Growler detection in sea clutter with coherent radars

Ship navigation through ice-infested waters is a problem of deep concern to the Canadian shipping and exploration industry. Conventional marine radars have difficulty detecting small pieces of glacial ice called growlers which are very hazardous to vessels if struck. In an effort to improve detection performance, X-band radar measurements were collected and analyzed to determine the characteristics of clutter and growler returns that could lead to their separability. These analyses suggested that coherent medium dwell-time processing (i.e., integration times of a fraction of a second) could provide improvement In growler detectability over conventional methods; and long dwell-time processing (i.e., integration times on the order of seconds) could provide even further improvement. We report on the performance of two new coherent, medium dwell-time detectors. A third detector which is representative of conventional marine radar serves as a basis for comparison Although significant improvement in growler detectability is achieved, the two coherent detectors still fall short of operational requirements. This leads to the development of a long dwell-time detector which provides considerably better performance. Empirical results indicate that this new detector could well satisfy stringent operational requirements     

Bias compensation and tracking with monopulse radars in the presence of multi path

The problem of tracking targets in the presence of reflections from sea or ground is addressed. Both types of reflections (specular and diffuse) are considered. Specular reflection causes large peak errors followed by an approximately constant bias in the monopulse ratio, while diffuse reflection has random variations which on the average generate a bias in the monopulse ratio. Expressions for the average error (bias) in the monopulse ratio due to specular and diffuse reflections and the corresponding variance in the presence of noise in the radar channels are derived. A maximum maneuver-based filter and a multiple model estimator are used for tracking. Simulation results for five scenarios, typical of sea skimmers, with Swerling III fluctuating radar cross sections (RCSs) indicate the significance and efficiency of the technique developed in this paper-a 65% reduction of the rms error in the target height estimate.     

Improved COSPAS-SARSAT locating with geostationary satellite data

The COSPAS-SARSAT system locates distress beacons via Doppler analysis of beacon transmissions as observed by low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites. By contrast, the 406 MHz search and rescue transponder on the geostationary satellites can measure only the transmitted frequency of the beacon, which is not currently being used in location determination. This report shows that a combined data approach can significantly improve the locating success rate, the time delay to the first solution, and the accuracy of location estimates     

Ship-mounted satellite tracking antenna with fuzzy logic control

A robust satellite tracking antenna is designed to cope with the sensor imprecision and the highly noisy sea environment. Fuzzy logic is utilized for the controller imprecision and the highly noisy sea environment. Fuzzy logic is utilized for the controller design as well as inaccurate data interpretation. The fuzzy-rule based controller eliminates the need to model the nonlinear and noisy ship-mounted antenna system. With Global Positioning System and the tracking controller the antenna can be brought to a neighborhood of the desired orientation. Spiral search with signal power feedback can then servo the antenna to the true orientation. Computer simulations and antenna experiments verify our design is indeed robust and effective     

Measuring satellite antennas with a compact hologram test range

Testing of satellite antennas at high millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths has some specific problems not encountered at lower frequencies. The atmospheric attenuation due to water and oxygen molecule resonances at certain frequency bands can be substantial. Therefore, conventional far-field test methods for electrically large antennas are ruled out by the required far-field distance of kilometers or even tens of kilometers. However, the compact antenna test range (CATR) makes such far-field tests possible within an indoor chamber having a controlled atmosphere. The application and ongoing development of a CATR based on a hologram as the focusing element are outlined     

Galactic X-rays observed with X-ray astronomy satellite ‘Hakucho’

Highlights of the results obtained with Japanese X-ray astronomy satellite Hakucho are reviewed. After a brief account of instrumentation (Section 2), some new features of non-bursting, non-pulsating objects are presented (Sections 3–5). The main part of the present review is devoted for X-ray bursts which are found more complex than one might have thought (Sections 6–11). The observation of X-ray pulsar, including a change of spin rate of Vela X-1, is described (Section 12). The main results obtained in the first two years are summarized in Section 13.     

High-precision control of the observation satellite with small power consumption

An unified method of the control, orientation and stabilization is proposed; the method allows an observation satellite (OS) to be brought in the sliding mode with a specified accuracy and in a required time to the necessary angular terminal position in the conditions of the limited indefinite external disturbances. The method minimizes power consumption for control. An approach for regulation of the frequency and amplitude of steady-state control oscillations is presented.     

Improving aircraft aerodynamic performance with bionic wing obtained by ice shape modulation

For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with limited electrical power to achieve effectively anti-/de-icing at the leading edge of the wing, a strategy of ice shape modulation was proposed. Isolated simulated ice shape pieces printed by 3D printing technology are mounted on a NACA0012 finite wing model, and its lift/drag coefficients and suction-side velocity fields are measured by the six-component force balance and the Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV), respectively. The ratio of the spanwise length of a single ice shape piece to chord length and the spanwise length of the non-icing area between the two adjacent single ice shape pieces are defined as dimensionless ice shape length (w/c) and dimensionless modulation ratio (w/λ), respectively. The results indicate that for a fixed w/λ, the wing lift coefficient first increases and then drops with increasing w/c, and a peak value exists when w/c is between 0.1 and 0.2. The lower the w/λ is, the higher the wing lift coefficient will be. The periodical variation of the flow separation area along the spanwise direction is attributed on the one hand to the acceleration effect of the flow field in the non-icing area which reduces the separation area, and on the other hand to the cross-flow caused by the streamwise vortices from the non-icing area to the icing area which promotes the mixing of the flow field (similar to vortex generators). The obtained modulation law is verified through flight tests and provides guidance for the use of ice shape modulation scheme for UAVs that cannot be completely anti-/de-icing under severe weather conditions.     

