Abstract: A pulsed detonation engine having an initiator tube fueled with an enhanced fuel mixture is configured in fluid communication with a detonation chamber via a divergent inflow transition section. The divergent inflow transition section has a diverging contoured shape having a rate of divergence continuously dependent upon the diameter of the tube, the critical diameter of the enhanced fuel mixture within the tube and the cross-sectional area of the detonation chamber. The inflow transition section, which may have a stair-step configuration, includes a plurality of fuel and/or air ports to permit the fuel and air to be injected through the transition section and into the detonation chamber.

Abstract: An article is fabricated with a ceramic surface having a controllable surface finish. In one form, the ceramic is applied as a coating to a substrate article. Preferably, an aqueous coating mixture of phosphoric acid, alumina powder, and cordierite powder is prepared. The mixture is contacted to the surface of the article, and a mechanical overpressure is applied to the external surface of the mixture using a pressing tool. The surface character of the pressing tool, such as a smooth surface or an intentionally patterned surface, is reproduced on the surface of the final ceramic coating. The coating is heated to a moderate temperature to set the ceramic of the coating, and thereafter the coating Is heated to a higher, but still intermediate temperature, to cure the coating.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy, aircraft structural component having a faying surface prepared by treating with one or more curable organic coatings, one or more of which is optionally in an encapsulated state, and delivering a uniform coating on demand by rupturing and curing the encapsulated coating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for inspecting an end face of an optical fiber. The apparatus includes a memory device for storing images of acceptable end faces and unacceptable end faces, and an imaging system for obtaining an image of the end face of the optical fiber. Further, the apparatus includes a means, responsive to said imaging system, for comparing the image of the end fare of the optical fiber with the images of acceptable end faces and unacceptable end faces to automatically determine if the optical fiber is acceptable.

Abstract: A pulsed detonation engine having an initiator tube fueled with an enhanced fuel mixture is configured in fluid communication with a detonation chamber via a divergent inflow transition section. The divergent inflow transition section has a diverging contoured shape having a rate of divergence continuously dependent upon the diameter of the tube, the critical diameter of the enhanced fuel mixture within the tube and the cross-sectional area of the detonation chamber. The inflow transition section, which may have a stair-step configuration, includes a plurality of fuel and/or air ports to permit the fuel and air to be injected through the transition section and into the detonation chamber.

Abstract: Each of a pair of composite structures includes at least one tubular member that is at least partially conductive and defines an electrical port. Each tubular member is electrically connected at a first end to a respective electrical lead and has a second end opening through an edge surface of the composite structure. A method for establishing electrical contact between the electrical leads includes electrically engaging the tubular member that defines the electrical port of each composite structure with a respective electrical contact device. The electrical contact device comprises an electrical contact pad and a conductive pin connected to and extending outwardly from the electrical contact pad such that engaging the tubular member includes inserting the conductive pin into the tubular member. Then, corresponding electrical contact pads are at least partially aligned to thereby establish electrical contact between corresponding electrical leads embedded within the pair of composite structures.

Abstract: A pulsed detonation engine having an initiator tube fueled with an enhanced fuel mixture is configured in fluid communication with a detonation chamber via a divergent inflow transition section. The divergent inflow transition section has a diverging contoured shape having a rate of divergence continuously dependent upon the diameter of the tube, the critical diameter of the enhanced fuel mixture within the tube and the cross-sectional area of the detonation chamber. The inflow transition section, which may have a stair-step configuration, includes a plurality of fuel and/or air ports to permit the fuel and air to be injected through the transition section and into the detonation chamber.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and in one form is in its solution treated/annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes anodizing the article precursor, preferably in chromic acid solution and without chemical sealing during anodizing, applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article precursor, and precipitation heat-treating the coated aluminum article precursor to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating. If the aluminum alloy temper is of the naturally aging type, it is optionally lightly deformed prior to precipitation treatment aging.

Abstract: A portable apparatus for uniformly illuminating a detector that includes an array of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) is provided for facilitating calibration of the respective gains of the CCDs. The illumination apparatus includes a housing, such as a cup-shaped housing, which defines an internal cavity and which opens through a first end. The illumination apparatus also includes a light source, such as a photoluminescent sheet, that is disposed within the internal cavity for uniformly illuminating the plurality of CCDs to thereby permit the CCDs to be calibrated. The illumination apparatus is also adapted to be mounted to the detector, such as by means of a mounting ring, in much the same fashion that a camera lens is attached to a camera. As such, the illumination apparatus can be readily mounted to a detector, such as a CCD camera, such that the array of CCDs can be calibrated in an efficient manner in the field, i.e., without requiring the detector to be transported to a laboratory for calibration.

Abstract: The modularized fiber optic laser system includes at least one master oscillator for producing a master laser signal and a plurality of optical amplification modules that independently amplify portions of the master laser signal. Each optical amplification module includes a plurality of optical fiber amplifiers and at least one pump source associated with each optical fiber amplifier for pumping the respective optical fiber amplifier. The optical amplification module also includes a power source for providing power to the pump sources. Each optical amplification module preferably consumes no more than a first predetermined amount of power during operation. As such, the power source is adapted to provide at least a first predetermined amount of power without recharging and without power generation. Each optical amplification module is also designed to produce no more than a first predetermined amount of heat during operation.

