Aircraft technology opportunities for the 21st Century

New aircraft technologies are presented that have the potential to expand the air transportation system and reduce congestion through new operating capabilities, and at the same time provide greater levels of safety and environmental compatibility. Both current and planned civil aeronautics technology at the NASA Ames, Lewis, and Langley Research Centers are addressed. The complete spectrum of current aircraft and new vehicle concepts is considered including rotorcraft (helicopters and tiltrotors), vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft, subsonic transports, high speed transports, and hypersonic/transatmospheric vehicles. New technologies for current aircraft will improve efficiency, affordability, safety, and environmental compatibility. Research and technology promises to enable development of new vehicles that will revolutionize or greatly change the transportation system. These vehicles will provide new capabilities which will lead to enormous market opportunities and economic growth, as well as improve the competitive position of the U.S. aerospace industry

Innovative Technologies for Human Exploration: Opportunities for Partnerships and Leveraging Novel Technologies External to NASA

Human spaceflight organizations have ambitious goals for expanding human presence throughout the solar system. To meet these goals, spaceflight organizations have to overcome complex technical challenges for human missions to Mars, Near Earth Asteroids, and other distant celestial bodies. Resolving these challenges requires considerable resources and technological innovations, such as advancements in human health and countermeasures for space environments; self-sustaining habitats; advanced power and propulsion systems; and information technologies. Today, government space agencies seek cooperative endeavors to reduce cost burdens, improve human exploration capabilities, and foster knowledge sharing among human spaceflight organizations. This paper looks at potential opportunities for partnerships and spin-ins from economic sectors outside the space industry. It highlights innovative technologies and breakthrough concepts that could have significant impacts on space exploration and identifies organizations throughout the broader economy that specialize in these technologies

NASA Ames Environmental Sustainability Report 2011

The 2011 Ames Environmental Sustainability Report is the second in a series of reports describing the steps NASA Ames Research Center has taken toward assuring environmental sustainability in NASA Ames programs, projects, and activities. The Report highlights Center contributions toward meeting the Agency-wide goals under the 2011 NASA Strategic Sustainability Performance Program

Trim Flight Conditions for a Low-Boom Aircraft Design Under Uncertainty

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the noise generation of a low-boom aircraft design in flight trim conditions under uncertainty. The deflection of control surfaces to maintain a trimmed flight state has the potential to change the perceived loudness at the ground. Furthermore, the uncertainties associated with the control surface deflections can complicate the overall uncertainty quantification. Incorporation of the uncertainties in the prediction of perceived sound levels during the design phase can lead to improved robustness. In this paper, a brief review of low-boom flight trim research is presented. Realistic flight trim conditions requiring control surface deflection are integrated into the current research efforts for uncertainty quantification and vehicle design. In addition, a generalized set of procedures for the characterization of uncertainties in flight trim conditions are introduced. In a case study of the application of these procedures, a 5 decibel average difference in the perceived level of loudness was found between clean (no deflections) and trimmed configurations. Also, uncertainties attributable to control surface deflection were found to account for, on average, over 50% of the total near field uncertainty. Uncertainty discretization methods implemented were able to give more insight into the overall global variances

Influence of axial air injection on the flame stability of a technically premixed hydrogen flame

This work is a numerical investigation on the stability of a hydrogen flame in a swirl-stabilized burner configuration using large-eddy simulation with tabulated chemistry. Experimental results from this combustor showed that the axial injection influences the vortex breakdown (VB) position and therefore, the propensity of the burner to produce flashback. It is found that depending on the combination of primary swirl flow and amount of axial air injection, the flow can exhibit self-excited oscillations, and more importantly, it can control the flashback safety. Numerical simulations are used here to investigate different combinations of axial air injection and evaluate its impact on flame stability and flashback resistance. It is found that the axial air injection influences the flame stabilization and the position of the central recirculation zone. The penetration of the flame in the mixing tube introduces a strong expansion and acceleration of the flow, which results in a reduction of the spreading angle and eventually a flashback event.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme under the CoEC project, grant agreement No. 952181.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Ubiquitous supercomputing : design and development of enabling technologies for multi-robot systems rethinking supercomputing

