Telerobotics: problems and research needs

With major emphasis on simulation, a university laboratory telerobotics facility permits problems to be approached by groups of graduate students. Helmet-mounded displays provide realism; the slaving of the display to the human operator's viewpoint gives a sense of `telepresence' that may be useful for prolonged tasks. Using top-down 3-D model control of distant images allows distant images to be reduced to a few parameters to update the model used for display to the human operator in a preview model to circumvent, in part, the communication delay. Also, the model can be used as a format for supervisory control and permit short-term local autonomous operations. Image processing algorithms can be made simpler and faster without trying to construct sensible images from the bottom. Control studies of telerobots lead to preferential manual control modes and, in this university environment, to basic paradigms for human motion and thence, perhaps, to redesign of robotic control, trajectory path planning, and rehabilitation prosthetics. Speculation as to future industrial drives for this telerobotic field suggests efficient roles for government agencies such as NASA     

Cross Sections and Radar Equation for Nonlinear Scatterers

The nonlinear system concepts of nonlinear transfer functions are extended to nonlinear cross sections which may be used to quantitatively describe the characteristics of a nonlinear scatter. The concept of nonlinear cross sections is used to generalize the radar equation for nonlinear scattering objects.     

降压熄火过程复合推进剂燃速的测试研究

激光光斑法是激光阴影技术的实际应用,它是文献[1]中激光燃速仪法的发展,但本质有很大差别。激光器发出的激光束照在燃烧的药条上,随药条燃烧,燃面下移逐渐增多的过激光量由一光电池接收并转换为电压信号。如果在激光束上加一整形片,使这种转换具线性关系,并且适当选择和调整放大和记录元件,使在要求的测试精度范围内,每个环节信号转换都具有线性关系。因而,组成一个线性系统。      

Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass for the International Space Station (ISS-CREAM)

The Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) instrument is configured with a suite of particle detectors to measure TeV cosmic-ray elemental spectra from protons to iron nuclei over a wide energy range. The goal is to extend direct measurements of cosmic-ray composition to the highest energies practical, and thereby have enough overlap with ground based indirect measurements to answer questions on cosmic-ray origin, acceleration and propagation. The balloon-borne CREAM was flown successfully for about 161 days in six flights over Antarctica to measure elemental spectra of Z = 1–26 nuclei over the energy range 10¹⁰ to >10¹⁴ eV. Transforming the balloon instrument into ISS-CREAM involves identification and replacement of components that would be at risk in the International Space Station (ISS) environment, in addition to assessing safety and mission assurance concerns. The transformation process includes rigorous testing of components to reduce risks and increase survivability on the launch vehicle and operations on the ISS without negatively impacting the heritage of the successful CREAM design. The project status, including results from the ongoing analysis of existing data and, particularly, plans to increase the exposure factor by another order of magnitude utilizing the International Space Station are presented.     

Comprehensive data reduction package for the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph: IGRINS

We present a Python-based data reduction pipeline package (PLP) for the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS), an instrument that covers the complete H- and K-bands in one exposure with a spectral resolving power of 40,000. The reduction steps carried out by the PLP include flat-fielding, background removal, order extraction, distortion correction, wavelength calibration, and telluric correction using spectra of A type standard stars. As the spectrograph has no moving parts, the PLP automatically reduces the data using predefined functions for the processes of order extraction, distortion correction, and wavelength calibration. Before the telluric correction of the target spectra, the intrinsic hydrogen absorption features of the standard A star are removed with a Gaussian fitting algorithm. The final result is the flux of the target as a function of wavelength. Users can customize the predefined functions for the extraction of the spectrum from the echellogram and adjust the parameters for the fitting functions for the spectra of celestial objects, using “fine-tuning” options, as necessary. Presently, the PLP produces the best results for point-source targets.     

The South Pole-Aitken basin region,Moon: GIS-based geologic investigation using Kaguya elemental information

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we performed comparative analysis among stratigraphic information and the Kaguya (SELENE) GRS data of the ∼2500-km-diameter South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin and its surroundings. Results indicate that the surface rock materials (including ancient crater materials, mare basalts, and possible SPA impact melt) are average to slightly elevated in K and Th with respect to the rest of the Moon. Also, this study demonstrates that K and Th have not significantly changed since the formation of SPA. The elemental signatures of the impact basin of Fe, Ti, Si, O through time include evidence for resurfacing by ejecta materials and late-stage volcanism. The oldest surfaces of SPA are found to be oxygen-depleted during the heavy bombardment period relative to later stages of geologic development, followed by both an increase in silicon and oxygen, possibly due to ejecta sourced from outside of SPA, and subsequent modification due to mare basaltic volcanism, which increased iron and titanium within SPA. The influence of the distinct geologic history of SPA and surroundings on the mineralogic and elemental abundances is evident as shown in our investigation.     

