Abstract: A thermoelectric generator system including: a first surface having a first material configured to undergo a phase change at a first temperature; an actuator configured to retract the first material from contacting a heat source upon the heat source reaching a predetermined temperature higher than the first temperature; and a thermoelectric generator having a hot side and a cold side, the first material being on the hot side. The thermoelectric generator system can further include a second material configured to undergo a phase change at a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature, the second material being on the cold side of the thermoelectric generator.

Abstract: A method of actuating a device, the method including: allowing a movable mass to move back and forth in a first portion of a passage upon the device experiencing a first acceleration profile having a first magnitude and a first duration; and allowing the movable mass to move to a second portion of the passage to actuate the device upon the device experiencing a second acceleration profile having a second acceleration lower than the first acceleration and a second duration greater than the first duration. The device can be one of an inertial igniter, a normally open latching electrical circuit, a normally open non-latching electrical circuit, a normally closed latching electrical circuit or a normally closed non-latching electrical circuit.

Abstract: A compressive structural element including: an enclosure having a top, a bottom, and inner wall and an outer wall, a first cavity defined between the inner and outer walls and a second cavity defined by the inner wall; and a non-compressible material disposed in the first cavity; wherein the outer wall has at least a portion thereof inwardly shaped toward the first cavity and the inner wall has at least a portion outwardly shaped towards the first cavity such that a first compressive force acting on the top and/or bottom tending to compress the element by a first deflection causes an amplified second deflection, relative to the first deflection, of the inner and/or outer walls into the non-compressible material, thereby exerting a second compressive force against the non-compressible material, resulting in a resistance to the first deflection and the first compressive force tending to compress the element.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a carriage for holding a component to be tested, the carriage being configured to be movable in a linear direction along one or more elongated rails; a drum rotatable on a shaft, the drum having a circumferential surface; a cable having one end connected to the carriage and an other end connected to the drum; a motor having an output connected to the shaft to rotate the drum under the motive power of the motor to wind the cable on the circumferential surface of the drum; and a clutch disposed in a power train operatively connecting the motor to the drum, the clutch having a disengaged state and an engaged state. Where the motor is controlled to disengage the clutch while the motor reaches a predetermined rotational speed or predetermined rotational torque and to engage the clutch when the motor reaches the predetermined rotational speed or predetermined rotational torque to accelerate the carriage and component to be tested in the linear direction.

Abstract: A method for controlling a group of self-driving vehicles in a predetermined geographical area including: separating the predetermined geographical area into at least first and second sub-sections, wherein the predetermined geographical area has a corresponding area controller and each of the at least first and second sub-sections has a corresponding sub-section controller; separately controlling a sub-group of the self-driving vehicles within each of the at least first and second sub-sections using the corresponding sub-section controller; and the area controller informing each corresponding sub-section controller of a change in a self-driving vehicle in the at least first or second sub-sections.

Abstract: A metal-gas battery including: a battery core including: a metal anode; a non-aqueous electrolyte; a porous cathode; and terminals for providing electrical power from the battery core.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a test platform for holding an item to be shock tested; a carriage for carrying the test platform and being movable relative to the test platform in a testing direction, the testing direction being a direction of movement of the carriage; one or more rails movably supporting one of the test platform and the carriage; a stop configured to stop the carriage from moving in the testing direction at a predetermined location while allowing the test platform to continue moving in the testing direction past the predetermined location; and a brake configured to decelerate the test platform after the carriage has been stopped by the stop.

Abstract: A linear and rotary shock-testing machine including: a base; a shaft rotatably and translationally movable relative to the base; a test disc for holding one or more specimens to be tested, the test disc being rotatable with the shaft; one of a cam and cam follower fixed relative to the base; and an other of the cam and cam follower fixed to the test disc, wherein the shaft being driven to provide a rotational shock to the one or more test specimens; and the cam is shaped such that the cam follower follows the cam to urge the test disc into a translational motion while rotating to provide translational shock to the one or more specimens.

Abstract: A liquid reserve battery including: a collapsible storage unit having a collapsible cavity for storing a liquid electrolyte therein; and a battery cell in communication with an outlet of the collapsible storage unit, the battery cell having gaps dispersed therein. Wherein the collapsible storage unit includes: a top plate having three or more first sides; a bottom plate having three or more second sides, each of the three or more first sides being angularly offset from a corresponding one of the three or more second sides about a central axis, the top plate being linearly offset from the bottom plate in a longitudinal direction along the central axis; and for each of the three of more first sides, first and second triangular sidewalls connecting the top plate bottom plate and each other.

Abstract: A liquid reserve battery including: a collapsible storage unit having a liquid electrolyte stored therein; a battery cell in communication with an outlet of the collapsible storage unit, the battery cell having gaps dispersed therein; a first pyrotechnic material partially disposed adjacent the collapsible storage unit such that initiation of the first pyrotechnic material provides pressure to collapse the collapsible storage unit to heat and force the liquid electrolyte through the outlet and into the gaps; and a tube disposed in the battery cell, wherein second pyrotechnic material is disposed in the tube, the tube being one of formed of an electrically non-conductive material or covered with an electrically non-conductive material.

