Abstract: A spaceborne synthetic aperture radar having pipeline multiple-look data processing makes use of excessive azimuth bandwidth in radar echo signals to produce multiple-look images. Time multiplexed single-look image lines from an azimuth correlator go through an energy analyzer which analyzes the mean energy in each separate look to determine the radar antenna electric boresight for use in generating the correct reference functions for the production of high quality SAR images. The multiplexed single look image lines also go through a registration delay to produce multiple-look images.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to improve the film stiffness of a face seal without increasing the sealing and dam area.The improved sealing apparatus (16) has a primary seal ring (20) in the form of a nose piece. A spring (24) forces a sealing surface (28) on the seal ring into sealing contact with a seat (18) to form a face seal. A circumferential clearance seal is formed in series with this face seal by a lip (34) on the nose piece. The width of the surface (36) of the lip is substantially the same as the width of the sealing surface (28) on the face seal. Also the clearance between the surface (36) on the lip and the shaft (10) is substantially the same as the spacing between the face sealing surfaces (28 and 30) on the face seal when the shaft is rotating.The circumferential clearance seal restricts the flow of fluid from a main cavity (14) to an intermediate cavity (32) with a resulting pressure drop.

Abstract: A seal assembly for sealing a variable gap between the surface of a first element and a second element movable relative thereto. A seal may comprise a seal housing attached to the second element for movement therewith and having a sealing surface thereon and at least one elongated seal member carried by the housing having first and second conjugate sealing surfaces thereon, the first sealing surface for rubbing and sealing engagement with the first element surface and the second sealing surface for sliding and sealing engagement with the housing sealing surface. A biasing assembly may be carried by the housing for biasing the first and second conjugate sealing surfaces of the sealing member toward sealing engagement with the first element surface and housing sealing surface, respectively.

Abstract: A solar-powered fluidized bed gasification system for gasifying carbonaceous material. The system includes a solar gasifier (10) which is heated by fluidizing gas and steam. Energy to heat the gas and steam is supplied by a high heat capacity refractory honeycomb (16) which surrounds the fluid bed reactor zone (14). The high heat capacity refractory honeycomb (16) is heated by solar energy focused on the honeycomb (16) by solar concentrator (32) through solar window (20). The fluid bed reaction zone (14) is also heated directly and uniformly by thermal contact of the high heat capacity ceramic honeycomb (16) with the walls of the fluidized bed reactor (12).Provisions are also made for recovering and recycling catalysts used in the gasification process. Back-up furnace (50) is provided for start-up procedures and for supplying heat to the fluid bed reaction zone (14) when adequate supplies of solar energy are not available.

Abstract: A fluidized bed coal reactor includes a combination nozzle-injector ash-removal unit formed by a grid of closely spaced open channels, each containing a worm screw conveyor, which function as continuous ash removal troughs. A pressurized air-coal mixture is introduced below the unit and is injected through the elongated nozzles formed by the spaces between the channels. The ash build-up in the troughs protects the worm screw conveyors as does the cooling action of the injected mixture. The ash layer and the pressure from the injectors support a fluidized flame holder combustion zone above the grid which heats water in boiler tubes disposed within and/or above the combustion zone and/or within the walls of the reactor.

Abstract: A flush-mounted antenna assembly (10) including a generally rectangular, conductive, box structure (11) open along one face to form a cavity. Within the cavity a pair of mutually orthogonal dielectric plane surfaces (13) (14) in an "egg crate" arrangement are mounted normal to the plane of the open face, each diagonally within the cavity. Each dielectric plane supports a pair of printed circuit dipoles typically (16) each fed from the opposite side of the dielectric plane by a printed "cone-shaped" feed line trace (15) which also serves as an impedance matching device (19) and functions as a balun connected from an unbalanced strip line external feed (24 and 26).The open face of the conductive cavity can be flush mounted with a randome thereover, the assembly thereby being flush with the skin of a aircraft or space vehicle.

