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Heat Transfer To Laminar Flow Across A Flat Plate Subjected To A Periodic Change Of Surface Temperature., Mahmoud Awad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper presents an analytical procedure for estimation of the unsteady local heat flux to a steady laminar boundary layer a flat plate with a periodic change of surface temperature. The fluid flow is parallel to the plate and the fluid physical properties are taken to be constant, and the plate surface temperature is spatially uniform and changes with time according to a sinusoidal function. An expression for instantaneous local Nusselt number is drived. It is found that the instantaneous local value of Nusselt number differs from the quasi-steady value of Nusselt number. The maximum percentage difference between the two …

Development And In-Flight Testing Of An Iodine Ion Thruster, Dmytro Rafalskyi, Javier Martínez Martínez, Lui Habl, Ane Aanesland

Small Satellite Conference

The increase in the number of small satellite missions is enabling the development of new mission scenarios, requiring in turn further miniaturization of the systems onboard. An example is the deployment of small satellite constellations, which typically require onboard propulsion to perform phasing, collision avoidance and deorbit maneuvers. In this work we describe the development, testing and first in-space demonstration of a one Cubesat unit standalone iodine-fueled electric propulsion system based on a gridded ion thruster. The propulsion system, called NPT30-I2-1U, has all the subsystems necessary to its operation integrated inside the 1U volume, such as power processing unit, operation …

A Comparison Of The Technological Maturation Of Smallsat Propulsion Systems From 2018 To 2020, Bruce D. Yost, Sasha V. Weston, Craig D. Burkhard, Julianna L. Fishman

Small Satellite Conference

The maturity in small spacecraft technology is indicated by the continued growth in the number of missions, mission complexity, and the expansion of smallsat subsystem capability. Identified development paths include the consideration of systems and components with flight heritage on larger spacecraft to meet the needs of smaller platforms, the conception of novel technologies specifically designed for small spacecraft, and the incremental improvements every 1-2 years in components where the underlying technology remains unchanged. Progress of overall smallsat technology development is captured in the most recent 2020 State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology (SoA) report, the objective of which is to assess …

Proto-Flight Testing Of A Green Monopropellant Integrated Propulsion System, Joe Cardin, Joshua Hsu, Jigar Sorathia

Small Satellite Conference

The Integrated Propulsion System (IPS) is a bolt-on green monopropellant propulsion system specifically designed for ESPA-class Small Satellites. The purpose of this paper is to document Proto-flight testing of three Integrated Propulsion Systems.

The objective of Proto-flight testing is to certify systems for flight while preserving their ability to be subsequently flown and fulfill their mission requirements. This approach is widely used in the Small Sat community where program lead times are short and budgets tight.

Proto-flight testing of the Integrated Propulsion Systems combined both acceptance testing that screen for workmanship and qualification testing that verifies the design. As with …

Lessons Learnt From Operating The First Cubesat Mission Equipped With A Hall Thruster, Paul Lascombes, Maxime Montès, Andrea Fiorentino, Tom Gelu, Mikael Fillastre, Antonio Gurciullo

Small Satellite Conference

Only a few electric propulsion solutions on-board small satellites have been operated in space, even if propulsion is nowadays seen as one of the most important subsystems for the future of small satellites. Exotrail demonstrated its Hall Effect Thruster propulsion solution in space at the end of 2020. It was the first Hall thruster ever flown onboard a satellite weighing below 100kg of mass, while also being the only known permanent magnet Hall Thruster demonstrated in space. Operations of small satellites with propulsion is a novel field and the behavior of such thrusters in space still brings new challenges.

Exotrail …

Hyper - A Green Monopropellant For Small Satellite Propulsion, Brandie L. Rhodes, Madison Piechowski, David Hinkley, Evan R. Ulrich

Small Satellite Conference

The theory, experimentation, and implementation of a green monopropellant propulsion system for small satellites is described, including the environmental testing and integration of the system onto a CubeSat slated to launch in early 2022. HyPer, named after its propellant hydrogen peroxide, was specifically designed with the smaller size, lower power availability, and challenging launch conditions of CubeSats in mind. Instead of using a traditional monopropellant management system –pressurized reactive liquid forced to a catalyst bed – HyPer uses the vacuum of space to boil the stored liquid hydrogen peroxide, delivering a highly-tunable flow of reactive vapor to the catalyst. This …

