Abstract: A tool head assembly for a solid state additive manufacturing apparatus includes a tool head having a material passage configured to receive a material therein. The tool head is configured to deposit the material from the material passage onto a substrate of the solid state additive manufacturing apparatus to form at least one layer of the material on the substrate. The tool head includes a shoulder configured to contact the material such that rotation of the tool head frictionally stirs the material. The tool head assembly includes a barrier configured to extend along a side surface of the at least one layer as the at least one layer is deposited onto the substrate such that the barrier is configured to constrain the material from extruding past an edge of the shoulder.

Abstract: A pallet adapter, system and method for restraining air cargo during flight are disclosed. A pallet adapter shifts a shipping container in an inboard direction of an aircraft so that the container does not contact an interior structure of the aircraft. Rigid restraints restrain the container from moving in the vertical direction during flight. Corner fittings restrain the container from moving in the fore-and-aft direction and the side-to-side direction during flight.

Abstract: An insert, a floating nut and methods for use thereof in a panel of an aircraft are presented. Specifically, an insert includes a housing defining a cavity. An aperture is further defined in a first end of the housing and a semi-spherical portion is defined at a second end of the housing. A pair of vent openings are also defined on opposing sides of the first end of the housing.

Abstract: A computer aided design (CAD) system ascertains the clear view area of a transparency in light of head orientation and refractive properties of the transparency. Obstructions that limit the clear view are also taken into account. The CAD system is particularly useful in assessing the field of view provided to a pilot by aircraft windshields and the like.

Abstract: A method of forming a torque-transmitting coupling (193) includes forming at least one fitting (192) having a tube conforming area (200). The forming area (200) includes a material overflow groove (194) and multiple flat surfaces (202). The forming area (200) has an associated tube arc length that is approximately equal in length to a formed area length of the flat surfaces (202) with the elongated overflow groove (194). An elongated tube (190) is procured. The elongated tube (190) is formed onto the tube conforming area (200) to form the torque-transmitting coupling (193).

Abstract: A computer aided design system accurately determines the location, shape, and dimensions of a transparency that provides a field of view meeting a clear view area specified by a two dimensional polar vision plot. The computer aided design system projects points on the two dimensional polar vision plot onto a three dimensional surface of the transparency taking into account the observer's head position and the refraction of light caused by the transparency.

Abstract: Production of a two dimensional technical data package is automated by a computer that receives and stores one or more customer defined data submittal rules for formatting a technical data package. The computer then executes one or more of the rules to create a linked set of output data files that comprises the technical data package. The computer creates a hierarchical product data tree structure comprising one or more nodes and one or more product attribute data fields for each node. The computer creates the technical data package file by linking parts files together in accordance with the product data tree structure. The technical data package created by the computer may be compressed and sent electronically to the customer avoiding the requirement of using cumbersome technology such as aperture cards.

Abstract: Lightweight structural elements are fabricated by machining a serpentine groove in a sheet of structural material such as honeycomb composite material, filling the groove with adhesive, and folding the sheet along the groove to achieve a desired configuration. The groove defines one or more tabs and one or more corresponding recesses. The tabs enter corresponding recesses when the sheet is folded and force excess adhesive from the groove which then can be removed to reduce weight of the structural element. In some applications, the use of adhesive may be eliminated entirely. This technique of building lightweight structural elements is particularly attractive in the aerospace industry where weight reduction is of paramount concern.

Abstract: An improved method of watermarking picture identification documents (IDs) such as passports, driver's licenses, identification cards and the like which combines biometric information with digital watermarking to provide an improved secure picture ID document and authentication of same. A facial image—that is part of the identification document—is processed such that particular facial features are extracted from the overall facial image. The extracted features are used to generate a watermark key that is subsequently used to embed a unique watermark into the facial image or other location on the identification document.

Abstract: A solar cell structure includes a solar cell that produces a voltage when illuminated, and a discrete amorphous silicon by-pass diode. A first by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode is electrically connected to a first side of an active semiconductor structure of the solar cell, and a second by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode is electrically connected to a second side of the active semiconductor structure. Alternatively, the first by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode may be electrically connected to the first side of the active semiconductor structure of the solar cell, and the second by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode may be electrically connected to a second side of the active semiconductor structure of another solar cell.

Abstract: A microwave monolithic integrated circuit assembly includes a microwave monolithic integrated circuit having an MMIC circuit plane and having a first region of relatively high heat production and a second region of relatively low heat production. A heat-dissipating assembly is in thermal contact with the microwave monolithic integrated circuit. The heat-dissipating assembly has at least two pieces of pyrolytic graphite embedded within a casing. The pieces of pyrolytic graphite include a first piece of pyrolytic graphite underlying the first region and having a high-thermal-conductivity x-direction of the first piece lying within about 20 degrees of a perpendicular to the MMIC circuit plane, and a second piece of pyrolytic graphite underlying the second region and having a high-thermal-conductivity x-direction of the second piece lying within about 20 degrees of the MMIC circuit plane. The heat-dissipating assembly is preferably fabricated by hot isostatic pressing.

