How to protect a wind turbine from lightning

Techniques for reducing the chances of lightning damage to wind turbines are discussed. The methods of providing a ground for a lightning strike are discussed. Then details are given on ways to protect electronic systems, generating and power equipment, blades, and mechanical components from direct and nearby lightning strikes

Future benefits and applications of intelligent on-board processing to VSAT services

The trends and roles of VSAT services in the year 2010 time frame are examined based on an overall network and service model for that period. An estimate of the VSAT traffic is then made and the service and general network requirements are identified. In order to accommodate these traffic needs, four satellite VSAT architectures based on the use of fixed or scanning multibeam antennas in conjunction with IF switching or onboard regeneration and baseband processing are suggested. The performance of each of these architectures is assessed and the key enabling technologies are identified

Deep Space Network information system architecture study

The purpose of this article is to describe an architecture for the Deep Space Network (DSN) information system in the years 2000-2010 and to provide guidelines for its evolution during the 1990s. The study scope is defined to be from the front-end areas at the antennas to the end users (spacecraft teams, principal investigators, archival storage systems, and non-NASA partners). The architectural vision provides guidance for major DSN implementation efforts during the next decade. A strong motivation for the study is an expected dramatic improvement in information-systems technologies, such as the following: computer processing, automation technology (including knowledge-based systems), networking and data transport, software and hardware engineering, and human-interface technology. The proposed Ground Information System has the following major features: unified architecture from the front-end area to the end user; open-systems standards to achieve interoperability; DSN production of level 0 data; delivery of level 0 data from the Deep Space Communications Complex, if desired; dedicated telemetry processors for each receiver; security against unauthorized access and errors; and highly automated monitor and control

Integration of the White Sands Complex into a Wide Area Network

The NASA White Sands Complex (WSC) satellite communications facility consists of two main ground stations, an auxiliary ground station, a technical support facility, and a power plant building located on White Sands Missile Range. When constructed, terrestrial communication access to these facilities was limited to copper telephone circuits. There was no local or wide area communications network capability. This project incorporated a baseband local area network (LAN) topology at WSC and connected it to NASA's wide area network using the Program Support Communications Network-Internet (PSCN-I). A campus-style LAN is configured in conformance with the International Standards Organization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnect (ISO) model. Ethernet provides the physical and data link layers. Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) are used for the network and transport layers. The session, presentation, and application layers employ commercial software packages. Copper-based Ethernet collision domains are constructed in each of the primary facilities and these are interconnected by routers over optical fiber links. The network and each of its collision domains are shown to meet IEEE technical configuration guidelines. The optical fiber links are analyzed for the optical power budget and bandwidth allocation and are found to provide sufficient margin for this application. Personal computers and work stations attached to the LAN communicate with and apply a wide variety of local and remote administrative software tools. The Internet connection provides wide area network (WAN) electronic access to other NASA centers and the world wide web (WWW). The WSC network reduces and simplifies the administrative workload while providing enhanced and advanced inter-communications capabilities among White Sands Complex departments and with other NASA centers

Survey of unified approaches to integrated-service networks

The increasing demand for communication services, coupled with recent technological advances in communication media and switching techniques, has resulted in a proliferation of new and expanded services. Currently, networks are needed which can transmit voice, data, and video services in an application-independent fashion. Unified approaches employ a single switching technique across the entire network bandwidth, thus, allowing services to be switched in an application-independent manner. This paper presents a taxonomy of integrated-service networks including a look at N-ISDN, while focusing on unified approaches to integrated-service networks.The two most promising unified approaches are burst and fast packet switching. Burst switching is a circuit switching-based approach which allocates channel bandwidth to a connection only during the transmission of "bursts" of information. Fast packet switching is a packet switching-based approach which can be characterized by very high transmission rates on network links and simple, hardwired protocols which match the rapid channel speed of the network. Both approaches are being proposed as possible implementations for integrated-service networks. We survey these two approaches, and also examine the key performance issues found in fast packet switching. We then present the results of a simulation study of a fast packet switching network

Network Infrastructure Essentials Course Development

Voice and data cabling enable people around the world to communicate by phone, fax, and computer. Cabling is the basis for virtually every network. Today\u27s voice and data cabling is engineered to balance high performance with cost efficiency. The quality of the service provided by the cabling is directly related to the quality of the installation. Properly installed cabling can provide years of service for networks, in most cases outlasting every device connected to the network. Experience has taught us that too many people don\u27t realize the importance of cable infrastructure. At Alfred State College, in the Computer Engineering Technology curriculum there is not a course specifically targeted at the cable infrastructure. This project was to develop a new course aimed at the cable infrastructure to be implemented into the curriculum. This paper is about the entire course development process from project inception to course implementation. Although this project was to design a network infrastructure course, the process used could be applied to develop a new course for any curriculum

