Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving the efficiency and energy output of a power unit are disclosed. The power unit employs a fuel cell configured to chemically convert combustible fuel into electrical energy. A waste fuel burner is configured to receive uncombusted fuel emitted by the fuel cell, and the waste burner combusts the uncombusted fuel to generate heated gas. A turbine is configured to receive and be driven by the heated gas. The turbine is further configured to drive a drive shaft which is coupled to a compressor. The compressor is configured to compress a pressurized source of oxidizing gas for supplying compressed oxidizing gas to the fuel cell such that efficiency of the fuel cell is improved. A generator also may be coupled to the drive shaft, and the generator is configured to generate electrical power from the drive shaft being turned by the turbine.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for attaching a fairing to a body or aircraft wing are disclosed. A plurality of attach anchors is disposed on the body or aircraft wing to which the fairing is to be attached. Disposed in the fairing is a plurality of core pockets that are alignable with the plurality of attach anchors, and each of the core pockets defines a channel. The fairing is placed over the body or the aircraft wing such that the heads of the attach anchors are received in the core pockets. The fairing is then slid across the body or the aircraft wing with the channels sliding along the heads of the attach anchors such that the fairing is prevented from being lifted away from the body or aircraft wing.

Abstract: An apparatus, systems, and method for measuring an amount of oil in a flow of fluid at varying depths of the flow of fluid are provided. A support structure is configured to be submerged in a flow of fluid and to support a plurality of sensors. A plurality of sensor arrays is disposed on the support structure with each of the sensor arrays being disposed at positions corresponding to varying depths of the flow of fluid and being configured to measure properties of a localized flow of fluid. Each of the sensor arrays includes a capacitance sensor being configured to respond to a localized capacitance of the localized flow of fluid adjacent to the capacitance sensor. Each of the sensor arrays also includes a conductance sensor configured to measure a localized conductance of the localized flow of fluid.

Abstract: The hyperspectral imager includes a diffraction grating, a collecting reflecting element and a reimaging system. The diffraction grating has an entrance slit formed at an entrance slit location therein. The entrance slit has a long dimension oriented in a y-direction. The entrance slit transmits the radiation from a slice of an incoming scene image. The collecting reflecting element receives the transmitted radiation of the incoming scene image and reflects the transmitted radiation to a diffractive surface of the diffraction grating. Grooves on the diffractive surface are substantially parallel to the y-direction. The reimaging system receives radiation diffracted by the diffractive surface. The reimaging system produces a spectral image of the entrance slit at a focal surface. The spectral image provides a spectrum of radiation propagating through the entrance slit into the hyperspectral imager such that the spectrum of radiation from a first region in the y-direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a metallic member reinforcing epoxy-based adhesive coating. The epoxy-based adhesive coating including a first epoxy material containing approximately 25% solids by weight and a second curative material containing about 32% solids by weight. According to one aspect of the present invention, the first epoxy offered suitably includes about 3% to about 35% liquid Diglycidylether of Bisphenol-A, about 35% to about 60% solid Diglycidylether of Bisphenol-A, about 10% to about 30% Novolac-Epoxy, and about 5% to about 18% Solid Carboxy—Terminated Acrylonitrile—Butadiene Rubber, and the second curative material suitably includes about 0% to about 100% 4,4′-Diaminodiphenylsulfone, about 0% to about 100% 3,3′-Diaminodiphenylsulfone, and about 0% to about 0.2% Chromium octoate.

Abstract: A readily attachable window assembly for efficient installation and maintenance of aircraft windows is provided. The aircraft has a sidewall having an inner perimeter that defines an opening. The window assembly includes an outer window frame. A center window frame is attached to the outer window frame, and an inner window frame is attached to the center window frame. The inner window frame is readily attachable to the sidewall adjacent to the opening of the inner perimeter. The inner window frame includes a releasable coupling mechanism that includes first and second engaging mechanisms that positionally lock the first mechanism to the second mechanism via a torsion spring assembly and engageable teeth of each mechanism. The first engaging mechanism is locked onto the sidewall when torque is applied through at least one pinhole. The window assembly is disengaged by disengaging the first and second engaging mechanisms via a disengagement tab.