Abstract: A metal substrate such as bare or anodized aluminum or an aluminum alloy having an inorganic white paint thermal control coating on the substrate, the coating having low solar absorptance and high infrared emittance, such as a potassium silicate binder having zinc oxide particles distributed therein, and a fluoropolymer topcoat such as polytetrafluoroethylene on the inorganic white coating, the topcoat having substantially no significant effect on the optical properties of the thermal control coating and having substantial adhesion to such coating and improved resistance to darkening under ultraviolet exposure in the outer space environment.

Abstract: An apparatus to determine the three-dimensional location of an airborne platform relative to a target area using two separate antenna assemblies positioned on the airborne platform. The first antenna assembly is adapted to transmit energy downward toward a surface location directly beneath the airborne platform, while the second antenna assembly is adapted to transmit energy forward towards the target area remote from the surface location. A single transmitter is associated with both of the antenna assemblies for transmitting signals toward the surface location and the target area. A receiver coupled to the antenna assemblies receives and detects the signals corresponding to the transmitted energy as reflected by the target area and the surface location. A radar processor is coupled to the receiver and is adapted to determine the range between the airborne platform and the surface location and determine the three-dimensional height of the target area from the detected signals.

Abstract: A pulsed detonation engine having an initiator tube fueled with an enhanced fuel mixture is configured in fluid communication with a detonation chamber via a divergent inflow transition section. The divergent inflow transition section has a diverging contoured shape having a rate of divergence continuously dependent upon the diameter of the tube, the critical diameter of the enhanced fuel mixture within the tube and the cross-sectional area of the detonation chamber. The inflow transition section, which may have a stair-step configuration, includes a plurality of fuel and/or air ports to permit the fuel and air to be injected through the transition section and into the detonation chamber. The pulsed detonation engine includes a volume of ejector/bypass air surrounding the detonation chamber, which captures the detonation engine exhaust and mixes the exhaust with the ejector air, and a back pressure device for feeding dynamic pressure ejector air to the interior of the detonation chamber near its outlet end.

Abstract: A sol-gel catalyst composition for electroless plating includes a metal alkoxide in a polar organic solvent, an acid, a chloride salt or acid chloride, and a catalytic metallic salt. The sol-gel catalyst adheres to smooth surfaces without the preconditioning normally associated with other sol-gel smooth surface catalyst, as well as a method for coating a substrate with the sol-gel catalyst composition, and then a metallic platting solution.

Abstract: A composite member having increased resistance to delamination includes a reinforcing wrap of fiber-matrix composite material which is encircled about the member so that the edge surfaces of the member are covered by the wrap. The wrap includes fibers which are oriented from about −60° to about +60° relative to the direction along which the reinforcing wrap is wrapped about the member. The fibers of the reinforcing wrap impart increased third-axis or Z-direction strength at the edges of the member where interlaminar tensile stresses are greatest.

Abstract: An article is coated with a mixture of a high absorptance pigment, a low absorptance pigment, a low emittance material, and a high emittance binder. Each of the components of the coating are stable when exposed to a space environment. The amounts of the high absorptance pigment and the low absorptance pigment are selected to produce an absorptance of the coating of from about 0.20 to about 0.90, and the amount of the low emittance material is selected to produce an emittance of the coating of from about 0.25 to about 0.90. The low absorptance pigment is preferably a white pigment such as zinc oxide. The high absorptance pigment is preferably a black pigment such as cupric oxide, cobalt oxide, or manganese dioxide. The low emittance material is preferably a metal such as aluminum. The binder is preferably a ceramic such as potassium silicate.

Abstract: A method for forming a coating on aluminum by contacting the aluminum with water, at least one multifunctional polymeric organic acid, a monomer of an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP) and polymerizing the ICP monomer and forming aluminum oxide by imposing an electrical potential between the aluminum surface as the anode and a cathode. The intrinsically conductive polymer salt and aluminum oxide coating that is formed resists corrosion and is resistant to de-doping during immersion in hot water.

Abstract: To produce a high pressure stream of fluid, such as propellant, the fluid is transfered from a low pressure reservoir into a plurality of intermediate storage tanks, in which the fluid is pressurized. The fluid is drained from the storage tanks to an outlet in sequence. While one pressurized storage tank in a three pressurized tank system is being drained, the most recently drained one of the storage tanks is being vented, and still another of the storage tanks is being filled or replenished with fluid, as the case may be, from the low pressure reservior.

Abstract: The forming time necessary to superplastically form an object from a metal sheet is estimated by empirical analysis. The required rate of gas mass flow into a forming cavity is then determined using either a nomograph composed of four interrelated graphs, or a single graph which requires the input of fewer variables than the nomograph. The present invention may also be used to form cells of multiple sheet panels from a stack of sheets. In the latter application, forming time necessary to complete forming of the cells from an interim point where the core sheet forming pressure and the die temperature are increased from interim levels to their final values is estimated by empirical analysis. A nomograph or single graph of the present invention then determines the gas mass flow rate necessary to safely and efficiently complete forming of the cells from the foregoing interim point.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector and an associated fabrication method where the connector has a connector housing having a base side, a and pair of sidewalls upstanding from the base side that are spaced apart in relation to each other, and each of the housing sidewalls define at least one aperture through which optical signals can be transmitted into and out of the housing by an input optical fiber and an output optical fiber, respectively, located in fixed positions outside the housing, and a pair of optical lens elements are contained within the housing which collimate optical signals transmitted via the respective optical fibers. The lens elements are precisely aligned with respective optical fibers within submicron tolerances using internally-housed micro-aligners. As a result, the fiber optic connector of the present invention can provide efficient coupling between optical fibers, such as optical fibers in two spliced composite parts.