The Flight 2000 avionics suite: paving the way to free flight

The FAA's Flight 2000 project is an innovative initiative to implement and validate selected operational improvements leading to Free Flight. It integrates new avionics, new ground systems, new procedures, avionics certification, and operational approval. Approximately 2000 aircraft operating in Alaska, Hawaii, and Oceanic airspace will be equipped with new capabilities enabling benefits such as improved situational awareness, increased flexibility, and efficiency gains. By developing and fielding these operational improvements, the actual benefits of new procedures and capabilities will be validated and risks associated with national implementation will be reduced     

The effect of head-down tilt on brain potentials related to visual attention

To study the possible effect of simulated weightlessness on brain function state, the brain event-related potentials (ERPs) in a simple visual selective response task were compared between HDT and HUT in 9 normal subjects. The results were: The Target(T) and non-Target(NT) flash signals both induced significant slow positive potentials which were supposed to related to the attention state; the amplitude of the positive potentials in frontal regions decreased significantly especially for NT-ERPs during HDT comprared with that during HUT. The data reported provide new evidence indicating that more attention should be paid on the brain function study during space flight.     

Design of Truncated Sequential Tests for Rapidly Fading Radar Targets

Curves and equations are presented from which the exact performance of truncated sequential tests can be determined for one important case: the biased square-law detector for the detection of rapidly fading targets. The method of generating functions is used to derive probability distributions for sample size. It is shown how these probability distributions can be used to determine truncation errors and the effects of multiple-resolution elements. Sample calculations are performed to determine the effects of a particular truncation procedure.     

Identification of Rotating Assembly Inertial and Bearing Parameters

The problem of estimating the state of a turbopump rotating assembly and identifying unknown products of inertia and unknown bearing parameters is considered. A linearized, extended Kalman filtering approach has been used and found to be successful for both state estimation and parameter identification in an inherently nonlinear problem. The input data was simulated Bently test data which was obtained from a verified 12-dimensional state-space model and was compared with real Bently test data obtained from NASA. The results prove the feasibility of using this model and this type of test data to obtain the hidden parameters of a typical turbopump rotating assembly. This method should lead to improved performance by allowing improved balancing of the rotor and giving improved knowledge of the bearing reactions.     

An Automatic Data Processing System for Laser Anemometers

An automatic data processing system for the evaluation of statistically occurring Doppler-difference bursts is described. In addition to the higher accuracy compared with the data acquisition procedures known so far, this technique allows the Doppler-difference method to be used as an operational instrument for investigations into turbulent flows, especially in the case of low particle density and extremely small turbulence degrees.     

Study of shaping strategies for blisk vane channels by a cup tool

This paper deals with roughing milling of vane channels for axial blisks by a cup tool. The effect of the shaping strategy on waviness of the surfaces being machined and allowance for subsequent operations is determined.     

Analysis of a Lubrication Fluid Flow in the Leak-Proof Pump Electric Motor

Steady-state flow of viscous lubrication fluid in the nonsymmetrical clearance between two out-of-line cylinders of the bearing unit in the aircraft electric motor is discussed. An analytical solution of the task based on application of the perturbation theory is presented.     

LET variation measurements behind different absorber thicknesses on COSMOS-1129 satellite

LET variation with the absorber thickness was measured by plastic detectors exposed on COSMOS-1129 satellite.     

Imaging the solar corona in the EUV

The SOHO (SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory) satellite was launched on December 2nd 1995. After arriving at the Earth-Sun (L1) Lagrangian point on February 14th 1996, it began to continuously observe the Sun. As one of the instruments onboard SOHO, the EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) images the Sun's corona in 4 EUV wavelengths. The He II filter at 304 Å images the chromosphere and the base of the transition region at a temperature of 5 − 8 × 10⁴ K; the Fe IX–X filter at 171 Å images the corona at a temperature of 1.3 × 10⁶ K; the Fe XII filter at 195 Å images the quiet corona outside coronal holes at a temperature of 1.6 × 10⁶ K; and the Fe XV filter at 284 Å images active regions with a temperature of 2.0 × 10⁶ K. About 5000 images have been obtained up to the present. In this paper, we describe also some aspects of the telescope and the detector performance for application in the observations. Images and movies of all the wavelengths allow a look at different phenomena present in the Sun's corona, and in particular, magnetic field reconnection.