NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20020086295: NASA's Software Bank (CLIPS)

4 Pages·2.9 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Computer Technology
NASA's Software Bank
A special NASA service aids
national productivity by
providing low cost computer
programs to public and private
sector clients
In an era of heightened
environmental
awareness, finding sites
I
to dispose of solid waste
is a difficult, complicated
and tedious process,
often a tug-of-war
between state and local
I
community officials.
Each candidate
landfa site must meet a
series of rigorous criteria, for example, slope, At Ohio University, assistant geography professor James lein (left) has
distance to cultural features, surface and subsurface adopted a NASA computer program to a novel use: simplifying the evaluation
hydrology, soil erosion potential and land and selection of landfill sites for solid waste disposal. An expert system
ownershi.p .; in addition. developed with the CLIPS program uses details about a candidate site, such
the site must be as topography (above) or odiocent water sources (upper right) to determine
sufficiently distant from whether the site meets requirements.
residential areas,
schools, airports,
population centers and research and development of adicial intelligence on
endangered species conventional computers.
habitats. Says Dr. James Lein, assistant professor of Ohio
Researchers at Oho University's Geography Department:
University, Athens, Ohio, "We structure the rules and parameters
are trying to make site surrounding the decision-making process and CLIPS
selection less complex provides an estimate of whether a particular site
by programming fulfills the siting requirements." With an expert
computer software to system, the reasoning mechanisms influencing site
help evaluate a selection can be defined more clearly and the system
candidate site. Their tool can be modified to reflect changes in legislation or
is a NASAdeveloped new information. With an expert system the site
program called CLIPS, a selection process is less difficult, reducing the time
software shell for and costs involved. CLIPS was supplied to Ohio
developing expert University by the Computer Software Management
systems. Originally and Information Center (COSMIC)@N, ASA's
developed by Johnson mechanism for helping industrial, government and
Space Center, CLIPS is institutional organizations to effect significant
designed to allow reduction of automation costs.
Information processing by computer is still
experiencing explosive growth in the United States.
Thousands of organizations are joining the ranks of expertise in disciplines in which he is not skilled.
computer users annually, while longtime users are Another use of CLIPS is its inclusion in a text book
regularly finding new ways to improve their - Expert Systems: Principles and Programming, by
operations through greater automation. NASA's way Joe Giarratano and Gary D. Rdey - in use at 40
of helping them cut costs is providing them, at low colleges and universities. CLIPS serves as the prime
cost, previously developed computer programs that example of an expert system development tool in
have secondary utility. the book; sample CLIPS applications are included on
Development of an entirely new program is time a disc bound with the text book, enabling students
consuming and expensive. Frequently, however, a to design and develop their own expert systems.
program developed for one purpose can be adapted Widely used in business and government, CLIPS
to an entirely different application. Thus, software represents only one of thousands of examples
users can save time and money by taking advantage wherein users have benefited from COSMIC'S service.
of COSMIC'S service; they can purchase a program
(Continued)
for a fraction of its original cost and get a return
many times the investment, even when the cost of
adapting the program to a new use is considered.
The CLIPS program has proved a valuable
research tool for a wide variety of applications. At 3
Ohio University, researchers are also exploring use
of CLIPS to assist in historic preservation, which
I "COSMIC is a
involves identification, inventory and selection of registered
structures - or entire areas - that have special trademark of the
cultural or historic ~ i ~ c a n c e . National
Other examples of CLIPS' versatility include its Aeronautics and
use to monitor product quality and quantity at a Space
chemical plant; its employment by an attorney to Administration
help him decide which facts from a casefde are most Ohio University graduate students use the CLIPS program to develop an
pertinent; and its use as the core of an advanced expert system for historic preservation, which involves evaluation of
software system that gives a user engineer instant structures or areas that have special cultural or historic significance.