In-Flight Performance Of The Terminator Tape End-Of-Life Deorbit Module, Harrison C. Stankey, Robert P. Hoyt

Small Satellite Conference

The Terminator Tape™ is a passive deorbit module that utilizes both electrodynamic and aerodynamic drag effects to reduce spacecraft deorbit time. To date, three satellites have deployed Terminator Tapes, accumulating a total flight time of approximately thirty months. The first two deployments, on the NPSAT-1 and PROX-1 satellites, are starting multi-year deorbit profiles that will characterize Terminator Tape performance over a full solar cycle as they descend from altitudes above 700km. Additionally, the DRAGRACER mission recently demonstrated performance at lower altitudes, where aerodynamic drag becomes the dominant effect and has given insight into late-stage performance of the tape. Analysis of …

Cu-Enhanced 3-D Printed Fuels For Green Smallsat Propulsion, Stephen A. Whitmore, Kurt C. Olsen, Victoria L. Coverstone, Cagri Y. Oztan

Small Satellite Conference

The Propulsion Research Laboratory at Utah State University (USU) has recently developed a promising High-Performance "Green" Hybrid Propulsion (HPGHP) technology that derives from the novel electrical breakdown property of certain 3-D printed like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). This electrical breakdown property has been engineered into a proprietary, power-efficient system that can be cold-started and restarted with a high degree of reliability. One of the issues associated with ABS as a propellant is its low burn rate. It is well documented in technical literature that hybrid rocket systems generally have fuel regression rates that are typically 25-30% lower than solid fuel …

Method And System For Automatically Generating Artificial Intelligence Powered Prototypes, Carolina Barcenas, Ms, Harishkumar Majithiya, Mr, Shizhe Ma,, Prasad Kudtarkar, Mr, Sugandh Sachdev, Mr, Roshni Samuel Ms

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for automatically generating Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered prototypes. Here, a plurality of AI models is provided in a user interface of the system. Further, a selection of a set of the AI models is received via the user interface. For each of the set of the AI models, identification of input features and data sources is received via the user interface for training each of the plurality of AI models. Further, a selection of one or more rules for aggregating model inputs and model outputs is received via the user …

Gas Leakage Detection With Hyperspectral Imagery-Based Vegetation Stress Indices, Pengfei Ma

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

The objective of this research is to provide a basis for gas leakage detection with hyperspectral cameras. The gas leakage attacks vegetations, which yields some spectral signature changes. As the vegetation under different stressors may induce similar effect. The spectral signature changes can be similar. A lab test was arranged to test three kinds of plants under four common natural stressors with a reference. All plants are routinely scanned with hyperspectral cameras every three days to obtain every developmental stage. Linear discriminant analysis (LDR) was applied in the data analysis to discriminate the plant with gas leakage treatment from the …

A Human-Embodied Drone For Dexterous Aerial Manipulation, Dongbin Kim

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

Current drones passively surveil. Drones equipped with robotic arms shift this paradigm: the drone is actively interacting with the environment rather than simply sensing it. This would be needed to robotically enhance bridge-related work, called dexterous aerial manipulation: drones could hose decks; drilling on surfaces; and epoxy cracks. Such research is important to advancing bridge maintenance and repair.

Recently, the worker’s experience was integrated in aerial manipulation using haptic technology. The net effect is such system could enable the worker to leverage drones to collaborative perform haptic assessments of the objects and complete tasks on the bridge remotely. However, the …

Probability Of Detection In Corrosion Monitoring With Fe-C Coated Lpfg Sensors, Ying Zhuo

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

This project aims to develop two statistical methods for determining the probability of detection in corrosion monitoring using long period fiber gratings (LPFG) sensors with thin Fe-C coating, validate these methods from independent laboratory tests, and determine the steel mass loss at 90% probability of detection and the largest steel mass loss that may miss from a corrosion inspection at 95% upper confidence bounds. LPFG sensors could reflect the corrosion process by the wavelength shift in the transmission spectrum due to the change of the refractive index of the Fe-C coating. POD is a method used to determine the capability …

An Introduction To Calling Bullshit: Learning To Think Outside The Black Box, Jevin D. West, Carl T. Bergstrom

Numeracy

Bergstrom, Carl T. and Jevin D. West. 2020. Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World. (New York: Random House) 336 pp. ISBN 978-0525509202.

