Abstract:
A carbon/carbon composite parallel plate heat exchanger constructed of a plurality of composite plates disposed in a substantial parallel stacked relationship and spaced from each other by composite fins bonded to and between adjacent plates. The carbon/carbon composite plates and fins are specially constructed to maximize heat transfer between adjacent passageways formed by the plates and the fluids flowing in these passageways. A method of manufacturing a carbon/carbon composite heat exchanger can include the steps of: providing a thin layer of carbon fiber material; impregnating the thin layer of carbon fiber with a high carbon char yield resin; forming the impregnated material into flat parallel plates and fins; stacking the plates and fins in alternating layers of sufficient quantity to make up a core stacked heat exchanger of a desired size and processing the stacked core into a carbon/carbon composite heat exchanger including the steps of i) carbonizatizing the stacked core to convert the resins to carbon, ii) densificating additional carbon into the porous structure, and iii) heat treating the core to achieve a crystal structure.
Abstract:
An optical temperature sensor for use in a temperature detector system having at least two birefringent crystal elements arranged in tandem. A collimated broad band light source is transmitted via a fiber optic cable, a polarizer to a first birefringent crystal element. The first crystal element decomposes the light wave into first and second orthogonally polarized waves and transmits the wave components to a second birefringent crystal element. The linearly polarized waves propagate through the birefringent crystals, and the environmental temperature introduces a temperature dependent phase shift between the two polarized waves. The light waves exit the second crystal to a second polarizer producing a modulated light spectrum. A focusing element collects the light and transmits it down another fiber optic cable. The cable transmits the light to an opto-electronic interface where the fringe pattern is extracted and a computer compatible signal is generated for a CPU. The CPU performs a Fourier transform on the fringe pattern, where the phase term for a selected frequency is the measure of the environmental temperature experienced by the birefringent crystals.
Abstract:
A method for removing clutter related frequency components from power spectrums generated from weather radar return signals to provide improved windshear detection capability. Weather radar return signals are synchronously detected and digitized to provide i and q time domain sample sequences. The i and q time domain sample sequences are passed through a window function and then transformed to frequency domain sequences by a Fast Fourier Transform. A power spectrum is generated from the frequency domain sequences. The spectrum is subjected to a Spectral Gaussian Envelope Discrimination (SGED) process in which the spectral envelope is scanned to identify any lobe therein having a slope greater than a predetermined minimum. A first pseudo-Gaussian sigma, calculated from the width and maximum amplitude of any such lobe, is compared with a second pseudo-Gaussian sigma, calculated from known conditions. If the first sigma is less than the second sigma, the lobe is deemed to be clutter related and is edited from the spectral envelope.
Abstract:
A composition containing a matrix, a fiber, a filler; and a friction modifier; wherein an effective amount of at least one of said components selected from the group consisting of fiber, filler, friction modifier and combinations thereof are cure promoting compounds having an effective aspect ratio such that the composition is rapidly cured in the presence of electromagnetic energy, and a process for curing such compositions. Articles comprised of this composition are suitable for use in the production of friction materials, such as brake pads, drum linings, and clutches.
Abstract:
An optical illumination system (2) comprising a waveguide (16) that accepts light generated by a diffuse light source (14) and transmits the light via total internal reflection. Attached on one surface of the waveguide (16) is a low index of refraction layer (27) and an array of microprisms (28), with each microprism (28) having a light input surface (30) and at least one sidewall tilted at an angle from the direction normal to the surface of the waveguide (16) such that light escapes from the waveguide (16), reflects off the tilted sidewalls (33) and emerges from the microprism (28) as a spartially-directed light source. The low index of reflection layer (27) prevents low angle light from entering the microprisms (28). An array of microlenses may be positioned to accept the output of the microprisms (28) so that the light existing from the microlenses is a substantially collimated light source. The optical illumination system (2) is advantageous for any application that requires a non diffuse or substantially collimated that is both energy efficient and contained in a low profile assembly.
Abstract:
A composition comprising a crosslinked, highly porous body derived from a water-soluble hydrogel polymer, said porous body being characterized in that it has an open-celled three-dimensional lattice structure, a density of less than about 1.0 g/cm , a surface area of equal to or greater than about 300 m /g, a compression strength of equal to or less than about 10 percent yield at 300 psi, and an average port diameter of less than about 500 Angstroms, wherein said hydrogen polymer is selected from the group consisting of alginates, gums, starch, dextrins, agar, gelatins, casein, collagen, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylenimine, acrylate polymers, starch/acrylate copolymers, and mixtures and copolymers thereof; and a metal extractant. The composition may be used in removing and/or recovering metal ions from aqueous streams. A process of recovering metal ions from an aqueous metal ion solution including the steps of impregnating a metal extractant within the porous body described above, contacting the aqueous ion solution with the impregnated porous body in order to remove the metal ions therefrom, and separating the ions from the impregnated porous body.
Abstract:
The present invention is a tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol and limonene or terpineol cleaning agent and method for formulating and/or using the cleaning agent. This cleaning agent effectively removes both polar and nonpolar contaminants from various electrical and mechanical parts and is readily used without surfactants, thereby reducing the need for additional cleaning operations. The cleaning agent is warm water rinsable without the use of surfactants. The cleaning agent can be azeotropic, enhancing ease of use in cleaning operations and ease of recycling.
Abstract:
A fault tolerant controller arrangement for electric motor driven apparatus is implemented by a plurality of control channels, each of which includes a motor and associated drive circuitry. The implementation is such that the rating of each of the plurality of channels is reduced and all channels are operated such that the load is shared between all operating channels. The arrangement is such that all channels share the load dynamically and statically and that each channel in a system of n channels supplies /n of the required load driving force in the same direction.
Abstract:
A hybrid combustor (10) of a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of circularly arrayed ceramic can combustors (12) whose outlets communicate with the inlet of an annular, metal combustor (16). The combustion process is continuous through the plurality of can combustors (12) and into the single annular combustor (16). Preferably only fuel-rich combustion occurs within each of the can combustors (12), and fuel-lean combustion continues within the single annular combustor (16).
Abstract:
A thermal imaging apparatus including a non-linear optomechanical scanner receiving radiation from a scene and directing it onto an image plane, the scanner defining a non-linear scan velocity in the image plane, a SPRITE detector disposed in the image plane including a first and second spaced contact and including apparatus for applying a bias voltage across the contacts in both directions thereby compensating for the non-linearity of the scanner and further taking into account the phase lag due to the detector and associated electronic circuitry and apparatus for filtering out the bias voltage from the output of the detector so that the output signal consists only of the signal due to photon flux.