Supercomputing, also known as High Performance Computing (HPC), is almost everywhere (ubiquitous), from the small widget in your phone telling you that today will be a sunny day, up to the next great contribution to the understanding of the origins of the universe.However, there is a field where supercomputing has been only slightly explored - robotics. Other than attempts to optimize complex robotics tasks, the two forces lack an effective alignment and a purposeful long-term contract. With advancements in miniaturization, communications and the appearance of powerful, energy and weight optimized embedded computing boards, a next logical transition corresponds to the creation of clusters of robots, a set of robotic entities that behave similarly as a supercomputer does. Yet, there is key aspect regarding our current understanding of what supercomputing means, or is useful for, that this work aims to redefine. For decades, supercomputing has been solely intended as a computing efficiency mechanism i.e. decreasing the computing time for complex tasks. While such train of thought have led to countless findings, supercomputing is more than that, because in order to provide the capacity of solving most problems quickly, another complete set of features must be provided, a set of features that can also be exploited in contexts such as robotics and that ultimately transform a set of independent entities into a cohesive unit.This thesis aims at rethinking what supercomputing means and to devise strategies to effectively set its inclusion within the robotics realm, contributing therefore to the ubiquity of supercomputing, the first main ideal of this work. With this in mind, a state of the art concerning previous attempts to mix robotics and HPC will be outlined, followed by the proposal of High Performance Robotic Computing (HPRC), a new concept mapping supercomputing to the nuances of multi-robot systems. HPRC can be thought as supercomputing in the edge and while this approach will provide all kind of advantages, in certain applications it might not be enough since interaction with external infrastructures will be required or desired. To facilitate such interaction, this thesis proposes the concept of ubiquitous supercomputing as the union of HPC, HPRC and two more type of entities, computing-less devices (e.g. sensor networks, etc.) and humans.The results of this thesis include the ubiquitous supercomputing ontology and an enabling technology depicted as The ARCHADE. The technology serves as a middleware between a mission and a supercomputing infrastructure and as a framework to facilitate the execution of any type of mission, i.e. precision agriculture, entertainment, inspection and monitoring, etc. Furthermore, the results of the execution of a set of missions are discussed.By integrating supercomputing and robotics, a second ideal is targeted, ubiquitous robotics, i.e. the use of robots in all kind of applications. Correspondingly, a review of existing ubiquitous robotics frameworks is presented and based upon its conclusions, The ARCHADE's design and development have followed the guidelines for current and future solutions. Furthermore, The ARCHADE is based on a rethought supercomputing where performance is not the only feature to be provided by ubiquitous supercomputing systems. However, performance indicators will be discussed, along with those related to other supercomputing features.Supercomputing has been an excellent ally for scientific exploration and not so long ago for commercial activities, leading to all kind of improvements in our lives, in our society and in our future. With the results of this thesis, the joining of two fields, two forces previously disconnected because of their philosophical approaches and their divergent backgrounds, holds enormous potential to open up our imagination for all kind of new applications and for a world where robotics and supercomputing are everywhere.La supercomputación, también conocida como Computación de Alto Rendimiento (HPC por sus siglas en inglés) puede encontrarse en casi cualquier lugar (ubicua), desde el widget en tu teléfono diciéndote que hoy será un día soleado, hasta la siguiente gran contribución al entendimiento de los orígenes del universo. Sin embargo, hay un campo en el que ha sido poco explorada - la robótica. Más allá de intentos de optimizar tareas robóticas complejas, las dos fuerzas carecen de un contrato a largo plazo. Dado los avances en miniaturización, comunicaciones y la aparición de potentes computadores embebidos, optimizados en peso y energía, la siguiente transición corresponde a la creación de un cluster de robots, un conjunto de robots que se comportan de manera similar a un supercomputador. No obstante, hay un aspecto clave, con respecto a la comprensión de la supercomputación, que esta tesis pretende redefinir. Durante décadas, la supercomputación ha sido entendida como un mecanismo de eficiencia computacional, es decir para reducir el tiempo de computación de ciertos problemas extremadamente complejos. Si bien este enfoque ha conducido a innumerables hallazgos, la supercomputación es más que eso, porque para proporcionar la capacidad de resolver todo tipo de problemas rápidamente, se debe proporcionar otro conjunto de características que también pueden ser explotadas en la robótica y que transforman un conjunto de robots en una unidad cohesiva. Esta tesis pretende repensar lo que significa la supercomputación y diseñar estrategias para establecer su inclusión dentro del mundo de la robótica, contribuyendo así a su ubicuidad, el principal ideal de este trabajo. Con esto en mente, se presentará un estado del arte relacionado con intentos anteriores de mezclar robótica y HPC, seguido de la propuesta de Computación Robótica de Alto Rendimiento (HPRC, por sus siglas en inglés), un nuevo concepto, que mapea la supercomputación a los matices específicos de los sistemas multi-robot. HPRC puede pensarse como supercomputación en el borde y si bien este enfoque proporcionará todo tipo de ventajas, ciertas aplicaciones requerirán una interacción con infraestructuras externas. Para facilitar dicha interacción, esta tesis propone el concepto de supercomputación ubicua como la unión de HPC, HPRC y dos tipos más de entidades, dispositivos sin computación embebida y seres humanos. Los resultados de esta tesis incluyen la ontología de la supercomputación ubicua y una tecnología llamada The ARCHADE. La tecnología actúa como middleware entre una misión y una infraestructura de supercomputación y como framework para facilitar la ejecución de cualquier tipo de misión, por ejemplo, agricultura de precisión, inspección y monitoreo, etc. Al integrar la supercomputación y la robótica, se busca un segundo ideal, robótica ubicua, es decir el uso de robots en todo tipo de aplicaciones. Correspondientemente, una revisión de frameworks existentes relacionados serán discutidos. El diseño y desarrollo de The ARCHADE ha seguido las pautas y sugerencias encontradas en dicha revisión. Además, The ARCHADE se basa en una supercomputación repensada donde la eficiencia computacional no es la única característica proporcionada a sistemas basados en la tecnología. Sin embargo, se analizarán indicadores de eficiencia computacional, junto con otros indicadores relacionados con otras características de la supercomputación. La supercomputación ha sido un excelente aliado para la exploración científica, conduciendo a todo tipo de mejoras en nuestras vidas, nuestra sociedad y nuestro futuro. Con los resultados de esta tesis, la unión de dos campos, dos fuerzas previamente desconectadas debido a sus enfoques filosóficos y sus antecedentes divergentes, tiene un enorme potencial para abrir nuestra imaginación hacia todo tipo de aplicaciones nuevas y para un mundo donde la robótica y la supercomputación estén en todos lado