While statistical methods receive greater attention, the art of critically evaluating information in everyday life more commonly depends on thinking outside the black box of the algorithm. In this piece we introduce readers to our book and associated online teaching materials—for readers who want to more capably call “bullshit” or to teach their students to do the same.

Smart Sounding System For Autonomous Evaluation Of Concrete Structures, Deepak Kumar

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

Impact sounding has been used successfully to detect defects in concrete structures. Recent research has shown that the sounding, such as chirp signal, can be generated by electronic speakers, and can be designed with controlled frequency characteristics to excite defects in concrete decks. The bottom of a deck cannot be conventionally sounded, and precise location of the damaged area is a challenge. The focus of this research is on development of a “Smart Sounding System” that can be used to inspect the underdeck and pier surfaces effectively and autonomously.

Inspire Utc Bridge Inspection Field Campaign Update, 2021, Pu Jiao

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

Bridge inspection activities using robotic sensing system are surging in the recent years due to the increasing demand of infrastructure maintenance and development of commercial drones and open-source robotic platforms. On the other hand, the data acquired through bridge inspection is also booming, which stimulated the application of machine learning in infrastructure.

At INSPIRE UTC of Missouri University of Science and Technology, bridge inspection equipment’s are being developed and tested for comprehensive data collection using multiple sensing technologies. This paper presents and evaluates the drone-carried sensors’ abilities and applications after 3 bridge inspections in Missouri in 2021 and sketches the …

Multi-Directional Bicycle Robot For Steel Bridge Inspection, Son Thanh Nguyen

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

In contrast to the current climbing robots, this research presents a new design and implementation of a roller chain-based climbing robot to provide a practical solution for steel structure inspection (bridges, poles, pipes, etc.)

The proposed roller chain-like robot has 12 joints for moving and 3 pairs of joints for turning, which makes the robot very flexible. This setup allows the robot to traverse areas of complex geometry on steel bridges. The robot utilizes permanent magnets to be able to well adhere on steel structures while moving.

Probability Of Detection In Corrosion Monitoring With Fe-C Coated Lpfg Sensors, Ying Zhuo

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

This project aims to develop two statistical methods for determining the probability of detection in corrosion monitoring using long period fiber gratings (LPFG) sensors with thin Fe-C coating, validate these methods from independent laboratory tests, and determine the steel mass loss at 90% probability of detection and the largest steel mass loss that may miss from a corrosion inspection at 95% upper confidence bounds. LPFG sensors could reflect the corrosion process by the wavelength shift in the transmission spectrum due to the change of the refractive index of the Fe-C coating. POD is a method used to determine the capability …

Inspire Utc Bridge Inspection Field Campaign Update, 2021, Pu Jiao

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

Bridge inspection activities using robotic sensing system are surging in the recent years due to the increasing demand of infrastructure maintenance and development of commercial drones and open-source robotic platforms. On the other hand, the data acquired through bridge inspection is also booming, which stimulated the application of machine learning in infrastructure.

At INSPIRE UTC of Missouri University of Science and Technology, bridge inspection equipment’s are being developed and tested for comprehensive data collection using multiple sensing technologies. This paper presents and evaluates the drone-carried sensors’ abilities and applications after 3 bridge inspections in Missouri in 2021 and sketches the …

Drone Vision-Based Clamping Strategy For Bridge Inspection, Bo Shang

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

Most bridges in the United States are near their designed lifetime. So, policy needs bridges to be inspected every two years. Currently, most of those inspections are done by human which needs to block the traffic and can cause injury. MST INSPIRE-UTC’s project Bridge Inspection Robot Deployment Systems (BIRDS) tries to develop a flying and climbing platform that has the following benefit:

• Capturing high quality data for inspection without vibration;
• Free of blocking traffic;
• Operator and inspector are safe.

