Publications

The Geometric Search Engine is a software system for storing and searching a database of geometric models. The database maybe searched for modeled objects similar in shape to a target model supplied by the user. The database models are generally from CAD models while the target model may be either a CAD model or a model generated from range data collected from a physical object. This document describes key generation, database layout, and search of the database.

As part of a project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Sandia National Laboratories Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center is developing and testing the feasibility of using a cooperative team of robotic sentry vehicles to guard a perimeter, perform a surround task, and travel extended distances. This paper describes the authors most recent activities. In particular, this paper highlights the development of a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) leapfrog capability that allows two or more vehicles to alternate sending DGPS corrections. Using this leapfrog technique, this paper shows that a group of autonomous vehicles can travel 22.68 kilometers with a root mean square positioning error of only 5 meters.

At Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the authors are developing the ability to accurately predict motions for arbitrary numbers of bodies of arbitrary shapes experiencing multiple applied forces and intermittent contacts. In particular, the authors are concerned with the simulation of systems such as part feeders or mobile robots operating in realistic environments. Preliminary investigation of commercial dynamics software packages led them to the conclusion that they could use commercial software to provide everything they needed except for the contact model. They found that ADAMS best fit their needs for a simulation package. To simulate intermittent contacts, they need collision detection software that can efficiently compute the distances between non-convex objects and return the associated witness features. They also require a computationally efficient contact model for rapid simulation of impact, sustained contact under load, and transition to and from contact conditions. This paper provides a technical review of a custom hierarchical distance computation engine developed at Sandia, called the C-Space Toolkit (CSTk). In addition, they describe an efficient contact model using a non-linear damping term developed by SNL and Ohio State. Both the CSTk and the non-linear damper have been incorporated in a simplified two-body testbed code, which is used to investigate how to correctly model the contact using these two utilities. They have incorporated this model into the ADAMS software using the callable function interface. An example that illustrates the capabilities of the 9.02 release of ADAMS with their extensions is provided.

At Sandia National Laboratories, the authors are developing the ability to accurately predict motions for arbitrary numbers of bodies of arbitrary shapes experiencing multiple applied forces and intermittent contacts. In particular, they are concerned with the simulation of systems such as part feeders or mobile robots operating in realistic environments. Preliminary investigation of commercial dynamics software packages led us to the conclude that they could use a commercial code to provide everything they needed except for the contact model. They found that ADAMS best fit the needs for a simulation package. To simulate intermittent contacts, they need collision detection software that can efficiently compute the distances between non-convex objects and return the associated witness features. They also require a computationally efficient contact model for rapid simulation of impact, sustained contact under load, and transition to and from contact conditions. This paper provides a technical review of a custom hierarchical distance computation engine developed at Sandia, called the C-Space Toolkit (CSTk). In addition, the authors describe an efficient contact model using a non-linear damping term developed at Ohio State. Both the CSTk and the non-linear damper have been incorporated in a simplified two-body testbed code, which is used to investigate how to correctly model the contact using these two utilities. They have incorporated this model into ADAMS SOLVER using the callable function interface. An example that illustrate the capabilities of the 9.02 release of ADAMS with the extensions is provided.

Sandia National Laboratories has been involved with rocket systems for many years. Some of these systems have carried high explosive onboard, while others have had FTS for destruction purposes whenever a potential hazard is detected. Recently, Sandia has also been involved with flight tests in which a target vehicle is intentionally destroyed by a projectile. Such endeavors always raise questions about the safety of personnel and the environment in the event of a premature detonation of the explosive or an activation of the FTS, as well as intentional vehicle destruction. Previous attempts to investigate fragmentation hazards for similar configurations have analyzed fragment size and shape in detail but have computed only a limited number of trajectories to determine the probabilities of impact and casualty expectations. A computer program SAFETIE has been written in support of various SNL flight experiments to compute better approximations of the hazards. SAFETIE uses the AMEER trajectory computer code and the Engineering Sciences Center LAN of Sun workstations to determine more realistically the probability of impact for an arbitrary number of exclusion areas. The various debris generation models are described.

A novel CFD/structural analysis was performed to predict functionality of a cross parachute under loadings near the structural limits of the parachute. The determination of parachute functionality was based on the computed structural integrity of the canopy and suspension lines. In addition to the standard aerodynamic pressure loading on the canopy, the structural analysis considered the reduction in fabric strength due to the computed aerodynamic heating. The intent was to illustrate the feasibility of such an analysis with the commercially available software PATRAN.

MCPRAM (Monte Carlo PReprocessor for AMEER), a computer program that uses Monte Carlo techniques to create an input file for the AMEER trajectory code, has been developed for the Sandia National Laboratories VAX and Cray computers. Users can select the number of trajectories to compute, which AMEER variables to investigate, and the type of probability distribution for each variable. Any legal AMEER input variable can be investigated anywhere in the input run stream with either a normal, uniform, or Rayleigh distribution. Users also have the option to use covariance matrices for the investigation of certain correlated variables such as booster pre-reentry errors and wind, axial force, and atmospheric models. In conjunction with MCPRAM, AMEER was modified to include the variables introduced by the covariance matrices and to include provisions for six types of fuze models. The new fuze models and the new AMEER variables are described in this report.