Ubiquitous supercomputing : design and development of enabling technologies for multi-robot systems rethinking supercomputing

Supercomputing, also known as High Performance Computing (HPC), is almost everywhere (ubiquitous), from the small widget in your phone telling you that today will be a sunny day, up to the next great contribution to the understanding of the origins of the universe.However, there is a field where supercomputing has been only slightly explored - robotics. Other than attempts to optimize complex robotics tasks, the two forces lack an effective alignment and a purposeful long-term contract. With advancements in miniaturization, communications and the appearance of powerful, energy and weight optimized embedded computing boards, a next logical transition corresponds to the creation of clusters of robots, a set of robotic entities that behave similarly as a supercomputer does. Yet, there is key aspect regarding our current understanding of what supercomputing means, or is useful for, that this work aims to redefine. For decades, supercomputing has been solely intended as a computing efficiency mechanism i.e. decreasing the computing time for complex tasks. While such train of thought have led to countless findings, supercomputing is more than that, because in order to provide the capacity of solving most problems quickly, another complete set of features must be provided, a set of features that can also be exploited in contexts such as robotics and that ultimately transform a set of independent entities into a cohesive unit.This thesis aims at rethinking what supercomputing means and to devise strategies to effectively set its inclusion within the robotics realm, contributing therefore to the ubiquity of supercomputing, the first main ideal of this work. With this in mind, a state of the art concerning previous attempts to mix robotics and HPC will be outlined, followed by the proposal of High Performance Robotic Computing (HPRC), a new concept mapping supercomputing to the nuances of multi-robot systems. HPRC can be thought as supercomputing in the edge and while this approach will provide all kind of advantages, in certain applications it might not be enough since interaction with external infrastructures will be required or desired. To facilitate such interaction, this thesis proposes the concept of ubiquitous supercomputing as the union of HPC, HPRC and two more type of entities, computing-less devices (e.g. sensor networks, etc.) and humans.The results of this thesis include the ubiquitous supercomputing ontology and an enabling technology depicted as The ARCHADE. The technology serves as a middleware between a mission and a supercomputing infrastructure and as a framework to facilitate the execution of any type of mission, i.e. precision agriculture, entertainment, inspection and monitoring, etc. Furthermore, the results of the execution of a set of missions are discussed.By integrating supercomputing and robotics, a second ideal is targeted, ubiquitous robotics, i.e. the use of robots in all kind of applications. Correspondingly, a review of existing ubiquitous robotics frameworks is presented and based upon its conclusions, The ARCHADE's design and development have followed the guidelines for current and future solutions. Furthermore, The ARCHADE is based on a rethought supercomputing where performance is not the only feature to be provided by ubiquitous supercomputing systems. However, performance indicators will be discussed, along with those related to other supercomputing features.Supercomputing has been an excellent ally for scientific exploration and not so long ago for commercial activities, leading to all kind of improvements in our lives, in our society and in our future. With the results of this thesis, the joining of two fields, two forces previously disconnected because of their philosophical approaches and their divergent backgrounds, holds enormous potential to open up our imagination for all kind of new applications