Abstract: A method for preparing an aluminum ion-filled polyimide adhesive wherein a meta-oriented aromatic diamine is reacted with an aromatic dianhydride and an aluminum compound in the presence of a water or lower alkanol miscible ether solvent to produce an intermediate polyamic acid; and thereafter converting the polyamic acid to the thermally stable, metal ion-filled polyimide by heating in the temperature range of 300.degree. C. to produce a flexible, high temperature adhesive.

Abstract: Flame retardant, abrasion resistant elastomeric compositions comprised of thermoplastic polyurethane polymer and flame retarding amounts of a filler selected from decabromodiphenyloxide and antimony oxide in a 3:1 weight ratio, and decabromodiphenyloxide, antimony oxide, and ammonium polyphosphate in a 3:1:3 weight ratio respectively. Also, flame retardant, abrasion resistant, and heat sealable coated fabrics employing such elastomeric compositions as coating film.

Abstract: An improvement of addition polyimides wherein an essentially solventless, high viscosity laminating resin is synthesized from low-cost liquid monomers. The improved process takes advantage of a reactive, liquid plasticizer such as monoethylphthalate (MEP) which is used in lieu of an alcohol solvent, and helps solve a major problem of maintaining good prepreg tack and drape, or the ability of the prepreg to adhere to adjacent plies and conform to a desired shape during the layup process. This improvement results in both longer life of the polymer prepreg and the processing of low-void laminates and appears to be applicable to all addition polyimide systems.

Abstract: A head 10 for a high-speed spinner characterized by a substantially cylindrical body adapted to be mounted at the distal end of a vertically oriented drive shaft 16 and including a vacuum chuck having an upwardly facing chamber 30 circumscribed by an annular surface 32 for receiving in supported relation a silicon chip, and an ordered array of low-pressure cavities defined about the periphery of the body and connected in communication with the chamber via radially extended bores 38 for translating low pressures to the chamber 30 as the head is angularly displaced, whereby a pressure differential is established across the chip for securing it to the head.

Abstract: An anti-inflammatory and analgesic composition containing indomethacin and an H.sub.1 or an H.sub.2 histamine receptor antagonist in an amount sufficient to reduce gastric distress caused by the indomethacin. Usable antagonists include pyrilamine, promethazine, metiamide and cimetidine.

Abstract: Hollow spheres with precisely concentric inner and outer spherical surfaces are formed by applying vibrations to a nonconcentric hollow sphere while it is at an elevated temperature at which it is fluid or plastic, the vibrations producing internal flows which cause the inner and outer surfaces to become precisely concentric. Concentric spheres can be mass produced by extruding a material such as glass or metal while injecting a stream of gas into the center of the extrusion to form a gas-filled tube. Vibrations are applied to the extruded tube to help break it up into individual bodies of a desired uniform size, the bodies tending to form spherical inner and outer surfaces by reason of surface tension, and the continuing application of vibrations causing these surfaces to become concentric.

Abstract: A Schottky barrier solar cell consists of a thin substrate of low cost material with at least the top surface of the substrate being electrically conductive. A thin layer of heavily doped n-type polycrystalline germanium, with crystalline sizes in the submicron range, is deposited on the substrate. But first a passivation layer may be deposited on the substrate to prevent migration of impurities into the polycrystalline germanium on a substrate of low-cost conductive material. Then the polycrystalline germanium is recrystallized to increase the crystal sizes in the germanium layer to not less than 5 microns, and preferably considerably more. It serves as a base layer on which a thin layer of gallium arsenide is vapor-epitaxially grown to a selected thickness. Then, a thermally-grown oxide layer of a thickness of several tens of angstroms is formed on the gallium arsenide layer.

