Abstract: A current collector for use in a battery wherein the current collector is coaxial with the battery axis and is fabricated with a plurality of pairs of layers of electrically conducting material with alternate layers having different conductivities. An anisotropic resistivity structure is thus formed having a greater resistance in the axial direction than in a radial direction relative to the axis so as to provide for a more uniform current distribution.

Abstract: System and method for hydraulically expanding tubular members, such as heat transfer tubes and sleeves of the type found in nuclear steam generators. The system includes a resilient ribbed bladder for radially expanding the tube or tubular sleeve that is to be disposed in the tube. The system further includes a pressurizer hydraulically connected to the bladder for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to the bladder in order to expand the bladder into intimate engagement with the sleeve and/or tube. The system also includes a controller electrically connected to the pressurizer for controllably operating the pressurizer. The system may further include a fluid supply reservoir fluidly connected to the pressurizer for supplying fluid to the pressurizer and may also include visual display means electrically connected to the controller for displaying the pressure acting on the bladder during the expansion process.

Abstract: A method for removing contaminated resin particles from soils. The method entrains the resin particles and fines from the soil, which, due to the difference in specific gravity between resin and soil particles, results in a significant disparity between particle size of the entrained resin and the entrained fines. This, in turn permits the fines to be screened from the resin and the larger soil particles, which have not been entrained, to settle out from the mixture.

Abstract: A vapor cooled current lead for a superconducting device located in a cryostat includes a normal conductor section extending from ambient conditions inward to an intermediate point, and a composite lead having a ceramic high temperature superconductor core with a metallic sheath extending between the normal conductor section and the superconducting device, preferably in a helical path to reduce heat leak by conduction. The metallic sheath is stripped away at spaced intervals, preferably adjacent the low temperature end of the composite lead, and the gaps are filled with a filler which provides mechanical strength for the core and reduces thermal conduction. A flow of cryogen vapor directed by a tubular housing maintains the high temperature superconducting material below its critical temperature, and cools the normal conductors.

Abstract: A chair fastening device for securing a metal bracket to a seat pan of a chair thereby enabling arms, legs or pedestal bases with or without control mechanisms to be attached to the chair. The fastening device comprises a slab base weld nut which includes a slab base head that is captured and retained by parallel raised ribs formed in the plastic of the seat pan, thereby preventing rotation of the slab base weld nut, and an elongated barrel which is inserted through angled holes in the plastic seat pan and peened over in order to form a rivet connection with the underside of the plastic seat pan. The elongated barrel of the slab base weld nut is counterbored and further includes internal threads adapted to receive a screw or bolt for use in securing a metal bracket to the plastic seat pan without inducing stress fractures in the plastic, thus creating a strong, secure attachment for chair arms, legs or pedestal bases.

Abstract: Both a system and method is provided for implementing a wiring change with respect to an electrical component detachably connected to a solderless PWB module. The system comprises at least one unused via on the PWB, an insulator used for electrically disconnecting a selected contact pad of the component from a contact pad disposed on the PWB, and a metallic strip mounted on a substrate for electrically connecting the selected component contact pad to the unused via. In one embodiment of the system, the substrate used to support the conductive strip is the compliant, insulative sheet material used in the interface that normally interconnects the pads of the electrical component with the pads of the PWB module. Alternatively, a separate "smart" layer formed from a thin insulative sheet material may be used to support the conductive strip.

Abstract: A safety system grade dropped rod detection system for a pressurized water reactor (PWR) utilizes core exit thermocouples arranged in multiple trains and hot and cold leg RTDs to generate a safety system grade rod stop signal. The system generates from the temperature signals a relative power deviation (RD) and a curvature index (CI), which is the spatial second derivative of RD for each fuel assembly. The CI signatures not only provide rapid, reliable detection of dropped control rods, but also clearly identify failed and failing thermocouples.

Abstract: A neural network is disclosed in which communication between processing elements occurs by radio waves in a waveguide. Radio wave communication using common carrier signals by transceivers in a waveguide allows processing elements to communicate wirelessly and simultaneously. Each processing element includes a radio frequency transceiver and an accompanying antenna which performs the neuron summing operation because input signals simultaneously received from plural processing elements by the antenna add. The weights on each input are provided by different spatial relationships between the transmitting processing elements and the receiving processing element which causes signal strength loses through the waveguide to be different.

Abstract: The guide pin aligning a top nozzle of a nuclear fuel assembly to an upper core plate of a nuclear reactor, is replaced working exclusively from below the upper core plate. The replacement guide pin has a shaft portion engaged with the upper core plate and the clamping nut which held the original guide pin, by threadable connection and/or by an expansion fitting. A shoulder on the pin bears against a lower surface of the upper core plate, and a nose of the pin is received in the top nozzle of the fuel assembly. A preferred expansion fitting has a bushing with ridges on its outer surface and a conical inside surface, and is inserted into the bored out original guide pin shaft. A threaded conical plug is pulled axially with rotation of the replacement pin shaft to expand the bushing. The ridges rigidly lock the replacement pin between the shoulder and the clamping nut.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for performing remote impact testing for generator stator wedges and ripple springs. An improved low profile carriage is utilized for correlating wedge displacement data with the force required to displace the wedge. A calibrated test stand, in which exemplary wedges are placed under a known loading via a hydraulic load cell, provides means for generating calibration curve sets. From the graphed forcedisplacement curves generated from wedges placed under a known loading, force and displacement data generated during actual stator testing can be analyzed to measure the tightness or looseness of stator wedges, coils and ripple springs. In the preferred embodiment of the low profile carriage of the present invention, a capacitive sensor is used to directly measure the displacement or vibration of stator wedges as a result of being struck by an impact hammer with a known force.

