RF communications subsystem for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission

The NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission, currently in Phase B, is a two-spacecraft, Earth-orbiting mission, which will launch in 2012. The spacecraft's S-band radio frequency (RF) telecommunications subsystem has three primary functions: provide spacecraft command capability, provide spacecraft telemetry and science data return, and provide accurate Doppler data for navigation. The primary communications link to the ground is via the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory's (JHU/APL) 18 m dish, with secondary links to the NASA 13 m Ground Network and the Tracking and Data Relay Spacecraft System (TDRSS) in single-access mode. The on-board RF subsystem features the APL-built coherent transceiver and in-house builds of a solid-state power amplifier and conical bifilar helix broad-beam antennas. The coherent transceiver provides coherency digitally, and controls the downlink data rate and encoding within its field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The transceiver also provides a critical command decoder (CCD) function, which is used to protect against box-level upsets in the C&DH subsystem. Because RBSP is a spin-stabilized mission, the antennas must be symmetric about the spin axis. Two broad-beam antennas point along both ends of the spin axis, providing communication coverage from boresight to 70°. An RF splitter excites both antennas; therefore, the mission is designed such that no communications are required close to 90° from the spin axis due to the interferometer effect from the two antennas. To maximize the total downlink volume from the spacecraft, the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP) has been baselined for the RBSP mission. During real-time ground contacts with the APL ground station, downlinked files are checked for errors. Handshaking between flight and ground CFDP software results in requests to retransmit only the file fragments lost due to dropouts. This allows minimization of RF link margins, thereby maximizing data rate and thus data volume.     

Hardware-in-the-loop testing technology for integrated control and condition monitoring systems of aircraft gas turbine engines

Hardware-in-the-loop testing technology for automatic control, condition monitoring and diagnostics systems of gas turbine engines is described. The technology proposed makes it possible to simulate combinations and chains of unexpected and gradual failures of engines, transducers and actuators.     

A combined turbulent combustion model in studying a lean flameout process

A modification of the Zimont turbulent combustion model is presented; the modification makes it possible to describe processes in diffusion and homogeneous flame fronts as well as to take into account the influence of different factors that cause flame destabilization. The model is based on the equation for a reaction completeness extent (completeness of combustion). The model realization to simulate the premixed combustion is described and the modification of the turbulent combustion model is applied to simulate a process of flameout downstream of the flameholder.     

Experimental studies of the impulsive ultrasonic machining by a tool with an intermediate striker

Some experimental data on the process of impulsive ultrasonic machining are presented. Also given are the data on variations in the impulsive vibration frequency of a workpiece and a tool.     

Turbulence in the region 80–120 km

Measurements of turbulent energy dissipation rates and eddy diffusion coefficients have been collated, and mean height profiles of fundamental turbulence parameters in the region 80–120 km are presented.     

Trapped antiprotons produced by cosmic rays in the Earth's magnetosphere.

The existence of significant fluxes of antiparticles in the Earth magnetosphere has been predicted on theoretical considerations in this article. These antiparticles (positrons or antiprotons) at several hundred kilometers of altitudes, we believe are not of direct extraterrestrial origin, but are the natural products of nuclear reactions of the high energy primary cosmic rays (CR) and trapped protons (TP) confined in the terrestrial radiation belt, with the constituents of terrestrial atmosphere. Extraterrestrial positrons and antiprotons born in nuclear reactions of the same CR particles passing through only 5-7 g/cm2 of interstellar matter, exhibit lower fluxes compared to the antiprotons born at hundreds of g/cm2 in the atmosphere, which when confined in the magnetic field of the Earth (in any other planet), get accumulated. We present the results of the computations of the antiproton fluxes at 10 MeV to several GeV energies due to CR particle interactions with the matter in the interstellar space, and also with the residual atmosphere at altitudes of approximately 1000 km over the Earth's surface. The estimates show that the magnetospheric antiproton fluxes are greater by two orders of magnitude compared to the extraterrestrial fluxes measured at energies <1-2 GeV.     

飞机进气道锤击波载荷评估方法研究

进气道锤击波载荷是由航空发动机喘振超压引起的,其峰值压力可达到自由来流总压的2倍量级,为进气道结构设计的最大载荷。为了给新研飞机进气道设计提供最大载荷依据、降低结构质量,对增压比等影响发动机喘振超压的因素进行归纳总结,并进行了实测和评估分析,认为锤击波压比值的上限是由稳态压力畸变引起的喘振确定的,最大锤击波载荷基本上随发动机压比的增大呈线性增大;分析了锤击波载荷的特征和评估曲线,认为通过积累新研发动机地面试验数据和CFD手段可有效解决飞机设计的载荷输入,应用概率统计方法可有效降低复合材料结构的大"S"弯进气管道结构质量。     

直扩测控系统抗多址能力分析与验证

为了防止多址干扰造成接收机出现误捕和假锁,改善直接序列扩频测控系统抗多址干扰性能,在Gold码特性和扩频接收机性能分析的基础上,结合最大似然原理,对采用扩频体制测控系统的抗干扰能力进行了分析。为契合工程应用,采用仿真遍历结合理论分析的方式,对Gold码的互相关抑制能力理论值进行了工程修正。在分析捕获阶段的抗干扰捕获门限后,还分析了载噪比估计结果在正常锁定和假锁两种状态下的差异,给出了接收机对假锁状态的判决方法和门限。根据分析和仿真的结果,给出了系统设计约束条件和优化的接收机设计流程,作为测控系统和接收机设计的参考。     

民用飞机不同商载配置对机身着陆载荷的影响分析

重量分布和重心位置是影响起落架和机体地面载荷的重要因素,其中商载是影响全机重心、惯量的最活跃因素。飞机实际运营中,有无穷多种商载分布及装载方案。为了确保机身载荷分析时,不遗漏严重设计情况,同时能大大减少载荷人员的工作量,本文对不同商载配置下的机身着陆载荷进行了研究分析,分析结果表明最大商载情况将构成机身垂直剪力和垂直弯矩的严重情况。因此,在进行机身载荷分析时,必须考虑最大商载情况,而最大燃油情况可以不必考虑。这一结论为今后有针对性的开展民机机身载荷分析提供了数据支持。