Abstract: A mortar shell including: a metallic inner layer defining an interior of the mortar, the metallic inner layer having a grid formed on an outer surface to define a plurality of metallic fragments separated by grooves; a polymer having first reinforcing fibers disposed within the grooves; and a polymer outer layer, the polymer outer layer having second reinforcing fibers dispersed therein. The grid can be a square grid to define square shaped metallic fragments. The polymer outer layer can include a pattern of dimples formed on an outer surface. The polymer outer layer can include a solid lubricant.

Abstract: A heating circuit for an energy storage device having internal surface capacitance between inputs storing electric field energy between internal electrodes that are coupled to the inputs, with one of the internal electrodes coupled to one of the inputs having characteristics of a series coupled resistor and inductor to a voltage source. The heating circuit including: a power source couplable to one input, wherein the power source provides positive and negative input currents at the input, the positive input current flows into one of the inputs and the negative input current flows out of one of the inputs; and a controller for controlling the power source to provide alternating current between the positive and the negative input currents at one of the inputs at a frequency sufficient to effectively short the internal surface capacitance of the energy storage device to generate heat and raise a temperature of the electrolyte.

Abstract: A portable battery charger for charging a vehicle battery in an electric vehicle including: a housing; one or more charger batteries; charging and conditioning electronics configured provide an input to heat a battery core of the vehicle battery and/or one or more charging batteries to above a predetermined temperature at which the vehicle battery is more efficiently charged; and a controller configured to: determine whether a temperature of the vehicle battery and/or the one or more charging batteries are less than the predetermined temperature; control the charging and conditioning electronics to input the vehicle battery and/or the one or more charging batteries with the input when the temperature is determined to be less than the predetermined temperature; and charge the vehicle battery using the one or more charging batteries when the temperature rises above the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A metal-gas battery including: a battery core, gas container and a movable member. The battery core including a metal anode; a non-aqueous electrolyte; a porous cathode; and terminals for providing electrical power from the battery core. The gas container being configured to hold a pressurized gas. The movable member being configured to be movable from a non-activated position in which the pressurized gas in the container is sealed from entering the porous cathode and an activated position in which the pressurized gas flows into the porous cathode to activate the battery core.

Abstract: A device responsive to an acceleration pulse event, the device including: a piezoelectric device configured to generate a voltage over a duration responsive to one or more acceleration pulse events; an electrical storage device configured to receive a portion of the generated voltage to accumulate a charge; an energy dissipating device coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to dissipate the accumulated charge following the one or more acceleration pulse events and not to substantially dissipate the accumulated charge during the one or more acceleration pulse events; and a voltage limiting device coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to limit the portion of the generated voltage applied to the electrical storage device to a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A munition including: a control surface actuation device including: an actuator having two or more pistons, each of the pistons being movable between an extended and retracted position, the retracted position resulting from an activation of each of the two or more pistons; and a movable rack having a pocket corresponding to each of the two or more pistons, each pocket being engageable with a corresponding portion of each of the two or more pistons, a distance between the pockets being different than a distance between the portions of the two or more pistons, such that activation of the portion into the corresponding pocket sequentially translates the rack; and a control surface operatively connected to the rack such that translation of the rack rotates the control surface.

Abstract: A method for determining angular orientation of an object in two or more directions. The method includes: generating a scanning polarized RF source signal; receiving the scanning polarized RF source signal at one or more cavities of a sensor disposed on the object; measuring the scanning polarized RF source signal at a first portion of the sensor; reflecting the scanning polarized RF source signal toward a second portion of the sensor; measuring the scanning polarized RF source signal at the second portion of the sensor; and determining the angular orientation of the object in the two or more directions based on the measured signal at the first and second portions of the sensor.

Abstract: A heating circuit for an energy storage device having a core with an electrolyte, the energy storage device having inputs, characteristics of a capacitance across the electrolyte and the core, and internal surface capacitance between the inputs which can store electric field energy between internal electrodes of the energy storage device that are coupled to the inputs, the battery heating circuit including: a controller configured to switch between a positive input voltage and a negative input voltage provided to one of the inputs at a frequency sufficient to effectively short the internal surface capacitance of the energy storage device to generate heat and raise a temperature of the electrolyte, the controller being further configured to discontinue the switching when the temperature of the electrolyte and/or the energy storage device is above a predetermined temperature that is considered sufficient to increase a charging efficiency of the energy storage device.

Abstract: A walkway for use between a shoreline of a body of water and at least a portion of a building exposed to the body of water, the walkway including: a base adjacent to the building; a plank having a surface for use by pedestrians to walk upon when the plank is in a first position at least indirectly disposed on the base, the plank having a first end rotatably connected to the base and having a second end extending from the first end away from the building along a length of the plank, the surface being exposed for use by the pedestrians to walk upon when the plank is in the first position; and a lifting mechanism operatively connected to the plank to rotate the plank from the first position to a second position where the length of the plank is oriented adjacent to a wall of the building to impede a rising height of the body of water.

Abstract: A method for heating an energy storage device having a core with an electrolyte, the method including: providing the energy storage device having inputs and characteristics of a capacitance across the electrolyte and the core and internal surface capacitance between the inputs which can store electric field energy between internal electrodes of the energy storage device that are coupled to the inputs; switching between a positive input voltage and a negative input voltage provided to one of the inputs at a frequency sufficient to effectively short the internal surface capacitance of the energy storage device to generate heat and raise a temperature of the electrolyte; and discontinuing the switching when the temperature of the electrolyte is above a predetermined temperature that is considered sufficient to increase a charging efficiency of the energy storage device.