Abstract: Convection towers which are capable of cleaning the pollution from large quantities of air, of generating electricity, and of producing fresh water utilize the evaporation of water sprayed into the towers to create strong airflows and to remove pollution from the air. Turbines in tunnels at the skirt section of the towers generate electricity, and condensers produce fresh water.

Abstract: The compound, 3,3-dinitroazetidine, and a process of preparing 3,3-dinitroazetidine including reacting a mixture of 1-tertiary-butyl-3,3-dinitroazetidine and benzyl chloroformate to form 1-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3,3-dinitroazetidine, reacting the 1-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3,3-dinitroazetidine and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid to form 3,3-dinitroazetidinium trifluoromethanesulfonate, and neutralizing the 3,3-dinitroazetidinium trifluoromethanesulfonate with a base to form 3,3-dinitroazetidine are provided. Salts of the 3,3-dinitroazetidine and preparation of such salts are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process of sample preparation prior to analysis for the concentration of an organic contaminant in an aqueous medium by (a) passing an initial aqueous medium including a minor amount of the organic contaminant through a composite tube comprised of a blend of a polyolefin and a polyester, the composite tube having an internal diameter of from about 0.1 to about 2.0 millimeters and being of sufficient length to permit the organic contaminant to adhere to the composite tube, (b) passing a solvent through the composite tube, said solvent capable of separating the adhered organic contaminant from the composite tube.Further, an extraction apparatus for sample preparation prior to analysis for the concentration of an organic contaminant in an aqueous medium, said apparatus including a composite tube comprised of a blend of a polyolefin and a polyester, the composite tube having an internal diameter of from about 0.1 to about 2.

Abstract: A plasma cell for destroying hazardous gases. An electric-discharge cell having an electrically conducting electrode onto which an alternating high-voltage waveform is impressed and a dielectric barrier adjacent thereto, together forming a high-voltage electrode, generates self-terminating discharges throughout a volume formed between this electrode and a grounded conducting liquid electrode. The gas to be transformed is passed through this volume. The liquid may be flowed, generating thereby a renewable surface. Moreover, since hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids may be formed from destruction of various chlorofluorocarbons in the presence of water, a conducting liquid may be selected which will neutralize these corrosive compounds. The gases exiting the discharge region may be further scrubbed if additional purification is required.

Abstract: A process of preparing an oxazoline or oxazine compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein X is an atom selected from the group of oxygen and sulfur, R is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.1-10 fluoroalkyl, aryl and substituted-aryl, and n is 2 or 3 comprising ring-closing a compound of the formula ##STR2## wherein X is an atom selected from the group of oxygen and sulfur, R is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.1-10 fluoroalkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl, n is 2 or 3, and Y is a bromine or chlorine atom in the presence of a basic reagent consisting essentially of a fluoride salt supported on an inorganic solid substrate is disclosed together with the compounds, 5-bromomethyl-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazoline, 5-methylene-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazine and 4,4-dimethyl-2-vinyl-1,3-oxazoline.

Abstract: A process of treating water to remove metal ion contaminants contained therein, said metal ion contaminants selected from the group consisting of metals in Groups 8, 1b, 2b, 4a, 5a, or 6a of the periodic table, lanthanide metals, and actinide metals including transuranic element metals, by adjusting the pH of a metal ion contaminant-containing water source to within the range of about 6.5 to about 14.0, admixing the water source with a mixture of an alkali or alkaline earth ferrate and a water soluble salt, e.g., a zirconium salt, in an amount sufficient to form a precipitate within the water source, the amount the mixture of ferrate and water soluble salt effective to reduce the metal ion contaminant concentration in the water source, permitting the precipitate in the admixture to separate and thereby yield a supernatant liquid having a reduced metal ion contaminant concentration, and separating the supernatant liquid having the reduced metal ion contaminant concentration from the admixture is provided.

Abstract: A superconducting compact magnetic energy storage module in which a plurality of superconducting toroids, each having a toroidally wound superconducting winding inside a poloidally wound superconducting winding, are stacked so that the flow of electricity in each toroidally wound superconducting winding is in a direction opposite from the direction of electrical flow in other contiguous superconducting toroids. This allows for minimal magnetic pollution outside of the module.

Abstract: Small changes in material properties of a work piece are detected by measuring small changes in elastic wave velocity and attenuation within a work piece. Active, repeatable source generate coda wave responses from a work piece, where the coda wave responses are temporally displaced. By analyzing progressive relative phase and amplitude changes between the coda wave responses as a function of elapsed time, accurate determinations of velocity and attenuation changes are made. Thus, a small change in velocity occurring within a sample region during the time periods between excitation origin times (herein called "doublets") will produce a relative delay that changes with elapsed time over some portion of the scattered waves. This trend of changing delay is easier to detect than an isolated delay based on a single arrival and provides a direct measure of elastic wave velocity changes arising from changed material properties of the work piece.

Abstract: Livelock-free message routing is provided in a network of interconnected nodes that is flushable in time T. An input message processor generates sequences of at least N time intervals, each of duration T. An input register provides for receiving and holding each input message, where the message is assigned a priority state p during an nth one of the N time intervals. At each of the network nodes a message processor reads the assigned priority state and awards priority to messages with priority state (p-1) during an nth time interval and to messages with priority state p during an (n+1) th time interval. The messages that are awarded priority are output on an output path toward the addressed output message processor. Thus, no message remains in the network for a time longer than T.

