U. at Buffalo Engineer Creates Software to Detect and Find Leaksin ISS (Forwarded)

State University of New York at Buffalo

Contact:
John Della Contrada,
Phone: 716-645-5000 ext 1409
Fax: 716-645-3765

UB Engineer Creates Software to Detect and Find Leaks in International Space Station

NASA will use software upon completion of space station

Release date: Tuesday, September 2, 2003

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A new software system designed by a University at Buffalo
aerospace engineer will help NASA detect and find air leaks in the International
Space Station.

The software will be installed in NASA's mission control when the manned space
station is expanded from its current eight-module configuration to its final
15-module configuration, according to John L. Crassidis, associate professor of
mechanical and aerospace engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences.

Crassidis developed the software with UB aerospace engineering graduate student
Jong-Woo Kim and Adam L. Dershowitz, an engineer with United Space Alliance.
Their work was funded by a $158,000 grant from NASA.

The software can determine in which module a leak has occurred and, in some
cases, can pinpoint exactly where a leak is located in the module. The software
also can calculate the size of the hole that caused the leakage of pressurized
air from the module.

Currently, the protocol for finding a leak within the space station involves the
time-consuming process of sequentially closing off each module to determine
which one is the source of a leak. After a module is closed off, a change in
space-station air pressure indicates whether the module was the source of the leak.

The software developed by Crassidis and team continuously monitors the space
station for leaks and in less than a minute can plot possible leak locations on
a diagram of the space station. In some cases, the software can show the exact
location of a leak within a module, in others it will suggest two or three
possible locations.

"The idea is to localize the leak," Crassidis says. "It's a time saver for the
astronauts and is a life saver, in a sense, because time is crucial when you're
dealing with a leak."

When a leak occurs, the software system detects a disturbance in the
spacecraft's behavior. The software correlates the effects of this behavior with
the geometric structure of the space station. This comparison results in
predictions for leak location and the size of the hole causing the leak.

"Other disturbances are always present, such as drag and solar wind," Crassidis
explains. "We've developed very detailed models of these other disturbances,
which are used to separate out these effects from the leak, thus isolating the
leak disturbance."

The software can locate holes with a diameter of .4 inches and smaller,
according to Crassidis. Such holes can be caused by particles of space debris
traveling up to speeds of 17,000 mph. NASA tracks from the ground space debris
greater than .5 inches and can direct the space station to maneuver away from
incoming debris. The space station also is equipped with a shield designed to
catch debris and micrometeoroids.

Crassidis's software is intended as a backup to those systems. It also can
detect leaks caused by in-space collisions, as occurred when an unmanned cargo
ship collided with Russian Space Station Mir in 1997.

"NASA spends a lot of time and money making sure nothing hits the space
station," Crassidis says. "This software will be part of a contingency plan if
the wall of a module were to be punctured."

NASA had planned to finish the space station in 2004, but completion has been
pushed back to 2008 as a result of the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster and the
investigation into the cause of the tragedy.

When the space station is completed, an international crew of up to seven will
live and work in space between three and six months, according to NASA. Crew
return vehicles always will be attached to the space station to ensure the safe
return of all crewmembers in the event of an emergency.

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.buffalo.edu/news/hires/spacestation.jpg (74KB)]
A UB aerospace engineer has designed a software system to help NASA detect and
find air leaks in the International Space Station.

The software can determine in which module a leak has occurred and, in some
cases, can pinpoint exactly where a leak is located in the module.

When a leak occurs, the software system detects a disturbance in the
spacecraft's behavior. The software correlates the effects of this behavior with
the geometric structure of the space station.


Is this a case of detecting propulsion from escaping air ?

If so, what happens when a leak occurs not as a result of a meteorite, and air
that escapes from the pressure shell is dispersed by the insulation and outer
shell ? would that software still be able to calculate the position and size
of leak ?

Andrew Yee wrote:
State University of New York at Buffalo

UB Engineer Creates Software to Detect and Find Leaks in International Space
Station

NASA will use software upon completion of space station

They are probably hoping that it will have some usefulness before Assembly
Complete, otherwise the student may be a Professor Emeritus by then!

Release date: Tuesday, September 2, 2003

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A new software system designed by a University at Buffalo

aerospace engineer will help NASA detect and find air leaks in the International

Space Station.

The software will be installed in NASA's mission control when the manned
space
station is expanded from its current eight-module configuration to its final

15-module configuration, according to John L. Crassidis, associate professor
of
mechanical and aerospace engineering in the UB School of Engineering and
Applied
Sciences.

What interim applicability might it have? What if the Station does not go
to 15 modules? Is it useful for 14 modules? (Insert obligatory Biblical reference
here, as Abraham intercedes for the software. See Genesis 19: 16-33).

When a leak occurs, the software system detects a disturbance in the
spacecraft's behavior. The software correlates the effects of this behavior
with
the geometric structure of the space station. This comparison results in

predictions for leak location and the size of the hole causing the leak.

"Other disturbances are always present, such as drag and solar wind," Crassidis

explains. "We've developed very detailed models of these other disturbances,

which are used to separate out these effects from the leak, thus isolating
the
leak disturbance."
When the space station is completed, an international crew of up to seven
will
live and work in space between three and six months, according to NASA.
Crew
return vehicles always will be attached to the space station to ensure the
safe
return of all crewmembers in the event of an emergency.

Not trying to be cynical here, this does sound like a potentially useful
bit of software. It would be interesting to know more. And this was a good
opportunity to work a literate-sounding and marginally clever reference into
the conversation.



Charles
http://www.academ.com/info/macintosh/
All Statements Are Personal Opinion Only

When a leak occurs, the software system detects a disturbance in the
spacecraft's behavior. The software correlates the effects of this
behavior with the geometric structure of the space station.

Hmm, sounds like maybe they are using attitude and accelerometer
(translation) data?

In which case, yes it probably would matter what kind of "nozzle"
(e.g. clean hole versus leaking through layers of insulation) the air
was exiting.

My other thought it is that maybe ECLSS data (e.g. air pressure in
various internal locations) might be helpful. But I don't know that
one would describe this by "disturbance in the spacecraft's behavior".

Anyone have more info on what this software actually does?