Abstract:
A periodic dielectric structure and method of fabricating same, the structure having a three-dimensional photonic bandgap. The structure includes a plurality of layers, at least one layer having a stratum of a first material having a first dielectric constant and a plurality of parallel grooves along a first axis lying in the plane of the layer, the grooves including a second material having a second dielectric constant; and a plurality of parallel channels formed through the plurality of layers in a second axis orthogonal to the plane of the layers, the channels being adapted to comprise a third material having a third dielectric constant, thereby resulting in the structure having three-dimensional periodicity. In preferred embodiments, the second and third materials include air.
Abstract:
Radiometer with a probe beam superimposed on its field-of-view for furnace temperature measurements. The radiometer includes a heterodyne millimeter/sub-millimeter-wave receiver including a millimeter/submillimeter-wave source for probing. The receiver is adapted to receive radiation from a surface whose temperature is to be measured. The radiation includes a surface emission portion and a surface reflection portion which includes the probe beam energy reflected from the surface. The surface emission portion is related to the surface temperature and the surface reflection portion is related to the emissivity of the surface. The simultaneous measurement of surface emissivity serves as a real time calibration of the temperature measurement.
Abstract:
A plasmatron for generating hydrogen rich gas from hydrocarbon fuel is connected to deliver the hydrogen rich gas to a fuel cell. The fuel cell generates electricity, a small portion of the generated electricity being supplied to the plasmatron to sustain its operation. Embodiments include both vehicular applications and decentralized power generating stations. The plasmatron may be either a water plasmatron or a water free plasmatron. Suitable fuels for the plasmatron to reform include gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, JP4, and biomass derived fuels. The plasmatron supplies hydrogen rich gas or other molecular species to fuel cells of conventionally known designs. The overall efficiency of the plasmatron/fuel cell system can be as high as 48 %.
Abstract:
A method is provided for fabricating smoothly-curved microstructures (12, 14, 16) such as microlenses on a substrate (18) and certain unique microstructures (12, 14, 16) and microstructure arrays (10) obtained through use of such techniques are also provided. The substrate (18) may be smoothly-curved and the bases of the microstructures (12, 14, 16) may have a variety of shapes. The method takes advantage of the surface tension of a liquid to form droplets having a desired shape over high surface energy portions or area of the substrate, which substrate has been previously patterned to have areas with surface energies which are above and below, respectively, the surface tension of a liquid deposited to form the droplets. The formed droplets may then be cured to create the desired microstructures.
Abstract:
A method for inducing superplasticity in a composite including a non-transforming phase and a transforming phase by cycling the composite material through a phase transformation of the transforming phase while applying an external stress to the composite material is provided as is a method for inducing superplasticity in a titanium/titanium carbide composite. Also provided is a method for forming a part from a composite material including a transforming phase and a non-transforming phase by cycling the composite through a phase transformation of the transforming phase and shaping the composite material by applying an external stress to the composite material while the transforming phase is undergoing a phase transformation to form a finished article.
Abstract:
Methods of detecting expanded nucleotide repeats in genomic DNA in a biological sample are disclosed and methods for the diagnosis of pathological and potentially pathological conditions in an individual based on the detection of the presence of expanded nucleotide repeats.
Abstract:
A method for producing an article including a refractory compound by infiltrating a preform (10) with a liquid infiltrant (18) and initiating a reaction between the preform and the liquid infiltrant to establish a reaction front (20) which propagates in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of the liquid infiltrant (22) is provided, as are the articles prepared according to this method.
Abstract:
A filter for multiphase cleanup of gas streams, in particular flue gas streams, includes filter wall composites comprising a bulk macroporous support (40) having a microporous membrane (42) on one side and a chemically-active deposit (50) on the opposite side. The bulk macroporous support has a surface area of less than 5.0 m /g, a compressive crush strength of between about 1.0 lb/mm to about 10.0 lb/mm, and a thickness of between about 1.0 mm to about 3.0 mm. The microporous membrane and the chemically active deposit have thicknesses of less than about 100.0 microns and less than about 10.0 mm, respectively. The process of multiphase cleanup of gas streams includes passing a gas stream, comprising particulate pollutants (16) and gaseous pollutants, through a filter having composite walls formed of a bulk macroporous support having a microporous membrane on one side, and a chemically-active deposit on the opposite side.
Abstract:
A computerized handbook of processes includes a memory in which representations of a plurality of processes are stored. A representation for a process includes indications of processes into which the process is decomposed. At least one of the plurality of processes is a specialization of another one of the plurality of processes, and the representation of the specialization is such that the specialization inherits characteristics from the other process. The handbook also includes a display system including a display. Specializations of a process are accessed from the memory and displayed on the display. A decomposition of a process is also accessed and displayed on the display. The accessing and displaying of decompositions and specializations are provided upon user selection.
Abstract:
A chaotic transmitter (100) operates according to preselected chaotic protocols, such as a set of Lorenz equations. Modulation is accomplished by modifying a predetermined parameter of the set of chaotic Lorenz equations with a message signal, thereby producing a spread spectrum chaotic transmitted signal. A corresponding receiver (200) reconstructs a synchronizing drive signal, which is used by a demodulator (412) of the receiver (200) to detect the message signal.