Abstract: Apparatus for the cutting of garment patterns from one or more layers of fabric. A laser capable of producing laser light at an ultraviolet wavelength is utilized to shine light through a pattern, such as a holographic phase filter, and through a lens onto the one or more layers of fabric. The ultraviolet laser light causes rapid photochemical decomposition of the one or more layers of fabric, but only along the pattern. The balance of the fabric of the one or more layers of fabric is undamaged.

Abstract: A method of encapsulating radioactive materials inside fullerenes for stable long-term storage. Fullerenes provide a safe and efficient means of disposing of nuclear waste which is extremely stable with respect to the environment. After encapsulation, a radioactive ion is essentially chemically isolated from its external environment.

Abstract: A process for preparation of silicon-32 is provide and includes contacting an irradiated potassium chloride target, including spallation products from a prior irradiation, with sufficient water, hydrochloric acid or potassium hydroxide to form a solution, filtering the solution, adjusting pH of the solution to from about 5.5 to about 7.5, admixing sufficient molybdate-reagent to the solution to adjust the pH of the solution to about 1.

Abstract: A plurality of omnidirectional radiation detectors are arranged in a close packed symmetrical pattern to form a segmented detector. The output radiation counts from these detectors are arithmetically combined to provide the direction of a source of incident radiation. Directionality is achieved without the use of shielding to provide collimation and background reduction effects. Indeed, output counts from paired detectors are simply subtracted to yield a vector direction toward the radiation source. The counts from all of the detectors can be combined to yield an output signal functionally related to the radiation source strength.

Abstract: A compact high brightness linear accelerator is provided for use, e.g., in a free electron laser. The accelerator has a first plurality of acclerating cavities having end walls with four coupling slots for accelerating electrons to high velocities in the absence of quadrupole fields. A second plurality of cavities receives the high velocity electrons for further acceleration, where each of the second cavities has end walls with two coupling slots for acceleration in the absence of dipole fields. The accelerator also includes a first cavity with an extended length to provide for phase matching the electron beam along the accelerating cavities. A solenoid is provided about the photocathode that emits the electons, where the solenoid is configured to provide a substantially uniform magnetic field over the photocathode surface to minimize emittance of the electons as the electrons enter the first cavity.

Abstract: A process for selective separation of strontium-82 and strontium-85 from proton irradiated molybdenum targets is provided and includes dissolving the molybdenum target in a hydrogen peroxide solution to form a first ion-containing solution, passing the first ion-containing solution through a first cationic resin whereby ions selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, technetium, selenium, vanadium, arsenic, germanium, zirconium and rubidium remain in the first ion-containing solution while ions selected from the group consisting of rubidium, zinc, beryllium, cobalt, iron, manganese, chromium, strontium, yttrium and zirconium are selectively adsorbed by the first resin, contacting the first resin with an acid solution capable of stripping adsorbed ions from the first cationic exchange resin whereby the adsorbed ions are removed from the first resin to form a second ion-containing solution, evaporating the second ion-containing solution for time sufficient to remove substantially all of the acid

Abstract: A method of treating the surface of a polymeric article by impact implantation with particulate material to attain hardening, abrasion resistance or other altered surface characteristics. High pressure treatment with a slurry of a liquid mixed with a ceramic particulate material in the 66 to 350 micron particle size range can be employed to implant the surface of a polymeric article to attain improved abrasion and erosion resistance. Similarly impact implantation with electrically conductive or magnetic materials can be employed to attain a conductive surface or a surface having electromagnetic radiation absorption characteristics. In addition to water jet impact implantation, there is disclosed methods of ultrasonic, sheet explosive and mechanical particle implantation.

Abstract: Cold pressed UC.sub.2 fuel compacts are sintered at temperatures greater than about 1850.degree. C. while in contact with a sintering facilitator material, e.g., tantalum, niobium, tungsten or a metal carbide such as uranium carbide, thereby allowing for a reduction in the overall porosity and leaving the desired product, i.e., a highly dense, large-grained uranium dicarbide. The process of using the sintering facilitator materials can be applied in the preparation of other carbide materials.

Abstract: A refuse collector for introducing solid refuse into commercial plastic trash bags is disclosed. One embodiment of the collector includes an open, peripheral frame having a collection tray hinged thereto, and a pair of bag expanders that are hinged thereto and extend rearwardly from the frame and into a plastic trash bag to hold the bag open. In a second embodiment the collector includes three inexpensive, interlocking disposable components. The collector is particularly adapted to collection of hazardous solid waste such as metal chips or refuse contaminated with hazardous, toxic or infectious materials. The collector may be used in a horizontal or vertical position.

Abstract: An optical amplifier operating at the 1.31 .mu.m wavelength for use in such applications as telecommunications, cable television, and computer systems. An optical fiber or other waveguide device is doped with both Tm.sup.3+ and Pr.sup.3+ ions. When pumped by a diode laser operating at a wavelength of 785 nm, energy is transferred from the Tm.sup.3+ ions to the Pr.sup.3+ ions, causing the Pr.sup.3+ ions to amplify at a wavelength of 1.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a one-sided rear swing arm suspension system for a motorcycle having a chain-driven rear wheel, in which the tension of the drive chain may be adjusted without affecting the ride height of the motorcycle. The suspension system includes a rear swing arm (10) that is pivotably attached to the body (12) of the motorcycle, and which extends rearwardly around and alongside the rear wheel (16). The rear end of the swing arm includes elongate recesses which guide and receive an adjustment yoke (18). The rear wheel is journalled on a spindle (28) that extends transversely from the adjustment yoke. The yoke is positionable longitudinally on the swing arm by means of an adjustment stud (22) extending from the swing arm, and a corresponding adjustment nut (24) entrapped in the neck of the yoke.