Geolocation of a known altitude object from TDOA and FDOA measurements

Most satellite systems for locating an object on Earth use only time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements. When there are relative motions between an emitter and receivers, frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) measurements can be used as well. Often, the altitude of an object is known (it is zero, for example) or can be measured with an altimeter. Two sets of geolocation solutions are proposed which exploit the altitude constraint to improve the localization accuracy. One is for TDOAs alone and the other for the combination of TDOA and FDOA measurements. The additional complexity by imposing the constraint is a one-dimensional Newton's search and the rooting of a polynomial. The covariance matrices of the new estimators are derived under a small measurement noise assumption and shown to attain the constrained Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB). When there is a bias error in the assumed altitude, using the altitude constraint will introduce a bias to the solution. Since applying the constraint decreases the variance, there is a tradeoff between variance and bias in the mean square error (MSE). The maximum allowable altitude error such that the constraint solution will remain superior to the unconstraint is given. Simulation results are included to corroborate the theoretical development.     

Linear time-varying eigenstructure assignment with flight control application

This work is concerned with the assignment of a desired PD-eigenstructure for linear time-varying systems. Despite its well-known limitations, gain scheduling control appeared to be a focus of the research efforts. Scheduling of frozen-time, frozen-state controllers for fast time-varying dynamics is known to be mathematically fallacious, and practically hazardous. Therefore, recent research efforts are being directed towards applying time-varying controllers. In this paper we: 1) introduce a differential algebraic eigenvalue theory for linear time-varying systems; and 2) propose a PD-eigenstructure assignment scheme via a differential Sylvester equation and a command generator tracker (CGT) for linear time-varying systems. The PD-eigenstructure assignment is utilized as a regulator. A feedforward gain for tracking control is computed by using the command generator tracker. The whole design procedures of the proposed PD-eigenstructure assignment scheme are systematic in nature. The scheme could be used to determine the stability of linear time-varying systems easily as well as to provide a new horizon of designing controllers for the linear time-varying systems. A missile flight control application is presented to validate the proposed schemes.     

Geometric Approach in Solving Inverse Kinematics of PUMA Robots

A geometric approach for deriving a consistent joint solution of a six-point PUMA1 robot is presented. The approach calls for the definition of various possible arm configurations based on the link coordinate systems and human arm geometry. These arm configurations are then expressed in an exact mathematical way to allow the construction of arm configuration indicators and their corresponding decision equations. The arm configuration indicators are prespecified by a user for finding the joint solution. These indicators enable one to find a solution from the possible four solutions for the first three joints, a solution from the possible two solutions for the last three joints. The solution is calculated in two stages. First a position vector pointing from the shoulder to the wrist is derived. This is used to derive the solution of the first three joints by looking at the projection of the position vector onto the xi-1-yi-1(i = 1,2,3) plane. The last three joints are solved using the calculated joint solution from the first three joints, the orientation matrices, and the projection of the link coordinate frames onto the xi-1-yi-1 (i = 4,5,6) plane. From the geometry, one can easily find the arm solution consistently. A computer simulation study conducted on a VAX-11/780 computer demonstrated the validity of the arm solution.     

计算三维边界层分离流动的一种双向推进有限元格式

 本文提出一种适用于兰维边界层正、逆向问题的有限元格式。格式采用了对壁面法向进行Galerkin加权,沿壁面进行子域加权并作双向推进的弱解形式。它不仅可节约内存,同时还可通过与等参元素的结合应用给出CFL条件的显式表述,保证了问题的快速求解。进行逆模态计算时,以位移厚度作约束条件,通过Lagrange乘子直接引入边界层方程的有限元类比中进行整体求解。算例表明该格式模拟三维边界层流动是经济有效的。     

Generation of satellite tracking profile: Problems and validation algorithms

Recently, as a satellite mission becomes complicated, it has been required to generate the schedule of satellite antenna movements automatically without relying upon operator’s ad hoc knowledge. To generate the satellite antenna schedule autonomously, this paper first addresses geometrical problems associated with the antenna scheduling and mission planning problems that can be formulated from satellite navigation and antenna orientation information. Then, based on the solutions of the geometrical problems, a set of antenna azimuth and elevation angles that enables the antenna to point towards the desired ground station is obtained systematically. Using the computed azimuth and elevation angles, the satellite tracking profile (TP) is generated, and to validate it, TP validation algorithms are developed.     

