Abstract: This invention offers a unique method to fabricate unique, straight, curved, or coiled tubes as small as 1 micron (0.000004 inches) in diameter with wall thicknesses starting at less than 0.01 microns. These tubes can be made from many of the materials that can be applied to a surface of carbon, glass, or other tube forming fibers and then made to withstand the environment used to remove the fiber. A monolithic piece can be formed where the tubes are channels or holes.

Abstract: Provided is a method for laminating PBZT/fusible sol-gel glass microcomposite film layers by applying an adhesive of fusible sol-gel glass to the bonding surfaces of such films and compressing the film layers and the so-formed adhesive layer therebetween, at sufficient temperature and pressure to laminate the film and adhesive layers together. The sol-gel glass infiltrant and adhesive may be of the same or different materials. Desirably, the bonding surfaces of such films are roughened before application of the adhesive layer therebetween. The invention also includes the laminates prepared by the above method which laminates exhibit good coherent bonding between layers, high tensile strength and good interlaminar strength between layers for fabrication into durable high-strength space-age structures.

Abstract: A high pressure sensor which uses a ruby as a pressure sensor is disclosed. This system includes a high pressure Hg lamp which is used to excite the ruby R1 and R2 lines because it has a spectrum which is a good match to the ruby absorption spectrum. The Hg lamp output is filtered to pass wavelengths shorter than about 6300 angstroms so as not to affect the detection system. The light is directed through a dichroic mirror which passes all of the lamp output. The lamp output is then coupled into the optical fiber and carried to the test point. A small ruby is cemented to the end of the fiber and the whole crystal is aluminized. Some of the fluorescence will couple into the fiber and be carried back to the dichroic mirror which reflects ruby fluorescence into the detector but passes any of the original lamp light. The aluminum coating on the ruby increases the amount of fluorescence that is collected.

Abstract: The improved metal matrix bolt has a metal shell having the bolt head, shank and threads thereon. The shell has a longitudinal space therein wherein a composite core of fibers is bonded. The fibers are divided into two groups: a longitudinal group and a spiral group. The spiral group wraps clockwise about the longitudinal group and is inclined at an angle of about 30.degree. to 45.degree. degrees from the axis of the bolt. The fibers are bonded within the space to the interior surface of the shell whereby when the bolt is torqued, the bolt has increased tensile strength and reduced thermal axial growth.

Abstract: The microreflectometer system, forming a 0.01 mm.sup.2 area spot, scans a mirror coating for defects of a mirror having a diameter of about 30 centimeters. Tens of thousands of reflectivity measurements are automatically taken as a computer controlled three dimension stage having the test mirror therein is selectively controlled. The reflectivity of each measurement either relative or absolute is used to determine the condition of the coating.

Abstract: A weld root shield device includes an inert gas supply tube having an open end together with a toroidal inert gas supply chamber having orifices therein surrounding the open end of the gas supply tube for replacing air that could be aspirated by inert gas emerging from the open end of the gas supply tube with inert gas emerging from the orifices of the toroidal supply chamber. The shield device is positioned over the weld root being produced by operation of the welding torch, thereby to protect the weld root from oxidation by the atmosphere. The welding torch and the weld root shield device can travel together as an elongated weld is being formed.

Abstract: A double-folded monopole is used on a linear antenna to produce a traveling-wave distribution of current. The double fold is positioned one-quarter wavelength from the end of the antenna. The resultant antenna has three radiating elements that are orthogonal with respect to each other. The orthogonal folded dipoles each consist of five segments designed so that the currents have comparable magnitudes and are in phase to provide near hemispherical coverage.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a single shell, double dome combustor design configuration with the intermediate dividing wall between the two annuli removed, thereby reducing weight and cost, and improving durability. An annular daisy type mixer is positioned between the domes to improve the mixing of air and combustor gases prior to the exiting of the gases from the combustor to the turbine vanes. The daisy mixer positioned downstream of the domes to provides effective, low pressure loss mixing at a a controlled axial rate, by creating effective cross-flow barriers to avoid uncontrolled fuel/air ratio transfer between the inner and outer annuli, and thereby allows a concentric and controlled axial air admission in conjunction with the individual swirlers.

Abstract: A conventional mass-spring inertially controlled anti-G suit valve is modified by adding a first electrically actuated solenoid over the mass and valve spindle and a second electrically actuated solenoid over an anti-G suit exhaust port added to the modified anti-G suit valve. The first solenoid can override the inertial valve to begin filling the anti-G suit before acceleration begins. The second solenoid controls a piston to control the exhaust from the anti-G suit to achieve more precise control over the pressure inside the anti-G suit than previously possible. This precise control allows realization of other improvements suggested by the prior art which need precise control of anti-G suit pressures. Pressure transducers can be added to the anti-G suit to provide a feedback signal to a valve controller for the two solenoid valves. The feedback control loop allows the use of less expensive cost, less accurate solenoid valves.

Abstract: A first hollow titanium MMC driveshaft portion is diffusion bonded to a third portion which in turn is fastened to a second superalloy portion via circumferentially positioned pins which are tightly fitted within aligned holed formed in the second and third driveshaft portions. The first, second and third portions are concentric with respect to the driveshaft centerline, and the pins are retained by means of a concentric retaining cylinder.

