Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high temperature superconductor is disclosed. The method includes depositing, by pulsed laser deposition, alternating layers of YBa2Cu3O7-x (Y123) and Y2BaCuO5-y (Y211). The Y211 layers are characterized by a multiplicity of nanosized globular inclusions, effectively enhancing flux pinning and thus increasing current transport.

Abstract: An ionizing discharge device operating arrangement wherein initiation of discharges in for example a dielectric barrier discharge device is accomplished by a short circuit shunting of the charged electrodes of the device. A cycle of slow charging of the device inter-electrode capacitance followed by a high-speed electrode-shunting event is used for continuing operation of the device. In this operating cycle energy storage is accomplished by the inter-electrode capacitance of the device without causing ionization by way of a controlled rate of capacitance charging accomplished without assistance of additional storage elements. Desirable fast pulse rise-time energization characteristics are achieved in the dielectric barrier discharge device by way of using a fast, preferably electronic, switch in the shunting operation and maintaining the discharge in a circuit of relatively low inductance and minimal lead lengths.

Abstract: An arrangement for calibrating the sample frequency determining clock in a global position system receiver using signals received from a Wide Area Augmentation System satellite or other Wide Area Augmentation System signal source. Such Wide Area Augmentation System based clock calibration is free of the Doppler frequency effects impressed on a global position system signal in view of the geo-stationary orbit of a Wide Area Augmentation System satellite. Use of the calibration invention enables correction of the pseudo range determination accomplished with global position system receiver output data. The invention may be considered a new use of signals available from the Wide Area Augmentation System. A noise-considered arrangement for comparing Wide Area Augmentation System and global position system frequencies is included.

Abstract: There are provided methods for fabricating baby bottle nipples which mimic the function of the human breast nipple. In the human breast nipple, milk is delivered to the baby through 15-25 fluid-delivery capillaries called lactiferous ducts. These ducts are 2-4 centimeters in length and 500-900 microns in diameter. Baby bottle nipples fabricated in accordance with the methods of this invention have the common feature of at least one hydrophilic fluid delivery passage. In one embodiment, the fluid delivery passage is a microtube. In another embodiment, the fluid delivery passage is a microchannel. In yet another embodiment, the fluid delivery passage comprises a porous reticulated foam with interconnected pores. In each of these embodiments, the fluid delivery passage has at least one dimension in the range of 1-2000 microns.

Abstract: Ohmic contact formation inclusive of Carbon films on 4H and 6H n-type Silicon Carbide is disclosed. Contact formation includes an initial RF sputtering to produce an amorphous Carbon film with the sp2/sp3 Carbon ratio of about 1.0 measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This Carbon film gradually evolves from sp3 to sp2 structures of high sp2 content during an annealing at temperatures ranging from 600° C. to 1350° C. depending on the substrate doping levels, between 1016 and 1019, employed. Formation of sp2 Carbon is accelerated by the presence of metal and gaseous catalytic agents including for example nickel and argon. The sp2 Carbon structures consist especially of nano-size graphitic flakes and also of amorphous aromatic-like Carbon structures, and polyene-like Carbon structures, as are revealed by Raman spectroscopy. Ohmic contact is achieved when a sufficient amount of nano-graphitic flakes are formed at the selected annealing temperature.

Abstract: A low power consuming dough-making machine is provided that includes sources of liquid and dry ingredients for the dough, a movable conveyor for receiving thereon layers of liquid and dry ingredients from the sources thereof to form a cake of ingredients of the desired dough composition, and a plurality of high speed rollers for kneading the cake of ingredients to the desired consistency for the dough product.

Abstract: A process for the production of ortho-aminophenols from nitroarenes using a biocatalyst consisting of pure enzymes, partially purified enzymes, cell lysate, intact cells, or a metal reaction linked with a subsequent enzymatic reaction. The biocatalyst is an enzyme system that makes use of a nitroreductase enzyme that initially reduces the nitroarene to the hydroxylaminoarene and a mutase enzyme that converts the hydroxylaminoarene to an ortho-aminophenol. The biocatalyst can also consist of a coupled, two-step metal and enzyme reaction in which the metal, such as zinc, catalyzes the transformation of the nitroarene to the hydroxylaminoarene and the mutase then catalyzes the transformation of hydroxylaminoarene to the corresponding ortho-aminophenol.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method detect region boundaries, or edge, of an arbitrary number of pixels in width in a digital image that has coarse resolution, high noise levels and/or significant blur. A self-optimizing kernel generator detects edges of arbitrary thickness. In addition, combining results of multi-resolution edge detection provides significant noise tolerance, such as a 10 dB improvement over conventional techniques. Moreover, the edge detection preserves the precise location of a blurred edge and quantifies image clarity.

Abstract: A charged particle analyzer electrode assembly of miniaturized physical size and photolithographic process element fabrication capability. The provided electrode assembly is made of conductive materials including semiconductor materials and metal materials. Individual electrodes in the assembly are made of for example plural layers of semiconductor or metal held in place by discrete insulator layers. Bandpass particle energy selection characteristics are achieved in the analyzer through a combination of analyzer particle path geometry configuration and the particle acceleration electrical potential selection. Selected particles are allowed to pass through the analyzer under these influences and non selected particles are excluded. Assembly of individual analyzer electrode assemblies into a multiple element analyzer array usable for example on an aircraft or spacecraft is included. Both millimeter sized and micrometer sized arrangements of the invention are contemplated.