Precise orbit determination using the batch filter based on particle filtering with genetic resampling approach

In this study, genetic resampling (GRS) approach is utilized for precise orbit determination (POD) using the batch filter based on particle filtering (PF). Two genetic operations, which are arithmetic crossover and residual mutation, are used for GRS of the batch filter based on PF (PF batch filter). For POD, Laser-ranging Precise Orbit Determination System (LPODS) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) observations of the CHAMP satellite are used. Monte Carlo trials for POD are performed by one hundred times. The characteristics of the POD results by PF batch filter with GRS are compared with those of a PF batch filter with minimum residual resampling (MRRS). The post-fit residual, 3D error by external orbit comparison, and POD repeatability are analyzed for orbit quality assessments. The POD results are externally checked by NASA JPL’s orbits using totally different software, measurements, and techniques. For post-fit residuals and 3D errors, both MRRS and GRS give accurate estimation results whose mean root mean square (RMS) values are at a level of 5 cm and 10–13 cm, respectively. The mean radial orbit errors of both methods are at a level of 5 cm. For POD repeatability represented as the standard deviations of post-fit residuals and 3D errors by repetitive PODs, however, GRS yields 25% and 13% more robust estimation results than MRRS for post-fit residual and 3D error, respectively. This study shows that PF batch filter with GRS approach using genetic operations is superior to PF batch filter with MRRS in terms of robustness in POD with SLR observations.     

A new approach to the telescope operation method for satellite tracking using a time synchronization technique

For the development of a telescope that is capable of precisely tracking satellites and high-speed operation such as satellite laser ranging, a special method of telescope operation is required. This study aims to propose a new telescope operation method and system configuration for the independent development of a mount and an operation system which includes the host computer. Considering that the tracking of a satellite is performed in real time, communication and synchronization between the two independent subsystems are important. Therefore, this study applied the concept of time synchronization, which is used in various fields of industry, to the communication between the command computer and the mount. In this case, communication delays do not need to be considered in general, and it is possible to cope with data loss. Above all, when the mount is replaced in the future, only the general communication interface needs to be modified, and thus, it is not limited by replacement in terms of the overall system management. The performance of the telescope operation method developed in this study was verified by applying the method to the first mobile SLR system in Korea. This study is significant in that it proposed a new operation method and system configuration, to which the concept of time synchronization was applied, for the observation system that requires an optical telescope.     

发动机维修:成本与性能的平衡

在燃油价格上涨时,航空公司所期望的性能改进多与节省燃油有关;在燃油价格冲高回落、世界经济大衰退的今日,各航空公司关心的是如何获得最佳的运营成本.     

Korean space food development: Ready-to-eat Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable,sterilized with high-dose gamma irradiation

Addition of calcium lactate and vitamin C, a mild heating, deep-freezing, and gamma irradiation at 25 kGy were conducted to prepare Kimchi as a ready-to-eat space food. It was confirmed that the space food was sterilized by an irradiation at 25 kGy through incubation at 37 °C for 30 days. The hardness of the Space Kimchi (SK) was lower than the untreated Kimchi (CON), but higher than the irradiated Kimchi (IR). Also, this result was supported by the scanning electron microscopic observation. Sensory attributes of the SK were similar to CON, and maintained during preservation at 35 °C for 30 days. According to the Ames test, Kimchi sterilized with a high-dose irradiation exerted no mutagenic activity in the bacterial strains of Salmonella typhimurium. And, the SK was certificated for use in space flight conditions during 30 days by the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems.     

Three-axis attitude determination using incomplete vector observations

Attitude determination refers to determining the orientation of a vehicle relative to its reference coordinate system. This paper presents a new algorithm for three-axis attitude determination using measurement vectors composed of incomplete vector components. The attitude determination performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with those of the TRIAD and QUEST algorithms in a simulation.