Abstract: An EEPROM programming circuit is disclosed which provides for the on-board rogramming of a EEPROM memory using:a microprocessor, a bootstrap ROM, a UART communications port, and a Eccles-Jordan flip flop switch system. These elements are electrically connected to a host system and the EEPROM by a central data bus. In normal operation, the host system sends a first set of data signals through the circuit to the EEPROM, which produces a set of processed signals. In operation in the programming mode the host system sends a second set of data signals to cause the microprocessor to send a switch signal to the Eccles-Jordan flip flop switch and to the bootstrap ROM. The bootstrap ROM contains the program code that forms the programs that are used to program the EEPROM.

Abstract: A new lightweight bladed rotor for gas turbine or turbojet engines combines an inner support ring with blade straps made of fiber reinforced material. The blade straps wrap halfway around the inner support ring so that their ends extend radially outwardly to form blade pairs. A rim connects the blade straps near their ends to provide rigidity and to define a flowpath.

Abstract: Carbon fibers having substantially increased active surface area and total surface area are used to enhance carbon fiber bonding to matrix materials in carbon fiber products. The enhanced active surface area and total surface area are produced by carbon removal in disordered regions as well as perfect basal plane regions by catalytic silver oxidation.

Abstract: A system for digital conferencing over narrowband channels which allows use bymultiple simultaneous speakers and which allow for interfacing between vocoders which operate at different bit rates. The system takes advantage of the properties of multi-rate parametric vocoders (which includes the Sinusoidal Transform Coder and the Multi-Band Excitation Vocoder, as well as embedded coders), defined as parametric vocoders for whom the basic model and parameter set remain unchanged over a wide range of bit-rates. The system performs signal summation. To maintain quality for a single speaker while allowing multiple speakers, the system adaptively allocates channel bandwidth based on the number of speakers to be represented. This system also provides digital-to-digital conversion between narrow-band digitizers (vocoders) operating at different bit-rates. The system takes advantage of the characteristics of a particular class of coders, sine-wave based coders, which perform parameter estimation by sine-wave summation.

Abstract: An optical filter structure for selectively blocking radiation of predetermined wavelength is described which comprises a layer of material characterized by transition from a superconducting phase to insulating phase upon heating to a characteristic transition temperature, deposited on a slab of dielectric material in the form of a plurality of multipole elements in a planar array of predetermined spacing of optical dimensions between adjacent rows and columns of said array.

Abstract: Fiber optic based optrodes suitable for in-situ monitoring of groundwater and earth material for the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons. The optrodes are fabricated with porous optical waveguides which are impregnated with a chemical indicator whose optical transmission properties change in the presence of aromatic species, providing a high degree of chemical specificity.

Abstract: A field emitting drain field effect transistor FEDFET device which combines the desirable frequency response and current control characteristics of a field effect transistor (or other transistor) with the higher voltage higher power level characteristics of a field emission triode vacuum tube device to provide characteristics improved over those of either component element. The combination device is physically as well as electrically integrated in a semiconductor like structure. Equivalent circuit and frequency response characteristics are disclosed.

Abstract: There are provided fusible, rod-like graft copolymers having repeating units of the formula: ##STR1## wherein a ranges from about 0.75 to 0.97 and b is 1-a; wherein Z is a benzbisoxazole or benzbisthiazole moiety, wherein Ar is a linear phenylene or polyphenylene moiety, wherein Ar' is ##STR2## and wherein Y is a poly(etherketone) or a poly(etheretherketone), wherein the poly(etherketone) has repeating units of the formula ##STR3## wherein Q is a divalent phenylene or substituted phenylene moiety and c is an integer having a value of 1 to 4, and the poly(etheretherketone) has repeating units of the formula ##STR4## wherein Q' is a divalent phenylene or substituted phenylene moiety, d is an integer having a value of 1 to 4 and e is an integer having a value of 2 to 5.Also provided are methods for making these graft copolymers.

Abstract: The mobile cylindrical microwave antenna array of the present invention comprises a plurality of rectangular panels when deployed forming a cylindrical array. The total number of panels forms an even number with each pair of panels, a left panel and a right panel, forming a subarray unit of the cylindrical array. These panels are hinged on the vertical outer edges to each other. The mobile cylindrical array has a center support structure which has a plurality of folding radial supports at the bottom and top of the center support structure. Each subarray unit is attached to the radial supports at the top and bottom. A motorized driver for translating is attached to each subarray unit and one radial support. When operated to collapse the deployed array, the motorized driver causes the left and right panel of the subarray unit to fold outwardly wherein the apex points to the center support.

Abstract: The disclosed system comprises: 1) a transmissive frequency shifter based on reflection from rotating flat surfaces and from stationary involute surfaces; 2) system to compensate for effects of rotation rate instabilities and certain imperfections in the frequency shifter's reflection geometry, and a system to multiply the frequency shift obtainable by an integer number n through an n-fold re-use of stationary reflecting surfaces.