Abstract: A seal integrity verification system scans for changes in impedance in a seal with integral coaxial waveguide, twisted pair wires, parallel ribbon wires or parallel wires. The wires are monitored by a TDR to note changes in impedance. The changes indicate the location where the seal is not under proper compression to ensure a tight fit. This is especially useful in verifying that watertight doors on ships or submarines are sealing properly when shut.

Abstract: A watertight door seal compression indication apparatus is provided that includes a watertight door in a frame that has a casket disposed in a channel around the periphery of the door. A knife-edge on the doorframe is positioned to compress the gasket upon latching the door shut. Numerous switches are placed between the channel and the gasket and the switches are closed when the knife-edge edge fully compresses the gasket. A display that is responsive to the switches indicates whether the gasket was sufficiently compressed or not by either a green LED or a red LED respectively.

Abstract: The present invention describes methods and apparatus for controlling the humidity of air supplied to cooling coils on a gas turbine powered ship through a dynamic desiccation system. The system passes supply air through a desiccant wheel, which dries and concomitantly heats the supply air. This supply air stream is then passed through a rotatable thermal wheel, wherein heat is transferred from the dry supply air to an exhaust-air mixture, thereby conditioning the supply air for delivery and circulation to a plurality of cooling-coil units in a plurality of compartments. The exhaust air from the compartments is first mixed with some of the treated supply air to lower the absolute humidity to a value needed for effective regeneration of the desiccant wheel. An evaporative cooler then conditions the exhaust-air mixture for effective cooling of the supply air in the thermal rotor, which also serves as an air preheater for desiccant regeneration.

Abstract: A nondestructive inspection method for composite structures, including thick core structures, is disclosed that imparts a vibration force into the structure and analyzes the response over a range of frequencies to find possible damaged areas. The composite structure is struck to induce vibration at a series of test points and the response of the composite structure as a function of acceleration at each test point is measured. The structural anomalies in the composite structure occur at structural stiffness irregularities near anomalies and are detected with a Gapped Smoothing Method operating on the data and plotting a structural irregularity index as a function of frequency and position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and deterring underwater threats is provided that uses numerous anodes and sensors around a ship or other waterborne structure to monitor for intruders and issue electrical shocks to the intruders in increasing amounts to deter sabotage. The underwater detection and deterrent system would provide an alarm and the approximate location of the intruder when the electrical field changes in response to the intruder. The system is capable of providing a lethal electrical shock to the intruder if necessary.

Abstract: A floating cleaning device that cleans marine growth from float and skirt type oil booms. The cleaning device is a floating platform with ramps at the front and rear with tracks that guide the movement of the oil boom past a series of spray washers supplied with pressurized water to remove the marine growth from the oil boom.

Abstract: A reusable low frequency projector system that is capable of producing coherent broadband, high power, low frequency acoustic pressure waves underwater. The projector has two halves each with a spiral wound insulated wire core. The spiral wound wires are separately encapsulated and then joined flexibly in a contiguous parallel orientation. When energized by a voltage source the encapsulated spiral wound wires are repelled from one another and then come back together when not energized, imparting a pressure wave to the water at a desired frequency. The projector requires no pressure compensation devices for operation.

Abstract: A forced-recirculation boiler (FRB) type of heat-recovery steam generator is applied to a ship-propulsion application of the recuperative dual-fluid engine. Such boilers generally include an economizer, evaporator and superheater, and incorporate a steam drum for controlling the flow of water-steam mixture through the evaporator. By altering the flow system of the FRB, the stability and integrity of the boiler are maintained by simultaneously providing, under any predetermined off-design, gas-side flow conditions, means for (1) limiting the gas-side cold corrosion of said boiler tubes through tube-wall temperature control, and (2) introducing a controllable sensible component into the heat load of said evaporator, thereby enabling, for any predetermined off-design steam rate, stable evaporator operation at a predetermined design steam quality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a multilevel rectifier with fewer switching components is provided. The method reduces the required number of switching devices in an n level switching device and clamp diode rectifier. The method is valid for any positive integer number of levels equal to or greater than three. The method is also applicable to any phase system. The method reduces the number of switching devices required for an n-level rectifier from the standard 2(n−1) by 2 switching devices for every phase leg. A multilevel uni-directional power converter system including a multilevel rectifier that has a reduced number of switching devices is provided. The system comprises an input to a multilevel rectifier with at least one phase leg. The rectifier is composed of switching device and anti-parallel diode pairs and clamping diodes. The number of switching devices required depends on the given number of voltage levels according to the equation 2(n−1) where n is the number of voltage levels.

Abstract: A load-sensing, multi-axis connector is disclosed which comprises a series of complimentary leaf springs, which are connected by load cells through spherical bearings. These leaf springs resist the axial displacement of their attached load cells, but are isolated from non-axial displacements and moments due to the spherical bearings. These leaf springs are attached to a first end connector and a second end connector, which are in turn attached to the two objects that are to be connected. Using the load-sensing, multi-axis connector, two objects can be connected, even where the two objects are undergoing high displacements, and the stresses caused by the relative displacement of the two objects can be monitored.

Abstract: An unmanned hydroplaning water surface vehicle having a gondola housing with external midway lift and control foils that allow the unmanned surface vehicle to provide lift and control in water at sufficient speed. A superstructure trimaran hull serves as a stable operation platform during low speed maneuvers or at rest. The superstructure hull encloses command and control systems capable of remote, semi-autonomous or fully autonomous control and navigation and vehicle attitude control. A plurality of mission specific payloads and sensors are positioned within the superstructure hull and gondola housing to allow for various types of missions. A strut connects the gondola housing and the superstructure hull above the waterline, as well as to provide for the passage therebetween of a plurality of transmission and control lines. The strut also mounts a rudder above propeller at the stern end of the gondola housing.