Abstract: Methods of making dispersion-hardened platinum compositions include A) producing a melt having at least 70 wt. % platinum, up to 29.95 wt. % of one or more of rhodium, gold, iridium and palladium, between 0.05 wt. % and 1 wt. % of oxidizable non-precious metals in the form of zirconium, yttrium and scandium, and, as the remainder, platinum including impurities, wherein the ratio of zirconium to yttrium in the melt is in a range of from 5.9:1 to 4.3:1 and the ratio of zirconium to scandium in the melt is at least 17.5:1, B) hardening the melt to form a solid body, C) processing the solid body to form a volume body, and D) oxidizing the non-precious metals contained in the volume body by a heat treatment in an oxidizing medium over a time period of at least 48 hours at a temperature of at least 750° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dispersion-hardened platinum composition comprising at least 70 wt. % platinum, the platinum composition containing up to 29.95 wt. % of one of the metals rhodium, gold, iridium and palladium, between 0.05 wt. % and 1 wt. % oxides of the non-precious metals zirconium, yttrium and scandium, and, as the remainder, the platinum including impurities, wherein between 7.0 mol. % and 11.0 mol. % of the oxides of the non-precious metals is yttrium oxide, between 0.1 mol. % and 5.0 mol. % of the oxides is scandium oxide, and the remainder of the oxides is zirconia, including oxide impurities. The invention also relates to a crucible for crystal growing, a semi-finished product, a tool, a tube, a stirrer, a fiberglass nozzle or a component for producing or processing glass made of a platinum composition of this kind and to a method for the production of a platinum composition.

Abstract: A palladium-copper-silver alloy consisting of 40 to 58% by weight of palladium, 25 to 42% by weight of copper, 6 to 20% by weight of silver, optionally up to 6% by weight of at least one element from the group ruthenium, rhodium, and rhenium, and up to 1% by weight of impurities, wherein the palladium-copper-silver alloy contains a crystalline phase with a B2 crystal structure and has 0% by volume to 10% by volume of precipitates of silver, palladium, and binary silver-palladium compounds. The invention also relates to a molded body, a wire, a strip, or a probe needle made of such a palladium-copper-silver alloy and to the use of such a palladium-copper-silver alloy for testing electrical contacts or for electrical contacting or for the production of a sliding contact. The invention also relates to a method for producing a palladium-copper-silver alloy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wire for electrically contacting temperature sensors, the wire consisting of at least 50 wt % of a platinum composition, the platinum composition containing between 2 wt % and 3.5 wt % tungsten, up to 47.95 wt % of at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of rhodium, gold, iridium and palladium and mixtures thereof, between 0.05 wt % and 1 wt % oxides of at least one non-precious metal selected from the group consisting of (i) zirconium, (ii) aluminum and (iii) zirconium and at least one element selected from aluminum, yttrium and scandium, and, as the remainder, at least 50 wt % platinum including impurities. The invention also relates to a temperature sensor having such a wire, and to a method for producing such a wire and such a temperature sensor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dispersion-hardened platinum composition comprising at least 70 wt. % platinum, the platinum composition containing up to 29.95 wt. % of one of the metals rhodium, gold, iridium and palladium, between 0.05 wt. % and 1 wt. % oxides of the non-precious metals zirconium, yttrium and scandium, and, as the remainder, the platinum including impurities, wherein between 7.0 mol. % and 11.0 mol. % of the oxides of the non-precious metals is yttrium oxide, between 0.1 mol. % and 5.0 mol. % of the oxides is scandium oxide, and the remainder of the oxides is zirconia, including oxide impurities. The invention also relates to a crucible for crystal growing, a semi-finished product, a tool, a tube, a stirrer, a fiberglass nozzle or a component for producing or processing glass made of a platinum composition of this kind and to a method for the production of a platinum composition.

Abstract: A method for assessing a ground area for suitability as a landing zone or taxi area for aircraft is provided. Three-dimensional data for the ground area in a plurality of measurement cycles in a 3D sensor is produced. The measured-value density of the three-dimensional data and also of at least one further statistical property of the three-dimensional data is determined. A measure of the local roughness of the ground area is produced based on the measured-value density and the at least one further statistical property. The individual area elements of the ground area are classified on the basis of the roughness values produced according to the degree of suitability of said area elements as a landing area or taxi area.

Abstract: A method for segmenting the data of a 3D sensor produced in the presence of aerosol clouds and for increasing the situation awareness and the location detection of obstacles involves transforming the sensor data are transformed into a 3D measurement point cloud, determining related subsets as measurement point clusters from the 3D measurement point cloud of an single measurement cycle of the 3D sensor based on the local measurement point density, determining at least one of the characteristic parameters of the individual measurement point clusters, the characteristic parameters including position, orientation in space, and shape, and determining a time variation of the characteristic parameters using the recorded parameters calculated from subsequent measurement cycles, from which the association of a measurement point cluster with a real obstacle or with the aerosol cloud results.

Abstract: A method for segmenting the data of a 3D sensor produced in the presence of aerosol clouds and for increasing the situation awareness and the location detection of obstacles involves transforming the sensor data are transformed into a 3D measurement point cloud, determining related subsets as measurement point clusters from the 3D measurement point cloud of an single measurement cycle of the 3D sensor based on the local measurement point density, determining at least one of the characteristic parameters of the individual measurement point clusters, the characteristic parameters including position, orientation in space, and shape, and determining a time variation of the characteristic parameters using the recorded parameters calculated from subsequent measurement cycles, from which the association of a measurement point cluster with a real obstacle or with the aerosol cloud results.

