Abstract: A system measures dynamic force of an impacting spray of air and water. A pitot-tube section is aligned to receive a longitudinal flow of impacting air/water spray in a laterally extending orifice. A first differential pressure transducer is coupled to the pitot-tube section for producing signals representative of velocity of the air/water spray at the orifice. A rain gage section adjacent to the pitot-tube section receives and collects volumes of water of the longitudinal flow of air/water spray through a laterally extending opening. A second pressure differential transducer is coupled to the rain gage section to produce signals representative of the volumes of water collected in the rain gage section. A computer-based control/readout module receives the velocity representative signals and water volume representative signals for indicating the magnitude of dynamic force attributed to impacting air/water spray in the opening.

Abstract: A high-speed modular platform has an upper level section having gas turbines on it for propulsion, and a lower level section has a lower periphery having a flexible skirt system connected to it to create an air cushion. Hollow struts extend between the upper level section and the lower level section. Each hollow strut is securely connected to the lower level section and has an opening communicating with a skirt volume inside of the flexible skirt system. Each hollow strut slideably engages the upper level section to permit sliding motion of the upper level section on the hollow struts toward and away from the lower level section. A gas turbine is connected to each of the hollow struts to vent, or force pressurized gas through them and create an air cushion with the flexible skirt system to enable high-speed transit over water and land surfaces and provide buoyancy.

Abstract: An airborne remote piloted vehicle does not require onboard fuel to greatly extend its endurance and payload capability. Photovoltaic cells are provided on substantially the entire bottom surface of the RPV to receive high intensity radiation beamed up from a ground station. The photovoltaic cells can be made responsive to visible light, infrared light and/or ultraviolet light emitted from lasers that direct narrow, high energy beams, or other directable narrow beams of other wavelengths of high energy radiation, including but not limited to microwaves. The cells convert the beamed up radiation to power at least one electrical motor driven propeller and instrumentation for onboard components including sensors, lasers, radio transmitters, and associated instrumentations. Control signals may also be beamed up or otherwise transmitted to the vehicle to control its transport to and hovering at an on-station location and to activate the onboard components for reconnaissance, monitoring, and relaying data.

Abstract: A barrier dissipates energy from wakes from high speed vessels. Pilings embedded in the seabed slidably extend through openings in a flotation section below the surface of the water and through apertures in a gate section above the surface of the water. Struts on the flotation section extend through the surface of the water to hold the gate section a predetermined height above the surface. An inclined ramp extends from the flotation section below the surface and progressively reduces the depth of the water above the ramp portion as the distance to the flotation section becomes less. The progressively reduced depth builds-up the incoming wake, and the gate section cuts off the crest of the built-up wake to dissipate energy. Systems of barriers may be located in various patterns of spaced apart arrangements along waterways to intercept and reduce the effects of wakes produced by numerous high speed vessels.

Abstract: A transportation system has an air cushion vehicle in a U-shaped or W-shaped channel in the ground. The channel provides support and directional stability for the air cushion vehicle during transit along its length. This system assures high speed overland transport of heavy equipment which is faster than trains, and the system is cost effective since it does not incur expensive nonrecurring capital investments and expensive recurring maintenance costs. This transportation system is adaptable to existing overland right-of-ways.

Abstract: A system for facilitating movement of a shipping container uses a plurality of air bearing pontoons interposed between a shipping container and a h, soft or water surface. Each air bearing pontoon includes an inflatable skirt and its own controllable air supply that allows the skirt to float on a cushion of air above the surface.

Abstract: A transport system includes a dry dock mounted on an air cushion platform portage a ship overland. The system raises the ship from one body of water, hauls it across different surfaces, and launches it in another body of water. Ships and other water borne vessels can be portaged on air cushions across land, marsh, bog, or other impediments to navigable waters, or barge-like work platforms can be taken to work sites on water, swamps or tundra and retrieved after completion of the task. Transport system and ships can bypass canals and locks if these become inoperable, or the canals and locks can be circumvented if political conflicts deny their access.

Abstract: A turbofan engine construction has a stator portion coupled to and centra disposed within a rigid casing. A rotor portion is disposed between the rigid casing and the stator portion for rotation about the stator portion. A portion of fluids entering the turbofan are heated between the stator and rotor portions prior to expulsion thereof. The remainder of the fluids entering the turbofan pass unheated through the stator portion prior to expulsion. As a result, the heated fluids are expelled annularly about the unheated fluids.

Abstract: The method is comprised of the following steps:implanting arsenic ions through a thin screen oxide layer in the regions of a P type silicon substrate where subcollectors are to be formed, at a dose less than 2.10.sup.16 at/cm.sup.2, partially etching said screen oxide layer to remove the upper portion, containing contaminating ions exposing to an oxygen ambiant to approximately reconstitute original thickness of the screen oxide layer and then annealing in an inert atmosphere, the substrate, to heal damages and distribute arsenic atoms in the substrate. It has been discovered that the step of reconstituting the original thickness of the screen oxide layer in an oxygen ambient, has the unexpected effect of permitting the subsequent growth of an absolutely defect free epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A method for dissipating static electrical energy from air cushion vehicles hen operating more particularly in cold, low humidity environments, which method involves fabricating the skirt assembly from a flexible sheet material of at least semiconductive character which will provide a suitable dissipating grounding pathway to discharge potential static electrical energy generated during the aforesaid operation thereof. The method includes utilizing a coated flexible fabric material having at least one of its opposite surfaces coated with an elastomeric abrasion-resistant material, and embedding a plurality of electrically conductive flexible strands at least partially within said flexible fabric material, or alternatively embedding electrically conductive particles or fibers in a generally uniformly manner throughout a forming of its elastomeric composition.