Abstract: A substantially passive optical image processor providing image dissection into orthogonally polarized components each modulated on a pixel-by-pixel basis in one or more encounters with an included polarization-altering modulator element of electrical or optical nature. The modulation-processed images are recombined into an output image of the processor. Alternate arrangements of the invention are also described, arrangements including multiple modulation event processing in a plurality of forms and the accommodation of multiple input and multiple output processor images. Mathematical description of the processor's function is included along with identification of real world uses of the invention. Holographic uses of the invention are also disclosed. The underlying concepts of the invention are viewed as applicable to both present day slower and faster future optical materials.

Abstract: A non-liner electron-optic polymer based, integrated optic, electron-optic device utilizing a non-liner electron-optic polymer for the optical wave guide core layer sandwich between two very thin optically transparent electrically conductive charge sheet poling electrode layers which are, in turn, sandwiched between two electrically passive polymer optical wave guide cladding layers.

Abstract: A method of controlling the resistivity of gallium nitride is disclosed. The method incorporates an MBE system and utilizes solid source gallium, gaseous source nitrogen and solid source Buckminster Fullerene C60 as a carbon dopant for the GaN film. A desired, predetermined GaN film resistivity can be created during the growth process by selecting the temperature of the effusion cell containing the C60 within a predetermined range so as to impart the desired resistivity in the GaN film.

Abstract: A method of repairing cracked aircraft structures is disclosed. The method includes determining the net loading of an area to be repaired and then identifying a repair patch layup including a low CTE composite layer and a high CTE metal layer that will impart a loading effect opposite thereto.

Abstract: A high-temperature fiber-reinforced carbon-carbon composite material of essentially uniform density, is fabricated by the following sequence of steps: (a) selecting a fiber/matrix material combination; (b) providing a fiber preform of desired shape and fiber placement; (c) selecting at least one low-viscosity pre-carbon monomer material that wets the surfaces of the fiber preform; (d) impregnating the fiber preform with the monomer; (e) polymerizing the monomer material in-situ in a single phase process into a pre-carbon polymer of desired molecular weight; (f) pryolyzing the pre-carbon polymer to form a carbon matrix material; and (g) repeating steps (d)-(f) to further densify the preform.

Abstract: Ohmic contact formation on p-type Silicon Carbide is disclosed. The formed contact includes an initial amorphous Carbon film layer converted to graphitic sp2 Carbon during an elevated temperature annealing sequence. Decreased annealing sequence temperature, reduced Silicon Carbide doping concentration and reduced specific resistivity in the formed ohmic contact are achieved with respect to a conventional p-type Silicon Carbide ohmic contact. Addition of a Boron carbide layer covering the p-type Silicon Carbide along with the sp2 Carbon is also disclosed. Ohmic contact improvement with increased annealing temperature up to an optimum temperature near 1000° C. is included. Addition of several metals including Aluminum, the optimum metal identified, over the Carbon layer is also included; many other of the identified metals provide Schottky rather than the desired ohmic contacts, however.

Abstract: Novel ether-ketone hyperbranched co-polymers are prepared by co-polymerizing 3,5-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)phenol and 4-fluoro-4′-hydroxybenzophenone. The resulting copolymer has repeating units of the formula: wherein n has a value of 0.25 to 0.99.

Abstract: A aircraft weapons bay acoustic resonance suppression system for reducing undesirable acoustic resonances within an open weapons bay of an aircraft in flight is described. The system includes a rod mounted upon and spaced a distance from an extensible aircraft spoiler. The rod has a hollow core and includes a multiplicity of apertures axially aligned into two groups, placed at the point of fluid separation. A multiplicity of synthetic jets are received within the rod, each jet in fluid communication with a corresponding aperture. The jets combine to form first and second perturbation elements. The perturbation elements are sinusoidally driven out of phase at high frequencies by an actuator. This effectively creates a high frequency forcing of the airstream which is amplified by the airflow, creating a violent shedding. Advantageously, this violent shedding dramatically reduces acoustic resonance within the weapons bay of the aircraft.

Abstract: Provided is a method to produce high-temperature lubricious glassy films on silicon-based ceramics. The method comprises the steps of (a) oxidizing a silicon-based component, (b) coating the oxidized component with an alkali metal compound, and (c) heating the component to a high temperature in a sulfur-rich oxidizing environment. The steady state sliding friction coefficient values obtained with this system in 600° C. air are similar to those obtained with liquid lubricants operating under boundary lubrication conditions at much lower temperatures.

Abstract: Micro electromechanical components in a novel configuration to allow wireless normal direction pressure transducers to be used for oblique or shear forces. The invention includes a novel cantilever beam configuration and algorithm, the readings of the MEMS sensors are averaged to reduce the experimental variability, to estimate the shear stress that may occur between a human and external equipment or possibly between materials. The shear force component is calculated via the formula: Shear Force=Vt={square root over ({overscore (V)})}23+4+ . . . +n1−{overscore (V)}21+2+ . . . +n2.

Abstract: A passive instantaneous microwave signal frequency identifying and angle of arrival identifying system employing a beam steering multiple element antenna coupled through a Butler matrix to a plurality of simplified Fourier transformation radio receivers wherein unit value or near unit value magnitudes of the Kernel function ⅇ - j2 ⁢   ⁢ π ⁢   ⁢ kn N in the receivers' Fourier transformations are used to elude transformation computation complexity and resulting radio receiver size and cost penalties. Limiting amplifiers, a video signal path and direction finding encoding logic are also employed. Airborne military application of the system in electronic warfare direction finding, radar frequency determination and other activities is included.