Abstract: A method for producing a sensor-supported, synthetic view for landing support of helicopters under brown-out or white-out conditions is provided. A virtual 3-D representation of the landing zone is continuously created from 3-D data of the intended landing zone recorded during the landing approach and a monitoring routine is available to ensure that no 3-D data that was produced under brown-out or white-out conditions is considered in the representation. As soon as the monitoring routine detects that 3-D data has been recorded under brown-out or white-out conditions, an additional radar sensor is activated to continuously produce distance and/or Doppler data of potential objects entering the landing zone, the objects being displayed to a pilot of the landing helicopter in the synthetic view.

Abstract: Method for pilot assistance in landing an aircraft with restricted visibility, in which the position of a landing point is defined by at least one of a motion compensated, aircraft based helmet sight system and a remotely controlled camera during a landing approach, and with the landing point is displayed on a ground surface in the at least one of the helmet sight system and the remotely controlled camera by production of symbols that conform with the outside view. The method includes one of producing or calculating during an approach, a ground surface based on measurement data from an aircraft based 3D sensor, and providing both the 3D measurement data of the ground surface and a definition of the landing point with reference to a same aircraft fixed coordinate system.

Abstract: A man-machine interface for assisting a pilot during takeoff or landing of an airborne vehicle in reduced external visibility includes a display which represents a virtual scenario from the perspective of a virtual observer who is himself located behind the airborne vehicle and is in the same flight attitude as the airborne vehicle itself. The virtual scenario includes a base plane which symbolizes an idealized ground surface, calculated from the instantaneous value of the altitude above ground and the instantaneous flight attitude data of the aircraft. The base plane is bounded by an artificial horizon and is continuously updated with the instantaneous flying state data and the instantaneous height above ground. The virtual scenario also includes a symbol which represents the airborne vehicle, and the position of the symbol relative to the base plane represents the current flight attitude and the instantaneous height of the airborne vehicle above ground.

Abstract: A method for producing a sensor-supported, synthetic view for landing support of helicopters under brown-out or white-out conditions is provided. A virtual 3-D representation of the landing zone is continuously created from 3-D data of the intended landing zone recorded during the landing approach and a monitoring routine is available to ensure that no 3-D data that was produced under brown-out or white-out conditions is considered in the representation. As soon as the monitoring routine detects that 3-D data has been recorded under brown-out or white-out conditions, an additional radar sensor is activated to continuously produce distance and/or Doppler data of potential objects entering the landing zone, the objects being displayed to a pilot of the landing helicopter in the synthetic view.

Abstract: A method for assessing a ground area for suitability as a landing zone or taxi area for aircraft is provided. Three-dimensional data for the ground area in a plurality of measurement cycles in a 3D sensor is produced. The measured-value density of the three-dimensional data and also of at least one further statistical property of the three-dimensional data is determined. A measure of the local roughness of the ground area is produced based on the measured-value density and the at least one further statistical property. The individual area elements of the ground area are classified on the basis of the roughness values produced according to the degree of suitability of said area elements as a landing area or taxi area.

Abstract: A man-machine interface for assisting a pilot during take-off or landing of an airborne vehicle in reduced external visibility includes a display which represents a virtual scenario from the perspective of a virtual observer who is himself located behind the airborne vehicle and is in the same flight attitude as the airborne vehicle itself. The virtual scenario includes a base plane which symbolizes an idealized ground surface, calculated from the instantaneous value of the altitude above ground and the instantaneous flight attitude data of the aircraft. The base plane is bounded by an artificial horizon and is continuously updated with the instantaneous flying state data and the instantaneous height above ground. The virtual scenario also includes a symbol which represents the airborne vehicle, and the position of the symbol relative to the base plane represents the current flight attitude and the instantaneous height of the airborne vehicle above ground.

Abstract: A method for supporting low-level aircraft flights in which a warning is provided for the pilot upon a reliable recognition of wire-like obstacles, even during extreme environmental influences, such as clutter, or even when such obstacles are seen against the sky. The method is performed upon the collection of information on the topography of the surrounding terrain by at least one sensor located on the aircraft, such information representing raw data, based upon which an image-like representation is calculated, such representation including a pixel quantity with pixels P(i, j) in columns j and lines i, which image-like representation is evaluated by calculating altitude values in a geodetic coordinate system using the flight condition from the aircraft, evaluating pixel quantity by comparing each pixel P(l, j) to threshold values or ranges of values, evaluating the image-like representation and highlighting each pixel as a picture element if any of various cases is present.

Abstract: A method for supporting low-level aircraft flights in which a warning is provided for the pilot upon a reliable recognition of wire-like obstacles, even during extreme environmental influences, such as clutter, or even when such obstacles are seen against the sky. The method is performed upon the collection of information on the topography of the surrounding terrain by at least one sensor located on the aircraft, such information representing raw data, based upon which an image-like representation is calculated, such representation including a pixel quantity with pixels P(i, j) in columns j and lines i, which image-like representation is evaluated by calculating altitude values in a geodetic coordinate system using the flight condition from the aircraft, evaluating pixel quantity by comparing each pixel P(l, j) to threshold values or ranges of values, evaluating the image-like representation and highlighting each pixel as a picture element if any of various cases is present.