Dust control for Enabler

The dust control group designed a system to restrict dust that is disturbed by the Enabler during its operation from interfering with astronaut or camera visibility. This design also considers the many different wheel positions made possible through the use of artinuation joints that provide the steering and wheel pitching for the Enabler. The system uses a combination of brushes and fenders to restrict the dust when the vehicle is moving in either direction and in a turn. This design also allows for each of maintenance as well as accessibility of the remainder of the vehicle

Optimized aerodynamic design process for subsonic transport wing fitted with winglets

The aerodynamic design of a wind-tunnel model of a wing representative of that of a subsonic jet transport aircraft, fitted with winglets, was performed using two recently developed optimal wing-design computer programs. Both potential flow codes use a vortex lattice representation of the near-field of the aerodynamic surfaces for determination of the required mean camber surfaces for minimum induced drag, and both codes use far-field induced drag minimization procedures to obtain the required spanloads. One code uses a discrete vortex wake model for this far-field drag computation, while the second uses a 2-D advanced panel wake model. Wing camber shapes for the two codes are very similar, but the resulting winglet camber shapes differ widely. Design techniques and considerations for these two wind-tunnel models are detailed, including a description of the necessary modifications of the design geometry to format it for use by a numerically controlled machine for the actual model construction

Automation of closed environments in space for human comfort and safety

This report culminates the work accomplished during a three year design project on the automation of an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) suitable for space travel and colonization. The system would provide a comfortable living environment in space that is fully functional with limited human supervision. A completely automated ECLSS would increase astronaut productivity while contributing to their safety and comfort. The first section of this report, section 1.0, briefly explains the project, its goals, and the scheduling used by the team in meeting these goals. Section 2.0 presents an in-depth look at each of the component subsystems. Each subsection describes the mathematical modeling and computer simulation used to represent that portion of the system. The individual models have been integrated into a complete computer simulation of the CO2 removal process. In section 3.0, the two simulation control schemes are described. The classical control approach uses traditional methods to control the mechanical equipment. The expert control system uses fuzzy logic and artificial intelligence to control the system. By integrating the two control systems with the mathematical computer simulation, the effectiveness of the two schemes can be compared. The results are then used as proof of concept in considering new control schemes for the entire ECLSS. Section 4.0 covers the results and trends observed when the model was subjected to different test situations. These results provide insight into the operating procedures of the model and the different control schemes. The appendix, section 5.0, contains summaries of lectures presented during the past year, homework assignments, and the completed source code used for the computer simulation and control system

Patterns of cropland management systems for assessments of global change

Die Landwirtschaft liefert einen Großteil der Nahrungsmittel und Rohstoffe für den menschlichen Verbrauch und wird aufgrund globaler Dynamiken des Bevölkerungswachstums, Änderungen der Ernährungszusammensetzung und Auswirkungen des Klimawandels herausgefordert. Gleichzeitig hat die intensive landwirtschaftliche Produktion oft erhebliche Auswirkungen auf die Leistungen und Funktionen von Ökosystemen. Agrarökosystemmodelle können verwendet werden, um Auswirkungen der Landwirtschaft über verschiedene zeitliche und räumliche Skalen zu quantifizieren. Globale Bewertungen werden jedoch durch die begrenzte Verfügbarkeit von Daten einzelner agronomischer Maßnahmen und dem Wissen über die damit verbundenen biophysikalischen und biogeochemischen Prozesse erschwert. Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit ist es, das Verständnis über Anforderungen an Daten von landwirtschaftlichen Produktionssystemen und deren Anwendungsmethoden in globalen Modellierungsstudien zu erweitern. Darüber hinaus zielt diese Doktorarbeit darauf ab die Arten, räumliche Ausdehnung, Umweltwirkung und Potenziale von unterschiedlichen Bewirtschaftungsmethoden auf globalem Ackerland abzuschätzen. Die Ergebnisse der ersten Studie zeigen, inwiefern die Aggregation von rasterzellenbasiert simulierten Ernteerträgen zu national und globalen Durchschnittserträgen mit vier unterschiedlichen Datenprodukten zu Unsicherheiten von ~10 % führen kann. Der zweite Forschungsartikel präsentiert eine Klassifikation von sechs Bodenbearbeitungssystemen, deren Kartierung und ermittelten Merkmale zur Parametrisierung in globalen Agrarökosystemmodell verwendet werden können. Zuletzt werden mit Hilfe des globalem Modells LPJml5.0- tillage-cc die biophysikalischen Auswirkungen von Zwischenfruchtanbau im Vergleich zu Schwarzbrache auf die Kohlenstoff-, Stickstoff- und Wasserdynamiken abgeschätzt. Die Ergebnisse der Thesis zeigen Potenziale von und Trade-offs zwischen ackerbaulichen Bewirtschaftungsmethoden und deren globaler Modellierung auf.Agricultural production provides a major share of food, feed, fiber, and fuel for anthropogenic usage, and is challenged by projected increasing demand due to dynamics of population growth, changes in dietary compositions, and climate change impacts. At the same time, intensive agricultural production practices have environmental externalities, which negatively affect ecosystems’ services and functions. Agroecosystem models can be used to quantify impacts of cropland use across various temporal and spatial scales, but global assessments are hampered by the limited availability of land management data and of knowledge regarding associated biophysical and biogeochemical processes and functions. The objective of the thesis is to increase the understanding of agricultural management data requirements and implications for their usages in global modeling studies. Further, the thesis aims to identify types, spatial distribution, as well as to estimate impacts, and potentials of cropland management practices to support sustainable development. In the first study, it was assessed in which way the application of different harvested crop area datasets for the national and global aggregation of modeled crop yield outputs from the grid cell to country and global scale, induces average uncertainty of ~10 % to the results. The second study presents a global classification of six soil management systems whereas the derived mapping and characteristics can be used for parameterization across a range of intensity levels in global land use modeling studies. In the third study different cropland management practices were assessed using LPJml5.0-tillage-cc, with a modified code for the representation of cover crops growing as grass on cropland between two consecutive main crop growing seasons. The thesis’ findings reveal potential and trade-offs of land management practices and their impact assessment using global agroecosystem models

RSRA sixth scale wind tunnel test. Tabulated balance data, volume 2

Summaries are presented of all the force and moment data acquired during the RSRA Sixth Scale Wind Tunnel Test. These data include and supplement the data presented in curve form in previous reports. Each summary includes the model configuration, wing and empennage incidences and deflections, and recorded balance data. The first group of data in each summary presents the force and moment data in full scale parametric form, the dynamic pressure and velocity in the test section, and the powered nacelle fan speed. The second and third groups of data are the balance data in nondimensional coefficient form. The wind axis coefficient data corresponds to the parametric data divided by the wing area for forces and divided by the product of the wing area and wing span or mean aerodynamic chord for moments. The stability axis data resolves the wind axis data with respect to the angle of yaw