Guidance, navigation, and control for munitions

The United States Army is currently looking for new methods of guiding munitions, which would allow the military to employ guided munitions in place of traditional munitions. This will give the US Army an edge on the battle eld and also allow the use of munitions in areas where traditional mortars and artillery cannot be used, including dense urban environments where collateral damage is not acceptable.In this thesis, an innovative approach to Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) is developed for a spinning projectile that utilizes a single axis canard actuation system. Utilizing the projectiles spin, the controller can provide a full range of aerodynamic forces, over the 360o of rotation, that provides maneuverability using only one actuator. This technique minimizes the need for multiple actuators and maintains the inherent aerodynamic stability provided by the spin.The GN&C system design described in this thesis consists of a tracking regulator for sinusoidally oscillating the canard system, a nonlinear state estimator for attitude measurement, and a guidance law to guide the projectile to a target. By combining the three components, we can demonstrate a closed-loop guidance system that will hit a target accurately at distances normally not achieved by an unguided projectile.Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering -- Drexel University, 200

Computation applications in archaeology

This thesis is a critical analysis of the use which has been made of the computer in archaeology up to the year 1972. The main chapters cover the applications in archaeology of Statistics, Information Retrieval, Graphics, Pottery Classification and Survey Reduction. A large body of Miscellaneous Applications, including Pollen Analysis, are also examined. The majority of computer applications have been in Statistics. These applications include Numerical Taxonomy, Matrix Manipulation and Seriation, the generation of hypotheses and models, MUltidimensional Scaling, Cumulative Percentage Graphs and Trend Surface Analysis. It is worthwhile to note that for small sets of data several manual methods give comparable results to complex computer analyses and at far less cost. Computer Information Retrieval is examined in the light of its use for large bodies of specialist archaeological information, for museum cataloguing, and for the compilation of a site excavation record using a remote terminal. The use of Computer Graphics in the production of archaeological maps, plans and diagrams is examined. Facilities include the production of dot-density plots, distribution maps, histograms, piecharts, pottery diagrams, site block diagrams with 3D rotation and perspective, sections, pit outlines and projectile point classification by Fourier analysis. The use of the d-Mac Pencil Follower in the objective classification of pottery is described, followed by computer analysis of the resultant multivariate data. The use of the computer in the routine reduction of geophysical observations taken on archaeological sites is described. Complex filtering procedures for the removal of background effects and the enhancement of the archaeological anomalies are examined. Since other workers have concentrated on the applications of statistics in archaeology~ this thesis explores the relatively neglected fields of Graphics and Pottery Classification. Evidence is presented that significant advances have been made in the classification of pottery vessels and projectile points~ and in the graphical output of results. A number of new programs have been developed; these include software which may be operated from a remote terminal at an archaeological site. The P L U T A R C H System (Program Library Useful To ARCHaeologists) is described. This is a control program which uses interactive graphics and overlays to combine all the computer facilities available to the archaeologist. The individual graphics, statistics, instrument survey plotting and information retrieval techniques when combined in this way can communicate via global storage, and become even more powerful

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 05)

For abstract, see N75-13677

Fourth International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology

In order to examine the state of technology of all areas of magnetic suspension and to review recent developments in sensors, controls, superconducting magnet technology, and design/implementation practices, the Fourth International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology was held at The Nagaragawa Convention Center in Gifu, Japan, on October 30 - November 1, 1997. The symposium included 13 sessions in which a total of 35 papers were presented. The technical sessions covered the areas of maglev, controls, high critical temperature (T(sub c)) superconductivity, bearings, magnetic suspension and balance systems (MSBS), levitation, modeling, and applications. A list of attendees is included in the document

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 06)

For abstract, see N75-20149

The Seventeenth Space Simulation Conference. Terrestrial Test for Space Success

The Institute of Environmental Sciences' Seventeenth Space Simulation Conference, 'Terrestrial Test for Space Success' provided participants with a forum to acquire and exchange information on the state of the art in space simulation, test technology, atomic oxygen, dynamics testing, contamination, and materials. The papers presented at this conference and the resulting discussions carried out the conference theme of 'terrestrial test for space success.

Cumulative index to NASA Tech Briefs, 1986-1990, volumes 10-14

Tech Briefs are short announcements of new technology derived from the R&D activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These briefs emphasize information considered likely to be transferrable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines and are issued to encourage commercial application. This cumulative index of Tech Briefs contains abstracts and four indexes (subject, personal author, originating center, and Tech Brief number) and covers the period 1986 to 1990. The abstract section is organized by the following subject categories: electronic components and circuits, electronic systems, physical sciences, materials, computer programs, life sciences, mechanics, machinery, fabrication technology, and mathematics and information sciences

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 10)

Abstracts for 3089 patents and applications for patent entered in the NASA scientific and information system for the period covering May 1969 through December 1976 are indexed by subject, inventor, source, NASA case or U.S. patent number, and accession number in the NASA system

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 23)

Entries for 4000 patent and patent applications citations for the period May 1969 through June 1983 are listed. Subject, invention, source, number, and accession number indexes are included

NASA Tech Briefs, Winter 1978

Topics covered include: NASA TU Services: Technology Utilization services that can assist you in learning about and applying NASA technology; New Product Ideas: A summary of selected innovations of value to manufacturers for the development of new products; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Life Sciences; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences