影响与控制要求

基于大型民用飞机燃油箱常见污染物,对其进行分类,研究其来源,分析其对飞机及系统功能、性能、安全、经济性等的影响。针对飞机研制、生产阶段,从材料选用、燃油箱结构、燃油系统及相关系统设计上提出污染防护设计要求,从生产制造各环节与要素上提出污染防护控制要求。针对飞机运营阶段,对其勤务与维护维修提出污染防护监控要求。通过对飞机生命周期内燃油箱污染物的持续监控管理,实现支持飞机高效生产、安全运行的目标。     

航空发动机工作分解结构（WBS）构建方法

针对航空发动机研发项目技术高、周期长、投入大的特点,提出了1种面向全生命周期产品研制的航空发动机工作分解结构构建方法。该方法依据系统工程的理念,充分考虑了航空发动机研究所的管理模式特点,给出了航空发动机工作分解结构的构建原则、架构、工作类型和单元说明等相关内容。通过在实际发动机研制项目中的应用,证明该方法合理、有效,提高了工作分解的完整性、合理性,增强了计划管理的可执行性,能够为项目管理提供相应的信息支撑。