一种适用于进近尾流间隔缩减的机型聚类方法

目前,我国广泛使用的尾流间隔标准过于保守,导致机场跑道容量受限。以进近航空器的尾流遭遇问题为研究对象,首先研究进近尾流安全间隔缩减方法,获取缩减后的临界尾流间隔;然后基于主成分分析法（PCA）对 BADA 数据库中的航空器性能数据降维,提出一种适用于进近尾流间隔缩减的机型层次聚类方法;最后采用该方法得到新的机型分类结果并构建缩减后的尾流安全间隔标准。结果表明：本文所使用的机型层次聚类方法与国内外航空器分类方法具有较好的一致性,在长沙黄花国际机场的主流配对机型间,所获取的进近航空器尾流间隔标准与传统尾流间隔标准相比可以缩减 0.8 km 以上。     

Mistuned bladed disk forced vibration analysis based on standing wave formulation

Forced vibration analysis including a vortex lattice prediction given an external aerodynamic force is conducted in this paper based on a standing wave formulation. The starting point of the standing wave formulation is a set of blade disk normal modes that incorporate all forms of the blade, disk, and shroud elastic coupling. The Küssner gust function was used in a few previous investigations of forced vibration based on the standing wave formulation. However, it was found to be valid only for low engine-order excitation. Therefore, a two-dimensional unsteady vortex lattice method is employed in this paper to predict the gust excitation up to higher engine-order excitation. Thus, the present unsteady vortex lattice analytical model is capable of capturing compressibility and higher engine-order excitation. It features advantages in terms of its computational time and level of accuracy. The effects of mistuning a cascaded blade are also examined in the present aeroelastic analysis to determine the possible advantages obtained by doing this. Numerical results for the mistuned bladed disk are presented regarding its forced response characteristics. In a low engine-order excitation condition, it is shown that similar predictions are obtained between the present and earlier analyses. The maximum discrepancy in the blade amplitude is 70% for a single-blade mistuned rotor and 62.6% for an alternately mistuned rotor, in the worst case, compared to a completely tuned rotor. Single-peak frequencies are presented and analyzed in the higher engine-order excitation levels.     

Estimation of ballistic coefficients of low altitude debris objects from historical two line elements

This paper presents a new method for estimating ballistic coefficients (BCs) of low perigee debris objects from their historical two line elements (TLEs). The method uses the drag perturbation equation of the semi-major axis of the orbit. For an object with perigee altitude below 700 km, the variation in the mean semi-major axis derived from the TLE is mainly caused by the atmospheric drag effect, and therefore is used as the source in the estimation of the ballistic coefficient. The method is tested using the GRACE satellites, and a number of debris objects with external ballistic coefficient values, and agreements of about 10% are achieved.     

Comparative study of lunar mission requirements and onboard propulsion system performance

In recent years, the lunar explorer programs, suspended for a long time, have resumed again with the rapid development of low cost and high-level technologies. As a result, several nations have made a success of lunar exploration programs with their own orbiters. Unlike a satellite orbiting the earth, the optimal design of an onboard propulsion system of a lunar orbiter is a major issue because it is not simple to make the orbiter arrive accurately at another planet far from the earth. Hence, a close attention is required to select and develop an appropriate type of the onboard propulsion system based on given mission requirements of a lunar orbiter. To do this, this study first surveys several lunar orbiters launched since 1990 and their major mission requirements. Then, it summarizes the technical trends of the onboard propulsion systems of the recent lunar orbiters and their key design and performance specifications through trade-off studies. By comparing these features, the present study investigates which lunar mission requirements are critically important, and how they can effect on the overall performance of an onboard propulsion system. Based on these investigations the major objective of the present study intends ultimately to set up a fundamental baseline in selecting and developing an appropriate type of onboard propulsion system of a lunar orbiter.