16,260 research outputs found
Use of automated rendezvous trajectory planning to improve spacecraft operations efficiency
The current planning process for space shuttle rendezvous with a second Earth-orbiting vehicle is time consuming and costly. It is a labor-intensive, manual process performed pre-mission with the aid of specialized maneuver processing tools. Real-time execution of a rendezvous plan must closely follow a predicted trajectory, and targeted solutions leading up to the terminal phase are computed on the ground. Despite over 25 years of Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle vehicle-to-vehicle rendezvous missions flown to date, rendezvous in Earth orbit still requires careful monitoring and cannot be taken for granted. For example, a significant trajectory offset was experienced during terminal phase rendezvous of the STS-32 Long Duration Exposure Facility retrieval mission. Several improvements can be introduced to the present rendezvous planning process to reduce costs, produce more fuel-efficient profiles, and increase the probability of mission success
Half-Saturation Constants in Functional Responses
Our aim is to provide an overview of half-saturation constants reported in
literature and to explore their consistency with body size. In many ecological
models, intake of nutrients by plants and consumption of food by animals is
considered to be a hyperbolic function of the nutrient concentration and the
food density, respectively. However, data on the concentration (or density) at
which half of the maximum intake rate is reached are scarce, limiting the
applicability of the computational models. The meta-analysis was conducted on
literature published worldwide. Most studies focused on algae and
invertebrates, whereas some included fish, birds and mammals. The
half-saturation constants obtained were linked to body size using ordinary
regression analysis. The observed trends were compared to those noted in
reviews on other density parameters. Half-saturation constants for different
clades range within one or two orders of magnitude. Although these constants
are inherently variable, exploring allometric relationships across different
taxa helps to improve consistent parameterization of ecological models.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Do Exchange Rates Move in Line With Uncovered Interest Parity?
According to uncovered interest rate Parity (UIP), the expected relative change in an exchange rate is equal to the difference between interest rates between the two currencies. Empirically, UIP is frequently rejected. In this paper, we examine whether exchange rates have at least any tendency to move in the direction predicted by UIP and whether exchange rates tend to move more in line with UIP in periods with large interest rate differentials.Exchange rates;Uncovered interest rate parity;Logit models
Detecting gravitational lensing cosmic shear from samples of several galaxies using two-dimensional spectral imaging
Studies of weak gravitational lensing by large-scale structures require the
measurement of the distortions introduced to the shapes of distant galaxies at
the few percent level by anisotropic light deflection along the line of sight.
To detect this signal on 1-10 arcmin scales in a particular field, accurate
measurements of the correlations between the shapes of order 1000-10000
galaxies are required. This large-scale averaging is required to accommodate
the unknown intrinsic shapes of the background galaxies, even with careful
removal of systematic effects. Here an alternative is discussed. If it is
possible to measure accurately the detailed dynamical structure of the
background galaxies, in particular rotating disks, then it should be possible
to measure directly the cosmic shear distortion, as it generally leads to a
non-self-consistent rotation curve. Narrow spectral lines and excellent
two-dimensional spatial resolution are required. The ideal lines and telescope
are CO rotational transitions and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)
respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Expected to appear in ApJ Letters Vol. 570, 10
May 2002. Replaced with final proof version correcting minor typo
Improving optimal control of grid-connected lithium-ion batteries through more accurate battery and degradation modelling
The increased deployment of intermittent renewable energy generators opens up
opportunities for grid-connected energy storage. Batteries offer significant
flexibility but are relatively expensive at present. Battery lifetime is a key
factor in the business case, and it depends on usage, but most techno-economic
analyses do not account for this. For the first time, this paper quantifies the
annual benefits of grid-connected batteries including realistic physical
dynamics and nonlinear electrochemical degradation. Three lithium-ion battery
models of increasing realism are formulated, and the predicted degradation of
each is compared with a large-scale experimental degradation data set
(Mat4Bat). A respective improvement in RMS capacity prediction error from 11\%
to 5\% is found by increasing the model accuracy. The three models are then
used within an optimal control algorithm to perform price arbitrage over one
year, including degradation. Results show that the revenue can be increased
substantially while degradation can be reduced by using more realistic models.
The estimated best case profit using a sophisticated model is a 175%
improvement compared with the simplest model. This illustrates that using a
simplistic battery model in a techno-economic assessment of grid-connected
batteries might substantially underestimate the business case and lead to
erroneous conclusions
A fast operating magnetically controlled switch for 1 kA
The power of fully superconducting rectifiers can be improved by increasing either the operating frequency or the transformer primary inductance [1]. The frequency is usually limited by the recovery time of thermally controlled switches. In order to achieve a higher switching speed, magnetically controlled switches are preferable [1,2]. This paper describes a magnetically controlled switch which can be used for currents up to 500 A at 25 Hz. The switch element, consisting of several Nb1%Zr multifilamentary superconductors, is placed between two concentric solenoids which generate the necessary magnetic field. The Nb1%Zr superconductor is well suited for this purpose because of its relatively low critical field (¿ 0.75 T) and high maximum current density (about 5.109A/m2below 0.3 T)
A new test setup to measure the AC losses of the conductors for NET
A description is given of a new test system currently under construction. The system will be used to measure the AC losses of subcables from Next European Torus (NET) conductors. A special feature of the test arrangement is that the losses will be determined while the sample carries a transport current and is at the same time subjected to a changing magnetic field in the transverse and longitudinal directions. Several aspects of the design, such as magnetic field, forces, and losses, are discusse
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