Abstract: In a delay-lock one-delta (.+-.1/2 chip) dithered PN code tracking loop, an indication of lock in the PN code tracking loop is provided by delaying the dithered local PN code by a half chip to produce a +0, -1 dithered PN code that is then multiplied with the received PN-spread IF signal to produce a signal proportional to the correlation of this dithered code offset from the received code. The correlation signal is bandpass filtered, amplified with AGC control, and square-law detected to obtain a DC signal proportional to the degree of correlation. The DC signal is multiplied by the dithering control signal to effectively subtract noise voltage from the lock correlation signal which is then compared with a PN lock status signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combining baseband signals from a large aperture antenna array in which none of the individual baseband signals has a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio to be used as a correlation or reference signal for phase adjusting the remaining baseband signals. More specifically, the invention provides a means whereby the baseband output signals of all but one of the receivers associated with each of the antennas are summed and used as a correlation reference for the baseband signal not contained in the summed signal, thereby providing a plurality of correlation or alignment loops, each having an output signal related to the phase difference between its input baseband signal and the summed signal. The invention further provides a means for subtracting an output or error signal generated in one of the correlation loops whose baseband signal has a predetermined phase delay from all the other alignment loops, thereby avoiding interaction and reflection effects in the signal combiner.

Abstract: Formals of CH.sub.2 OH(CHOH).sub.n CH.sub.2 OH polyols (n=2 to 4) are prepared in less than 15 minutes by heating to about 125.degree. C., a mixture of e.g. sorbitol and paraformaldehyde in slight excess (5 to 10%), in the presence of e.g. sulfuric acid in catalytic quantities. Elution with methanol and filtration yield the pure solid cyclic triformal. The process can be carried in stages, using almost stoichiometric quantities of paraformaldehyde, but without any change in overall heating time.

Abstract: Polydihalophosphazenes, e.g. --N.dbd.P(Cl).sub.2 ].sub.n, are allowed to react at ambient temperatures for at least one hour with a lithium carborane in a suitable inert solvent. The remaining chlorine substituents of the carboranyl polyphosphazene are then replaced with aryloxy or alkoxy groups to enhance moisture resistance. The polymers give a high char yield when exposed to extreme heat and flame and can be used as insulation.

Abstract: A saturable inductor switch for compressing the width and sharpening the rise time of high voltage pulses from a relatively slow rise time, high voltage generator to an electric discharge gas laser (EDGL). The switch also provides a capability for efficient energy transfer from a high impedance primary source to an intermediate low impedance laser discharge network. More specifically, a saturable inductor switch is positioned with respect to a capacitive storage device, such as a coaxial cable, so that when a charge build-up in the storage device reaches a predetermined level, saturation of the switch inductor releases or switches energy stored in the capacitive storage device to the EDGL. Also disclosed are cascaded saturable inductor switches for providing output pulses having rise times of less than ten nanoseconds as required for efficient excitation of EDGL's, the pulse rise time being determined by the thickness of a high permeability material forming the saturable inductor switch.

Abstract: A urine collection device for females comprising an interface body having an interface surface for engagement with the user's body. The interface body comprises a forward portion defining a urine-receiving bore having an inlet in the interface surface adapted to be disposed in surrounding relation to the urethral opening of the user. The interface body further comprises a rear portion integrally adjoining the forward portion and having a non-invasive vaginal seal on the interface surface for sealing the vagina of the user from communication with the urine-receiving bore. An absorbent pad is removably supported on the interface body and extends laterally therefrom. Also disclosed is a garment for supporting the urine collection device.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electricity producing cell of the reduction-oxidation (REDOX) type divided into two compartments by a membrane, each compartment containing a solid inert electrode. A ferrous/ferric couple in a chloride solution serves as a cathode fluid which is circulated through one of the compartments to produce a positive electric potential disposed therein. A chromic/chromous couple in a chloride solution serves as an anode fluid which is circulated through the second compartment to produce a negative potential on an electrode disposed therein. The electrode is an electrically conductive, inert material plated with copper, silver or gold. A thin layer of lead plates onto the copper, silver or gold layer when the cell is being charged, the lead ions being available from lead chloride which has been added to the anode fluid.