Community rotorcraft air transportation benefits and opportunities

Information about rotorcraft that will assist community planners in assessing and planning for the use of rotorcraft transportation in their communities is provided. Information useful to helicopter researchers, manufacturers, and operators concerning helicopter opportunities and benefits is also given. Three primary topics are discussed: the current status and future projections of rotorcraft technology, and the comparison of that technology with other transportation vehicles; the community benefits of promising rotorcraft transportation opportunities; and the integration and interfacing considerations between rotorcraft and other transportation vehicles. Helicopter applications in a number of business and public service fields are examined in various geographical settings

Fire and Life Safety Analysis of Cal Poly Engineering IV, Business in Amarillo, TX and Costco

The main fire protection disciplines ‐ Egress Analysis and Design, Fire Detection, Alarm and Communication Systems, Water‐based Fire Suppression Systems and Structural Fire Protection ‐ are covered in this report. For Egress Analysis and Design, the California Polytechnic State University’s Engineering IV building was analyzed and covered in the first portion of this report. The building was analyzed against the 2015 edition of NFPA 101 and the 2015 edition of the International Building Code. It is a typical university engineering building with classrooms, professors’ offices and some laboratories. The occupancies, the occupant load, exit widths, exit lengths and number of exits were all reviewed against the code requirements. The building mostly met the code requirements. Then, the information used for the prescribed requirements was used to calculate the egress times from the facility to find it had acceptable times to evacuate. The California Polytechnic State University’s Engineering IV building was also reviewed for the Structural Fire Protection requirements. The structure was reviewed against the code of record for the facility which is the 2000 edition of the International Building Code and the 2001 edition of the California Fire Code. The building was constructed as a Type II‐A facility which meets the code requirements for this type of facility and the required fire barriers were in the correct locations to delay and/contain fire spread to allow safe egress from the facility. Then, the fire resistance time was calculated to determine if the construction met the required fire resistant time for the facility. The way the building was constructed exceeded the required fire resistant time. A warehouse facility in Amarillo, TX was analyzed for Fire Detection, Alarm and Communication System requirements. The facility was reviewed against the requirements in current editions of NFPA 72, NFPA 90A and NFPA 101. Most of the facility met the prescribed requirements in the codes but a couple of areas did not. Then, the activation time of the sprinklers was calculated and the performance of the horns and strobes was calculated to see if the current locations met the performance‐based requirements. There were a couple of areas that met the prescribed code requirements but would not meet the performance‐based requirements, as well as, areas that would need slight adjustments to meet the performance‐based requirements. For the Water‐based Fire Suppression Systems analysis, a suppression system was designed for a Costco to meet the requirements from the 2013 edition of NFPA 13 with the water supply given since there wasn’t a current suppression system design. Then, the information from the Costco was used to calculate the egress time from the facility. The calculated egress time was compared to the smoke and temperature levels at head height to determine if the occupants would have enough time to egress safely for three different fire scenarios. For all three scenarios, the smoke level reach head height at the exits before the facility was completely evacuated

Fire Protection System Analysis of Warren J. Baker Center of Science and Mathematics

This report analyzes the different fire protection systems and features of the Warren J. Baker Center for Science and Mathematics at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus. This building is used for lectures, laboratories, study spaces, faculty spaces, and storage spaces for the students and faculty at the Cal Poly campus. Typically, there are science and math courses taught within this building. The building is a 6-story structure, that is not classified as a high-rise due to the location of fire department access and has a five-story atrium located on levels 2 through 6. There are two different types of analysis performed within this report for the systems present, prescriptive and performance based. The prescriptive analysis is based on engineering standards and regulations for the systems in place which include: means of egress system, fire suppression system, fire alarm and detection system, smoke evacuation system, and the structural fire protection. The means of egress system has deficiencies with regards to required egress width on the fourth and fifth level. This deficiency may be due to the design basis at the time of construction and the engineering standard used to analyze the means of egress system within this report. The standard used for design basis contains allowances that allow the use of less restrictive egress capacity factors. The remaining life safety systems meet the minimum standards used throughout this report. The performance-based analysis establishes performance criteria based on engineering guidelines and develops an evacuation model as well as a computational fluid dynamics model. The performance criteria specified included both visibility and temperature that occupants would be subjected to at 6 feet above the walking surfaces throughout the building. The evacuation model, using Pathfinder, is used to determine the required safe egress time for occupants to safely exit the building. Two conditions were investigated for a general alarm condition, which varied the egress features present for the occupants. A third model was developed based on a recommendation from the performance-based analysis where deficiencies were found in the evacuation time. This evacuation simulation modeled a phased evacuation for the building. The fire model, using Fire Dynamics Simulator, is used to determine the available safe egress time based on developed conditions from the fire and tenability criteria. Two design fires were established based on recommendations in engineering literature as well as specific California regulations. The determined available safe egress time did not exceed the determined required safe egress time found from the evacuation model for a general evacuation, due to queuing at exit stairways. Recommendations are made based on the findings of the prescriptive and performance-based analysis. The recommendation that would have the largest impact on the performance-based analysis is a phased evacuation strategy. If implemented, the required safe egress time would be less than the available safe egress time, thus allowing occupants to evacuate prior to untenable conditions. Also, a mechanical smoke exhaust system would aid in maintaining the smoke layer from creating untenable conditions at 6 feet above the walking surface