Beam Area Determination for Multiple-Beam Satellite Communication Applications

An exact analytical model and a simple numerical solution are presented for determining the surface area of the Earth illuminated by a conical beam, with an elliptical cross section, emanating from a satellite. The model is used to generate sets of parametric curves for determination of the beam area as a function of the different satellite locations, beam locations, and beamwidths. Numerical results show that for a circular beam with a 0.25° beamwidth, the beam illuminating the northern Continental United States (CONUS) can cover an area about five times larger than the area covered by the same size beam illuminating the southern CONUS. Comparisons are also made with the available approximate methods.     

Electron density reference profile in the lower ionosphere

The new IRI formula, as accepted at the 1983 Stara Zagora Workshop, prescribes the use of Epstein functions for reproducing logarithmic electron density profiles. In this paper we discuss solutions which might be applicable to the lower ionosphere. The experimental data base is briefly reviewed. It appears that the stratification near 80 km must be accepted as a regular feature of the daytime lower ionosphere. The C-layer problem is left open. In order to reproduce such profiles, one needs three LAY-functions. Examples show that the weighted sum of these does very well represent experimental profiles, the amplitudes being determined by a least square fit. For profile synthesis (as in IRI) a least square determination of the three amplitudes, admitting four linear conditions, is proposed.     

Effects of buoyancy on gas-jet diffusion flames: Experiment and theory

Theoretical and experimental research on the effects of buoyancy on gas-jet diffusion flames is described in this paper. Part of this research involves an assessment of existing data obtained under reduced-gravity conditions. The results show that uncertainties in our understanding of flame structure exist and further research is required before reliable predictions of ignition, stabilization and propagation of flames under microgravity conditions can be made. Steady-state and transient theories have been developed and used in the analysis of existing drop-tower data and new data obtained from a stationary experiment involving inverted flames. The result of this research has led to the definition of a microgravity experiment to be performed in space.     

Reconstructed Flight Control Sensor Signals Via Luenberger Observers

The feasibility of providing flight control systems with software-managed redundancy is investigated. It is shown that sufficient information can be extracted from aircraft attitude sensors to allow analytic reconstruction of the stability augmentation system (SAS) sensor signals in the event of SAS sensor failures. The sensor signal reconstruction is performed in a deterministic setting by using a Luenberger observer. A simple and efficient design procedure is presented based on Gopinath's [1] work. As an illustrative example, the proposed sensor signal reconstruction technique is exercised on the L-1011 aircraft lateral axis rigid body simulation. It is shown that with an accurate airframe model perfect reconstruction is feasible. In addition, it is also shown via simulation results that with imperfect knowledge of the airframe model (based on standard wind tunnel data), the proposed reconstruction is accurate enough to have a negligible impact on the overall aircraft performance.     

Efficient scheduling algorithm for demand-assigned TDMA satellitesystems

An efficient scheduling algorithm (stations burst plan) for demand-assigned time-division multiple-access (TDMA) satellite network systems is introduced. The total demand for transmitting data through a transponder may exceed the available bit-rate capacity, and a scheduler of the system wishes to utilize the system with minimum changes of slot allocations while maximizing throughputs. By implementing such a burst-plan algorithm, transmission of all demanded data traffic can be completed with minimum unused resources (idle slots). The underlying ideas adopted for the algorithm are that jobs with shorter remaining processing times should have higher priorities and that as many jobs are processed at a time as possible. The algorithm is particularly useful for deriving smooth burst plans for a satellite system with a large number of ground stations     

Optimal and Suboptimal Control Synthesis for Minimum Time VTOL Transition

Optimal open-loop and suboptimal closed-loop controls for a VTOL aircraft in a minimum climb-to-cruise time transition are presented in this paper. The optimal open-loop controls are synthesized by a proposed gradient technique which provides for the selection of desired changes in physically meaningful parameters during each iteration step. The suboptimal closed-loop controls are synthesized as integral mean-square approximations to the optimal open-loop controls over the minimum time-to- climb interval. Piecewiseconstant feedback gains and switching times are synthesized for multidimensional control vectors which are linear combinations of observable states. Several computational results are presented for optimal and suboptimal minimum time controls with constrained and unconstrained terminal flight-path angles.     

Development of balloon-borne reel-down and -up winch system

Balloon-borne winches, which can reel down and up scientific instruments repeatedly, have been developed since 1981 in order to observe stratospheric vertical microstuctures. The instrument is suspended by a kevler wire through a traverse-cum ropeguide, and its depth is accurately measured by counting numbers of spool rotations and ropeguide turns. Battery consumption is minimized by utilizing an efficient deccelerator and a hysteresis brake. In 1983 we have successfully performed to reel up and down a 12 kg payload through 1 km for three cycles at 24 km altitude. We are improving the capability of the winch, and have succeeded (May 1984) to reel down a 22 kg payload up to 3 km from a balloon.     

A decade of remote sensing in India — Some salient results

Remote sensing activities in India over the past decade are briefly described in the paper; some important application areas are explained. Some results are highlighted. Activities in India for building remote sensing spacecraft, sensors and ground segment are summarised. Some facilities in India for remote sensing applications including low cost interpretative equipment developed are described. The paper also outlines the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) series, the first of which is presently under development for launch in 1986 and the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) under evolution.     

Strapdown Gyros in a Back-to-Back Configuration

A back-to-back connection of two gyros per axis is suggested that eliminates some of the errors due to cross coupling between the components of vehicle angular rates and accelerations. In particular, the error due to output axis angular acceleration, the anisoinertia error, and the spin reference axis rectification error theoretically vanish. Use of redundant and identical strapdown systems for the purpose of obtaining higher reliability makes this connection practical.