Tropospheric wet refractivity tomography using multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique

Algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART) have been successfully used to reconstruct the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere and in recent years be tentatively used in tropospheric wet refractivity and water vapor tomography in the ground-based GNSS technology. The previous research on ART used in tropospheric water vapor tomography focused on the convergence and relaxation parameters for various algebraic reconstruction techniques and rarely discussed the impact of Gaussian constraints and initial field on the iteration results. The existing accuracy evaluation parameters calculated from slant wet delay can only evaluate the resultant precision of the voxels penetrated by slant paths and cannot evaluate that of the voxels not penetrated by any slant path. The paper proposes two new statistical parameters Bias and RMS, calculated from wet refractivity of the total voxels, to improve the deficiencies of existing evaluation parameters and then discusses the effect of the Gaussian constraints and initial field on the convergence and tomography results in multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART) to reconstruct the 4D tropospheric wet refractivity field using simulation method.     

Predicting performance in manually controlled rendezvous and docking through spatial abilities

Manually controlled rendezvous and docking (manual RVD) is a challenging space task for astronauts. This study aims to identify spatial abilities that are critical for accomplishing manual RVD. Based on task analysis, spatial abilities were deduced to be critical for accomplishing manual RVD. 15 Male participants performed manual RVD task simulations and spatial ability tests (the object-manipulation spatial ability and spatial orientation ability). Participants’ performance in the test of visualization of viewpoints (which measures the spatial orientation ability) was found to be significantly correlated with their manual RVD performance, indicating that the spatial orientation ability in the sense of perspective taking is particularly important for accomplishing manual RVD.     

Intra-annual variations of the thermospheric density at 400 km altitude from 1996 to 2006

We investigate the intra-annual variations of globally averaged thermospheric density at 400 km altitude from 1996 to 2006 by using Artificial Neural Network Method (ANNM). The results indicate that thermospheric density is governed by solar activity, and the absolute error of our model is 13.67%, less than NRLMSISE-00 model. Fourier representation can catch the intra-annual variations more accurately than NRLMSISE-00 model and JB2008 model especially during 2002. We find that the Autumn maximum is slightly greater than Spring maximum during solar minimum, while the reverse is correct during solar maximum. There is a strong linear relation between solar activity and the amplitude of annual/semiannual variations, and the correlation coefficients are 0.9534 and 0.9424, respectively. Moreover, the amplitude ratio of the annual to semiannual variation is about 1.3 averaged, and changes in different years, but it has little relation with solar activity. Besides that, the amplitude of annual variation is larger than semiannual variation during 1996 and 2006 except 1998 and 2000. The relative error of NRLMSISE-00 model is 14.95%, decreasing to 12.49% after revising, and the correlation coefficients between this empirical model and its improved results and the observation are 0.8185 and 0.9210, respectively. Finally, we suggest the revised version of MSIS series of model should use the Fourier representation to express the intra-annual variations.     

Rapid design and optimization of low-thrust rendezvous/interception trajectory for asteroid deflection missions

Asteroid deflection techniques are essential in order to protect the Earth from catastrophic impacts by hazardous asteroids. Rapid design and optimization of low-thrust rendezvous/interception trajectories is considered as one of the key technologies to successfully deflect potentially hazardous asteroids. In this paper, we address a general framework for the rapid design and optimization of low-thrust rendezvous/interception trajectories for future asteroid deflection missions. The design and optimization process includes three closely associated steps. Firstly, shape-based approaches and genetic algorithm (GA) are adopted to perform preliminary design, which provides a reasonable initial guess for subsequent accurate optimization. Secondly, Radau pseudospectral method is utilized to transcribe the low-thrust trajectory optimization problem into a discrete nonlinear programming (NLP) problem. Finally, sequential quadratic programming (SQP) is used to efficiently solve the nonlinear programming problem and obtain the optimal low-thrust rendezvous/interception trajectories. The rapid design and optimization algorithms developed in this paper are validated by three simulation cases with different performance indexes and boundary constraints.     