Autonomous Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement Using Martlet Wireless Sensing System Integrated With A Steel Climbing Mobile Robot, Yu Otsuki

INSPIRE-UTC Annual Meetings

The objective of this research is to develop an autonomous ultrasonic thickness measurement system for steel bridge members through the integration of wireless sensing and robotics. The ultrasonic thickness measurement is achieved using a transducer that requires access to only one side of a steel bridge member. Building upon the Martlet wireless sensing platform, this project first develops pulser and ultrasonic daughter boards to generate a pulse excitation and to filter and amplify the received ultrasonic signal. The developed Martlet wireless ultrasonic device is next integrated with a steel climbing mobile robot developed by University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The …

Extended Haplotype-Phasing Of Long-Read De Novo Genome Assemblies Using Hi-C, Zev N. Kronenberg, Arang Rhie, Sergey Koren, Gregory T. Concepcion, Paul Peluso, Katherine M. Munson, David Porubsky, Kristen Kuhn, Kathryn A. Mueller, Wai Yee Low, Stefan Hiendleder, Olivier Fedrigo, Ivan Liachko, Richard J. Hall, Adam M. Phillippy, Evan E. Eichler, John L. Williams, Timothy P.L. Smith, Erich D. Jarvis, Shawn T. Sullivan, Sarah B. Kingan

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Haplotype-resolved genome assemblies are important for understanding how combinations of variants impact phenotypes. To date, these assemblies have been best created with complex protocols, such as cultured cells that contain a single-haplotype (haploid) genome, single cells where haplotypes are separated, or co-sequencing of parental genomes in a triobased approach. These approaches are impractical in most situations. To address this issue, we present FALCON-Phase, a phasing tool that uses ultra-long-range Hi-C chromatin interaction data to extend phase blocks of partially-phased diploid assembles to chromosome or scaffold scale. FALCON-Phase uses the inherent phasing information in Hi-C reads, skipping variant calling, and reduces …

Ground Demonstration Of New Robotic Technologies For On Orbit Servicing To Enable Maneuver Without Regret For Small Sat Missions Beyond Geo, Atif M. Qureshi, Andy Mcevoy, Kodie Artner

Small Satellite Conference

In this paper we will discuss the demonstration of on-orbit servicing capabilities by a new robotic manipulator, designed from the bottom up to fit within the Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) constraints and budget expectations of smallsat missions. There is a recognized need for extreme mobility to meet the space domain awareness goals of the U.S. government in cis-lunar space, and on orbit servicing is the key to establishing this capability. In addition, a small spacecraft profile is critical, with transportation costs particularly high beyond earth orbit. In the past, robotic systems capable of on-orbit servicing have resulted from years …

On-The-Fly Hardware-Accelerated Image Processing System For Target Recognition, Eugenio Scarpa, Emilio Fazzoletto

Small Satellite Conference

Upcoming robotic exploration missions are characterized by constantly increasing spacecraft autonomy requirements. This approach includes the necessity to face new challenging tasks, such as autonomous navigation capabilities, adaptive activity scheduling and on-the-edge data processing. When these scenarios meet small satellite platforms, coming with a plethora of resource constraints, an optimized implementation of computing intensive functionalities is necessary to achieve usable performance. Argotec, an Italian aerospace company, designs and develops its own avionics systems to enable challenging inter-planetary small satellite missions. Within this context, Argotec developed a proprietary implementation of a high-throughput image processing pipeline to support vision-based autonomous navigation and …

Nasa Spacecube Edge Tpu Smallsat Card For Autonomous Operations And Onboard Science-Data Analysis, Justin Goodwill, Gary Crum, James Mackinnon, Cody Brewer, Michael Monaghan, Travis Wise, Christopher Wilson

Small Satellite Conference

Using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI)frameworks onboard spacecraft is challenging because common spacecraft processors cannot provide comparable performance to data centers with server-grade CPUs and GPUs available for terrestrial applications and advanced deep-learning networks. This limitation makes small, low-power AI microchip architectures, such as the Google Coral Edge Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), attractive for space missions where the application-specific design enables both high-performance and power-efficient computing for AI applications. To address these challenging considerations for space deployment, this research introduces the design and capabilities of a CubeSat-sized Edge TPU-based co-processor card, known as the SpaceCube Low-power Edge Artificial Intelligence Resilient Node …

Advanced Concepts For Small Satellite Thermal Control, Jennifer Young

Small Satellite Conference

The Thermal Control System (TCS) for small satellites is notoriously challenging because traditional thermal design practices, hardware, and testing, when compressed, may not produce the same performance outcome. Emerging technologies for thermal software and hardware are already available in the small satellite sector and more are quickly being developed. This paper will discuss the inherent challenges in designing thermal systems for small satellites, the advancements being made in thermal modeling, recent advances in thermal hardware, and emerging thermal control innovations. Technologies include specific small satellite applications for: thermal interface materials, thermal isolators, heat straps, heat pipes, wedge locks, graphite cores, …

Model-Based Framework For On-Board-Software, Frank Flederer, Sergio Montenegro

Small Satellite Conference

Satellites carry different payloads, but the basic design in hard- and software is generally similar for small satellites. For example, they all receive telecommands, distribute them and generate telemetry packets. Reusing existing components is desirable, especially with limited time and financial budgets. This is where the Corfu comes in, which we present in this work.