Abstract: A spacecraft protected by a coating includes a spacecraft such as a communications satellite has an external surface and a coating on the external surface of the spacecraft. The coating is formed of a binder, and a plurality of pyroelectric/ferroelectric pigment particles, preferably ferroelectric particles, bound together by the binder. Each ferroelectric pigment particle includes a ferroelectric pigment material having a ferroelectric/paraelectric transition. The coating may also include active secondary particles and/or inert particles. The coating may operate in a passive mode or an active mode with the application of a bias voltage to the coating.

Abstract: An electric thruster has at least a portion of a surface of at least one of the component elements of its housing surface treated to increase the thermal transmission at the surface. The surface treatment is selected to increase the thermal absorption and thence the absorption of heat at the interiorly facing surfaces of the treated component, and/or to increase the thermal emissivity and thence radiation heat loss at the exteriorly facing surfaces of the treated component, and/or to increase the effective surface area through which heat is absorbed or emitted. The surface-treated housing components are assembled together with a cathode assembly, an ionization chamber, a propellant gas source, and a magnetic structure to form an electric thruster.

Abstract: A passive piezoelectric damping system dissipates mechanical energy propagating through a structure by tuning a shunt inductance to a non-resonant mode of the structure. The damping system includes a piezoelectric element coupled to the structure, where the piezoelectric element converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy. The electrical energy has a reactive component. The damping system further includes a shunt circuit connected to the piezoelectric element for balancing the reactive component of the electrical energy with a shunt inductance. The shunt inductance is tuned to a non-resonant mode of the structure to reduce airborne noise transmission through the structure.

Abstract: A junction box for an aircraft that provides a convenient and secure device for routing electrical cables through a passenger compartment floor panel of an aircraft. The junction box includes an enclosure that attaches to a bottom surface of the floor panel of the aircraft, and a cover, cable strain support, and gasket, that attach to a top surface of the floor panel. The walls of the enclosure can accommodate various shaped cutouts depending on the type of cable connectors being used with the cables. A portion of the cover is offset from the rest of the cover to provide an access opening for routing cables into the passenger compartment of the aircraft.

Abstract: An insert used to connect aircraft floor panels, and the like, to supporting structure includes features which function to isolate the supported panel from vibrations in the supporting structure. The isolation of the panels leads to reductions in SIL (Speech Interference Level) noise within aircraft cabins. The insert consists of internal and external rigid components separated by a contoured elastomeric component. The elastomeric component is preloaded when installed via a fastener extending through the inner rigid component and attaching to the supporting structure. The outer and inner rigid components are sized such that the inner rigid component will not pass through the outer rigid component, thus providing a safetied installation of the panel. The elastomeric component extends below the bottom of the outer rigid component and provides soft snubbing against the supporting structure during loading of the panels. This allows some level of isolation while restricting motion of the panels.

Abstract: A method of prescoring foam board for making composite panels includes impressing a pattern of ridges projecting from a surface of a die into at least one face surface of the foam board. The pattern of ridges on the die forms a pattern of indentations having three series of parallel linear indentations, each series being angularly offset from each series other by 60.degree.. The ridges on the embossing die are pressed into the foam sufficiently deep that the the pattern of indentations impressed in the board surface after whatever springback occurs remain deep enough to enable volatiles generated in an interior zone of a panel to escape when drawn out by a vacuum pump when the foam board is heated under pressure between two face sheets of resin-preimpregnated fabric to form a composite panel.

Abstract: An automated assembly machine for fabricating large mechanical structures including a floor assembly jig for receiving and holding parts in a desired orientation, a pair of carriages, a first drive mechanism for independently driving the carriages longitudinally, a second drive mechanism for moving the carriages vertically, a tool tray mounted on the carriages, and a plurality of tools, including a drill, a hole diameter measurement probe, a nut runner, and an electromagnetic riveter, mounted on the tool tray for lateral movement toward and away from a workpiece clamp-up position. The tools are positioned at the workpiece clamp-up position by moving one of the carriages longitudinally along the floor assembly jig and raising the other carriage to elevate the tool tray to a desired elevation.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is a bulkhead mounted energy absorbing pad especially useful to protect the head of a passenger seated immediately aft of that bulkhead in a vehicle undergoing a severe frontal crash event. The energy absorbing structure of the pad is a thick panel of low strength aluminum foil honeycomb having its cells aligned essentially with the impact vector. Thin, protective and aesthetic cover sheets and protective edge closeout structure is disclosed.

Abstract: A tool for sealing two ends of a tube of superplastic material in preparation for superplastically forming the tube against inside surfaces of a die by gas pressure inside of the tube. The tool has a longitudinal axis that is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the tube when the tool is positioned in the tube, and has two end caps with a cross-sectional shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the tube ends on a plane perpendicular to the axis. A central connecting tube extends between and connects the two end caps. The end caps are made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the tube, and expand, on heating, into intimate sealing contact with the inside surface of the tube ends.