Stability of relative equilibria of the full spacecraft dynamics around an asteroid with orbit–attitude coupling

The full dynamics of spacecraft around an asteroid, in which the spacecraft is considered as a rigid body and the gravitational orbit–attitude coupling is taken into account, is of great value and interest in the precise theories of the motion. The spectral stability of the classical relative equilibria of the full spacecraft dynamics around an asteroid is studied with the method of geometric mechanics. The stability conditions are given explicitly based on the characteristic equation of the linear system matrix. It is found that the linearized system decouples into two entirely independent subsystems, which correspond to the motions within and outside the equatorial plane of the asteroid respectively. The system parameters are divided into three groups that describe the traditional stationary orbit stability, the significance of the orbit–attitude coupling and the mass distribution of the spacecraft respectively. The spectral stability of the relative equilibria is investigated numerically with respect to the three groups of system parameters. The relations between the full spacecraft dynamics and the traditional spacecraft dynamics, as well as the effect of the orbit–attitude coupling, are assessed. We find that when the orbit–attitude coupling is strong, the mass distribution of the spacecraft dominates the stability of the relative equilibria; whereas when the orbit–attitude coupling is weak, both the mass distribution and the traditional stationary orbit stability have significant effects on the stability. We also give a criterion to determine whether the orbit–attitude coupling needs to be considered.     

Satellite-observed biological variability in the equatorial Pacific during the 2009–2011 ENSO cycle

The event of 2009–2011 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) provides an opportunity to gain insight into the biological variability of the equatorial Pacific Ocean for an entire ENSO cycle with satellite and in situ observations. Even though El Niño and La Niña in general led to respectively weakened and enhanced chlorophyll-a concentration and net primary production (NPP) along the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the 2009–2011 ENSO cycle, biological responses were highly disparate along the equator and attributed to different driving mechanisms. In the eastern equatorial Pacific east of 150°E, the El Niño-La Niña biological change was in general small except for the transition period even though sea surface temperature (SST) showed over ∼5 °C drop from El Niño to La Niña. In the central-eastern (170°W–140°W) equatorial Pacific, moderate change of biological activity is attributed to the changes of thermocline driven by the eastward propagating equatorial Kelvin waves and changes of zonal currents and undercurrents. Highest biological response in this ENSO cycle was located in the central (170°E–170°W) and central-western (150°E–170°E) equatorial Pacific with quadruple chlorophyll-a concentration and over ∼400 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ increase of NPP from El Niño in 2009 to La Niña in 2010. However, spatial pattern of ENSO biological variability as represented with NPP is not exactly the same as chlorophyll-a variability. Wind-driving mixing of nutrients and eastward advection of the oligotrophic warm pool waters are attributed to this significant biological variability in this region.     

基于边频相对能量和的柱塞泵磨损状态识别

摩擦磨损是飞机柱塞泵典型的渐进性故障,因磨损量难以直接测量,通常采用振动信号进行间接测量.磨损引起的振动信号故障特征微弱,对磨损状态进行准确地识别比较困难.针对上述问题,提出了基于谐波分量边频相对能量和的磨损状态识别方法,该方法对壳体振动信号进行Hilbert包络解调消除高频周期干扰,得到清晰的谐波分量,在各谐波分量的特定边频区间内计算最大能量与平均能量的比值并求和,将该值作为新的特征量来表征柱塞泵的不同磨损状态,利用网格法对边频区间范围寻优.结果表明,边频相对能量和相比传统的特征频率能量对磨损状态的区分度更高,适于磨损状态识别.      

基于任务评定的战斗机大迎角飞行控制律设计方法

针对现代战斗机大迎角机动的飞行控制设计问题,在角速率指令非线性动态逆控制律基础上,引入表征期望飞行品质的理想参考模型,构成了模型参考动态逆飞行控制律,并借助基于任务的飞行品质评定方法完成了控制参数的整定,从而实现了对飞机大迎角机动的控制.对设计结果进行了时域和频域仿真,并使用基于任务的飞行品质评定方法对闭环系统的飞行品质进行了评定,验证了控制律设计的有效性.通过不同任务下评定结果的对比,说明了这一方法在揭示飞机大迎角飞行品质特性和特定任务对飞行控制律的特殊要求这两方面的优越性,可用于战斗机大迎角机动的非线性飞行控制律设计与飞行品质的评定.      

飞机环境控制系统并行设计

基于飞机环境控制系统(ECS)的研制,分析了系统设计的结构层次,借助于近年来飞速发展的信息技术、设计技术、仿真技术,提出了基于系统管理-结构设计-系统仿真为一体的面向对象的系统并行设计框架.设计体系贯穿于飞机环境控制系统设计的全生命周期.