Abstract: A positive off mechanism for a circuit breaker includes a pair of positive off levers slideable in slots in the side plates and extendable into the path of the operating handle to prevent movement of the handle to the off position when the contacts are welded closed. The positive off levers are actuated by positive off links pivotally mounted to the side plates and coupled to the positive off levers by "dog bone" connections. The positive off links in turn are actuated by the toggle mechanism of the circuit breaker which collapses to open the contacts during normal circuit breaker operation, but which remains erect when the contacts are welded closed.

Abstract: A device and method is provided for filtering frequency components of an electrical signal above a selectable low pass cutoff frequency which is changeable within a designated range. An input filter having a fixed low pass cutoff frequency provides aliasing protection for a first of at least three clock driven filter stages respectively having variable low pass cutoff frequencies proportional to a clock rate of a received clock signal. The overall selectable low pass filter is determined at an intermediate stage of the clock driven filter stages. Clock rates of respective clock signals applied to clock driven stages proceeding the intermediate stage having the selectable cutoff frequency are adjusted so that each provides aliasing protection for the next. Similarly, the low pass cutoff frequencies of clock driven filter stage succeeding the intermediate stage having the selectable cutoff frequency are adjusted to eliminate staircasing distortion in the output signal.

Abstract: An optical architecture for receiving and slowing down high-speed data for high-speed digital testing applications is provided in which an input generating means transmits high-speed input test vectors to an apparatus under testing. In response, the apparatus under testing generates output test vectors. These high speed output test vectors are converted to slow-speed data signals by optically demultiplexing the high-speed vectors into high-speed parallel data signals and then expanding the parallel data signals to for slow-speed data signals. The slow-speed data signals are then compared with slow-speed reference vectors on a personal computer to determine whether the apparatus under testing is in error for any of its output channels.

Abstract: A synthetic aperture side-looking sonar which includes a receiver transducer array and two transmitter transducers. When the apparatus is at a first position, the forwarded transmitter transducer is provided with a signal of frequency F1 while the aft transmitter transducer is provided with a signal of frequency F2. At a subsequent position, the application of the frequencies to the transmitter transducers are reversed. At each location, the F1 and F2 returns are stored and combined with the returns of the subsequent transmission to form a plurality of receiver beams.

Abstract: A transport/stacker module provides for a vertical stacking of mail bins. Carriers traveling in a transport path have openable and closable doors at both ends, and a frame of the transport/stacker module is provided with cam actuators to open the doors after the carriers pass turnaround areas and close the doors before the carriers enter the turnaround areas. A rake mechanism disposed above each bin is provided with a snubber which engages a mail piece prior to rake tines of the rake mechanism.

Abstract: Self-locking plug for plugging a hole defined by a surrounding structure, which structure may be a nuclear power reactor pressure vessel core barrel flange. When the hole is plugged, transient hydraulic forces generated in the pressure vessel will tend to force the plug from the hole. The plug includes a plug body sized to be disposed in the hole and a locking member pivotally connected to the plug for locking the plug body to the flange, so that the plug is not inadvertently forced from the hole by the transient hydraulic forces. A cam, which is capable of engaging the locking mechanism for outwardly pivoting the locking mechanism, is slidably connected to the plug body. A movable piston is connected to the cam for driving the cam into engagement with the locking mechanism. Moreover, the locking mechanism pivots to engage the flange as the cam engages the locking member. A ram, which is also connected to the plug body, is provided to ram the plug body into the hole for snugly plugging the hole.

Abstract: Surfactants in an aqueous solution is recovered from polychlorinated biphenyls and other aromatic organic compounds contaminating the solution. An electrical current is passed through a surfactant-containing aqueous solution contaminated with a colloidal dispersion of organic compounds at a voltage sufficient to electrochemically breakup the dispersion without polymerizing the surfactant. The contaminating aromatic organic compounds are then separated from the surfactant-containing aqueous solution. The separated surfactant-containing aqueous solution may be recirculated to a waste treatment process for cleaning additional organic compounds from contaminated equipment.

Abstract: There is provided a hermetically sealed dry-coupled transducer apparatus and system adapted for improved measuring of liquid level in a pipe or vessel, or for other instrumentation applications. The transducer system is characterized by having a hermetic seal at the junction of an acoustic window 33' and an outer shell 31' (thereby hermetically sealing a forward aperture of the outer shell), and a thin, compliant, threaded cap 46 enclosing a rearward aperture of the outer shell. The cap provides means for repetitively assembling and disassembling the transducer module, if necessary, prior to welding. In addition, a push rod applies acoustic coupling force to a piezoelectric transducer element to effect dry coupling to a surface, while the compliant cap prevents significant force transmission to the shell. The system exhibits limited reverberation and, moreover, is suitable for use in high-temperature environments.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor has a passive system for adjusting the pH of post accident water in the containment vessel. A basic liquid is stored in the containment vessel at an elevation above the maximum post accident water level. When radiation levels in the containment vessel exceed a predetermined, normal level the basic liquid is gravitationally drained into sumps located in the containment vessel below the maximum post accident water level where it mixes with emergency core cooling system water, raising the pH of the water to about 7.

Abstract: A wideband radar apparatus is provided having improved interference suppression characteristics. The known time versus bandwidth characteristic of the transmitted pulse is utilized to effect intermediate frequency bandwidth reduction in received swath echo signals. During the interpulse period, basebanded swath echo signals are then subjected to a series of adaptive interference suppressing updates. The adaptive weight vector produced during each of these updates is then applied to the same data used to generate the weights. Preferably, adaptive weight generation is performed in a systolic array according to a QR decomposition algorithm.