and for a world where robotics and supercomputing are everywhere.La supercomputación, también conocida como Computación de Alto Rendimiento (HPC por sus siglas en inglés) puede encontrarse en casi cualquier lugar (ubicua), desde el widget en tu teléfono diciéndote que hoy será un día soleado, hasta la siguiente gran contribución al entendimiento de los orígenes del universo. Sin embargo, hay un campo en el que ha sido poco explorada - la robótica. Más allá de intentos de optimizar tareas robóticas complejas, las dos fuerzas carecen de un contrato a largo plazo. Dado los avances en miniaturización, comunicaciones y la aparición de potentes computadores embebidos, optimizados en peso y energía, la siguiente transición corresponde a la creación de un cluster de robots, un conjunto de robots que se comportan de manera similar a un supercomputador. No obstante, hay un aspecto clave, con respecto a la comprensión de la supercomputación, que esta tesis pretende redefinir. Durante décadas, la supercomputación ha sido entendida como un mecanismo de eficiencia computacional, es decir para reducir el tiempo de computación de ciertos problemas extremadamente complejos. Si bien este enfoque ha conducido a innumerables hallazgos, la supercomputación es más que eso, porque para proporcionar la capacidad de resolver todo tipo de problemas rápidamente, se debe proporcionar otro conjunto de características que también pueden ser explotadas en la robótica y que transforman un conjunto de robots en una unidad cohesiva. Esta tesis pretende repensar lo que significa la supercomputación y diseñar estrategias para establecer su inclusión dentro del mundo de la robótica, contribuyendo así a su ubicuidad, el principal ideal de este trabajo. Con esto en mente, se presentará un estado del arte relacionado con intentos anteriores de mezclar robótica y HPC, seguido de la propuesta de Computación Robótica de Alto Rendimiento (HPRC, por sus siglas en inglés), un nuevo concepto, que mapea la supercomputación a los matices específicos de los sistemas multi-robot. HPRC puede pensarse como supercomputación en el borde y si bien este enfoque proporcionará todo tipo de ventajas, ciertas aplicaciones requerirán una interacción con infraestructuras externas. Para facilitar dicha interacción, esta tesis propone el concepto de supercomputación ubicua como la unión de HPC, HPRC y dos tipos más de entidades, dispositivos sin computación embebida y seres humanos. Los resultados de esta tesis incluyen la ontología de la supercomputación ubicua y una tecnología llamada The ARCHADE. La tecnología actúa como middleware entre una misión y una infraestructura de supercomputación y como framework para facilitar la ejecución de cualquier tipo de misión, por ejemplo, agricultura de precisión, inspección y monitoreo, etc. Al integrar la supercomputación y la robótica, se busca un segundo ideal, robótica ubicua, es decir el uso de robots en todo tipo de aplicaciones. Correspondientemente, una revisión de frameworks existentes relacionados serán discutidos. El diseño y desarrollo de The ARCHADE ha seguido las pautas y sugerencias encontradas en dicha revisión. Además, The ARCHADE se basa en una supercomputación repensada donde la eficiencia computacional no es la única característica proporcionada a sistemas basados en la tecnología. Sin embargo, se analizarán indicadores de eficiencia computacional, junto con otros indicadores relacionados con otras características de la supercomputación. La supercomputación ha sido un excelente aliado para la exploración científica, conduciendo a todo tipo de mejoras en nuestras vidas, nuestra sociedad y nuestro futuro. Con los resultados de esta tesis, la unión de dos campos, dos fuerzas previamente desconectadas debido a sus enfoques filosóficos y sus antecedentes divergentes, tiene un enorme potencial para abrir nuestra imaginación hacia todo tipo de aplicaciones nuevas y para un mundo donde la robótica y la supercomputación estén en todos ladosPostprint (published version