Corfu is a software framework for safety-critical on-board software. It follows a model-based approach. Developers formally define the structure of the software. The software design is app-centric, i.e. on-board software in Corfu is a composition of apps. Apps define a clear communication interface using a …

The Cubesat Assessment And Test (Cat) Program - Missions Operations Evolution, Warren Chen, Kristin Fretz, Annette Mirantes, Ralf Perez, Tim Krueger

Small Satellite Conference

On January 31, 2019, the CubeSat Assessment and Test (CAT) mission deployed from the International Space Station (ISS). The primary objective of the CAT mission is to use two COTS 3U spacecraft to support a communications experiment. CAT completed its primary mission success objectives in two months and continues to collect mission data two years post-launch. After meeting the mission objectives, the focus shifted to increasing data return from the payloads on the two spacecraft with the CAT team working to evolve the mission to continue to maximize its payload data return.

During its initial conception and design, the team …

In-Orbit Demonstration Of Reaction Control System For Orbital Altitude Change Of Micro-Satellite Ale-2, Yuji Sato, Shinya Fujita, Yoshihiko Shibuya, Toshinori Kuwahara, Koh Kamachi

Small Satellite Conference

This research presents the results of an in-orbit test of the orbital altitude control for a micro-satellite equipped with the first space-demonstrated high-density small cold gas jet thruster. In the field of micro-satellites, the application of thrusters to practical missions has not yet progressed due to their high cost, mechanical and electrical incompatibility with the satellite bus system, and increased operational risks. By contrast, the demand for orbit control functions has been increasing in recent years with the expansion of micro-satellite applications. The76kg satellite "ALE-2", which was jointly developed by Tohoku University and ALE Co., Ltd., has the world's first …

Earth Through The Eyes Of Napa-1: Commissioning Results And The Next Steps In Cubesat Earth Observation, H. S. B. Brouwer, H. Y. Oei, G. T. Aalbers, L. Garcia, M. Verdugo, D. Cavalli, L. Strobino, T. Cronje

Small Satellite Conference

Disruptive CubeSat technology has brought scientific missions within reach that were previously only achievable through larger spacecraft. Satellite Earth Observation is now the new frontier for governments, private industry, and academia. With the recent launch of the Napa-1 satellite the Royal Thai Airforce (RTAF) has joined the ranks by having its first ever Earth Observation CubeSat in space. Its design, launch, early operations (LEOPS), and commissioning have been carried out by ISISpace, supporting the market’s need for imagery from space.

Napa-1, meaning firmament in Thai, is a 6U CubeSat with the Gecko Imager from SCS Space as its primary payload, …

Demonstration Of A Hybrid Space Architecture During Rimpac 2020, Charlene Jacka, Sennen Peña, Richard C. Ordonez, David Lingard, David Neudegg, Victor Stamatescu, Michele Wilson, Pierre Lamontagne, Sacha Nandlall, Jeff Secker, Ted Parkinson, Jean-Pierre Ardouin, Robert Boucher, Vivian Issa, Daniel Lavigne, Josée Lévesque, Caroline Turcotte, Frank Schaefer, Tobias R. Carman, Avyaya Kolhatkar, Sean Murphy, Chiara Toglia, J. Martin Van De Pol, Mark Van Persie, William Coldicutt, Øyvind Kinden Lensjø

Small Satellite Conference

The Micro-Satellite Military Utility (MSMU) Project Arrangement (PA) is an agreement under the Responsive Space Capabilities (RSC) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that involves the Departments and Ministries of Defence of Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom and United States. MSMU’s charter is to inform a space enterprise that provides military users with reliable access to a broad spectrum of information in an opportunistic environment.

Research and Development teams from MSMU partner nations supported Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2020 which took place 17 to 31 August 2020 in the Hawaiian region. RIMPAC 2020 provided …