飞轮被动减振卫星动力学建模及稳定性研究

为提高卫星的指向精度和稳定度,通常在飞轮系统中设计了被动减振器。而对于有敏捷机动要求的卫星,被动减振器的低刚度设计可能会破坏姿态控制系统的动态性能和稳定性。因此,针对飞轮减振情况,建立了卫星刚柔姿态动力学方程,用来准确分析卫星敏捷机动时的动态性能、稳定性问题以及飞轮扰动对卫星稳定度的影响。仿真结果表明,不合适的隔振器刚度设计将会影响指向的动态性能和稳定性,甚至诱发姿控系统失稳。     

Some features of disturbed rotational motion of a satellite with a strong onboard magnet

A disturbed rotational orbital motion of an asymmetrical satellite with a strong magnet in the geomagnetic field is considered. It is shown that operating disturbances result in appearing of non-resonant phenomena in the satellite rotation caused by resonance effects.     

Design and integration of a solar AMTEC power system with anadvanced global positioning satellite

A 1,200-W solar AMTEC (alkali metal thermal-to-electric conversion) power system concept was developed and integrated with an advanced global positioning system (GPS) satellite. The critical integration issues for the SAMTEC with the GPS subsystems included: (1) packaging within the Delta II launch vehicle envelope; (2) deployment and start-up operations for the SAMTEC; (3) SAMTEC operation during all mission phases; (4) satellite field of view restrictions with satellite operations; and (5) effect of the SAMTEC requirements on other satellite subsystems. The SAMTEC power system was compared with a conventional planar solar array/battery power system to assess the differences in system weight, size, and operations, Features of the design include the use of an advanced multitube, vapor anode AMTEC cell design with 24% conversion efficiency, and a direct solar insolation receiver design with integral LiF salt canisters for energy storage to generate power during the maximum solar eclipse cycle, The modular generator design consists of an array of multitube AMTEC cells arranged into a parallel/series electrical network with built-in cell redundancy. Our preliminary assessment indicates that the solar generator design is scaleable over a 500 to 2,500-W range. No battery power is required during the operational phase of the GPS mission. SAMTEC specific power levels greater than 5 We/kg and 160 We/m² are anticipated for a mission duration of 10 to 12 years in orbits with high natural radiation backgrounds     

Optimization of the ship's navigation and controlling system with results of sea trials

This paper considers the state-of-the-art information technologies applied to solve the automatic track-keeping problem of the ship on a preset system of straight tacks and on a preset route to the area of hydrographic survey. A navigation-and-controlling system aboard a hydrographic vessel GS-439 was used to provide the fulfillment of the task. The results of the sea trials of control problems are given. They have shown rather good accuracy of the ship track-keeping on a preset system of straight tacks and on a preset route as well as the efficiency of automatic ship passing to the first tack and passing over to the next tacks in surveying the seabed relief, using a multi-channel echo sounder     

Haptic based teleoperation with master-slave motion mapping and haptic rendering for space exploration

This paper presents a new solution to haptic based teleoperation to control a large-sized slave robot for space exploration, which includes two specially designed haptic joysticks, a hybrid master-slave motion mapping method, and a haptic feedback model rendering the operating resistance and the interactive feedback on the slave side. Two devices using the 3 R and DELTA mechanisms respectively are developed to be manipulated to control the position and orientation of a large-sized slave robot by using both of a user's two hands respectively. The hybrid motion mapping method combines rate control and variable scaled position mapping to realize accurate and efficient master-slave control. Haptic feedback for these two mapping modes is designed with emphasis on ergonomics to improve the immersion of haptic based teleoperation. A stiffness estimation method is used to calculate the contact stiffness on the slave side and play the contact force rendered by using a traditional spring-damping model to a user on the master side stably. Experiments by using virtual environments to simulate the slave side are conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solution.     

Recent progress in satellite radio beacon studies with particular emphasis on the ATS-6 radio beacon experiment

In May 1974 a new era in satellite radio beacon studies of the ionosphere opened with the ATS-6 Radio Beacon Experiment. The history of radio beacon studies up to that time is reviewed briefly and the particular features of the ATS-6 beacon are discussed together with the basic theory required to interpret the measurements. The main emphasis is on the ATS-6 beacon experiment but other beacon data are discussed which provide the necessary background. The diurnal and seasonal variations of the total electron content and the plasmaspheric content are presented for the U.S.A. and Europe. In winter the plasmaspheric content over the Western Hemisphere maximizes at night while in Europe and the Pacific it appears to peak near noon. This is thought to be caused by flow of plasma from the local and conjugate ionospheres. Night maxima of total electron content are found showing that they do not arise from depletions of the plasmaspheric content. The plasmaspheric content is highly sensitive to solarterrestrial disturbance, it reaches a minimum on the third day of a storm and may take between 10 and 20 days of partial filling and emptying to recover. Traveling disturbances in U.S.A., Europe, and India show similarities of speeds but not of direction. Beacon observations of micropulsations in total content, tropospheric fluctuations and Fresnel diffraction by intense ionospheric irregularities are discussed together with radio wave scintillations and some applications of beacon radio data to communications and navigation.     

Methods for constructing diversities of sliding and control of an observation satellite equipped with inertial drives under uncertainty

A problem of bringing an observation satellite control system into the sliding conditions invariant to disturbances characterized by direct quality indices of transient processes is solved. The methods for minimizing the energy expenditure for control and those for adjusting frequency and amplitude of steady-state oscillations of control components in the sliding conditions are proposed.