I
Computer Technology
NASA's Software Bank
(Continued)
Located at the Among examples of COSMIC program uses by
University of Georgia, industry are:
Athens, Georgia, NASA's MIL 3, Washington, D.C., a developer of
Computer Software software for the communications industry, supplies a
Management and software package - called OPNET - for
Information Center developing simulations of communications satellite
(COSMIC) is custodian networks. OPNET easily supports geosynchronous or
of the large "bank of "stationary" satellites. However, the movement of
computer programs low Earth orbit satellites was not supported and the
developed in the course frequent loss of communications when Earth blocks
of work sponsored by the line-of-sight between satellite and Earth station
NASA, the Department was not predictable.
of Defense and other In order to support predictions of low Earth orbit
technology generating as an interim measure, pending a planned
agencies of the advancement of OPNET that will allow predicting
government. satellite occlusion, MIL 3 is using a COSMIC program
COSMIC gets a called ASAP (-cia1 Satellite Analysis Program) as
continual flow of these an OPNET enhancement. MIL 3 translated the ASAP
govemmentdeveloped program from the original FORTRAN to C language
software packages and and integrated the modified version of ASAP into
identZies those that can OPNET. The ability to directly utilize ASAP code has
be adapted to secondary enabled MIL 3 to offer low Earth orbit satellite
usage. ,1,-1I^le c--c-Lr-1..L t.r s_&~ -v_r-e-s modeling capability much sooner. A planned OPNET
and maintains the advancement involves development of a customized
Steve Boraniuk of MIL programs and informs potential customers of their second-generation orbital mechanics program based
3, Inc. uses a COSMIC availability through a catalog and through notices in on ASAP.
computer program in the publication NASA Tech Briefs. Heath Tecna Aerospace Company, Kent,
his company's OPNET COSMIC'S library contains more than 1,200 Washington, a major supplier of composite
software package, programs for such purposes as structural analysis, structures, designed and built the first full scale
which develops artificial intelligence, computational fluid dynamics, composite hybrid rocket motorcase. Looking for a
computer simulations thermal analysis, image processing, project computer program that would predict stresses in the
of satellite management and a great
communicotions variety of other
networks. functions. The center h;
distributed thousands of
programs, some of
which have made
possible savings
amounting to millions of
dollars. Thus, COSMIC'S
service represents one of
the broadest areas of
economic benefit
resulting from secondary
use of government
developed technology.
An OPNET image showing a satellite
track agoinst a world map
background.
The first test firing of on AMROC
rocket motor employing o new
composite motorcose developed by
Heath Tecno Aerospace with the
help of COSMIC software.
design before any
hardware was actually
built. The program saved
time and money in the
design process, and
additionally enabled
engineers to build a
vertex tuning plate
intended to redirect
scattered energy, which
motorcase walls and calculate the ideal geometry for provided for greater operational economy.
the domes at either end of the fdament-wound Salem Automation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
pressure vessel, company researchers discovered and conducted research on methods whereby increases
used a COSMIC program descriptively titled "Analysis in energy efficiency and quality might be achieved in
of Filament Reinforced Metal Shell Pressure Vessels." reheat furnaces. The reheat furnace is an energy
The test motor was intensive stage of steel processing, used to raise the
built under contract to
American Rocket I
Company (AMROC),
builder of privately-
developed rocket launch
vehicles. Heath Tecna
confmed the
predictions of the
COSMIC program by
testing a subscale
motorcase to failure. A
full-scale 22-foot
motorcase was then
fabricated and
successfully test fired by
AMROC.
Scientifc-Atlanta
Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, is
an internationally temperature of steel A reheat fumoce used
known leader in cable slabs, blooms or billets in steel processing.
television electronics to the point where they Salem Automation
and satellite can be formed by used o COSMIC
communications rolling. computer progrom in o
A COSMIC progmm contributed time ond monetory savings in the design of
networks. Company Along with other research project
o new type Cossegmin ontenno developed by Scientificdtlonto Inc.
engineers were assigned software, the company intended to increase
the task of designing a used a COSMIC program productivity ond
new Cassegrain antenna, which consists of a primary to evaluate technology intended to increase reduce energy usoge
radiator, a multirnode horn to receive signals, a main productivity and reduce energy usage in the reheat in the reheat process.
reflector and a subreflector. process. The COSMIC program - the General
Researchers found - and purchased - the Thermal Analyzer Program - solves steady state and
COSMIC program "Machine Design of Cassegrain transient thermal problems using desk top
Feed System," which seemed uniquely formulated to computers. Salem Automation used it in modeling
design this special type of antenna. The program reheat furnaces; for example, the program can
allowed for computer simulations of the antenna's simulate how slabs in a proposed furnace will heat
performance, allowing engineers to change the during operation.