Abstract: A piezocellular force generating and acoustic interacting device comprising a multiplicity of electrodeformable membranes under semi-autonomous cellular control that directly converts electrical energy into fluid energy by membrane bending, directs thrust by concerted cell actions, and ameliorates friction by passively and actively complying with, and adding fluid to, a boundary layer. The device also provides useful passive and active acoustic fluid interactions.

Abstract: Optical measuring devises for measuring the angular position and rotation rate of a shaft 14. The shaft 14 has a variable pitch diffraction grating 22 etched on one end 16. The pitch gradient of the diffraction grating 22 varies as a function of circumferential position on the shaft 14. A monochromatic light source such as laser source 50 provides incident beam 20 which strikes grating 22. A diffracted light beam 26 from a the grating 22 strikes a position detector 61 at varying positions depending on the angular position of the shaft 14. By employing a position detector 61 which is sensitive to the position of the diffracted beam 26, a continuous position indicator of the shaft angular rotation is possible. A microprocessor calculates shaft position and rotation rates from the data supplied from the beam position detectors.

Abstract: A process for destroying alkali metal and alkaline earth metal-containing wastes, such as sodium, by feeding such waste into a molten bath containing a molten salt such as sodium carbonate, or a mixture of salts having a lower melting point, such as a mixture of sodium carbonate and an alkali metal halide, e.g. sodium chloride, or mixtures of alkali metal chlorides, feeding a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen into the molten salt bath and reacting the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal such as sodium in the waste with the carbon dioxide and oxygen to form alkali metal carbonate, e.g. sodium carbonate, in the molten salt bath.

Abstract: This invention is for a pump having a series of chambers in a stack wherein electrodeformable material is used to deform a diaphragm to change the volume in the chambers. The architecture of the pump features stacks of chambers having a common diaphragm between adjacent chambers such that when a diaphragm is deformed to increase the volume in one chamber it simultaneously decreases the volume in the adjoining chamber. In one embodiment the stacks of chambers can be combined with other stacks to increase the head pressure in stages. In a second embodiment the stages can be in the same stack.

Abstract: In an aircraft having an integrated turbo-ramjet engine system for hypersonic flight there is provided an air breathing system having an air intake arrangement which can be selectively functioned to supply air to the turbo-ramjet engine system when the aircraft transitions from a turbo-propulsion mode to a ramjet-propulsion mode and back to a turbo-propulsion mode.

Abstract: This invention is for an object moving actuator composed of a stack of independently controllable layers which convert thermal exobaric pulses into mechanical motion. Each layer can be a lifter for moving the stack normal to the object to be moved or a tangenter for moving the stack tangentially to the object. Each layer has a plurality of chambers having a heat source and a thermal expansive material contained therein. The heat source is controlled by a controller to generate a heat pulse which expands the thermal expansive material thereby moving a rolling barrier to make the layer move normally or tangentially. Preferably two pair of actuator stacks work together to alternately engage and move the object. The first pair makes contact with the object by lifter motion and moves the object by tangenter motion while the second pair is lifted off the object and retraces to get into position to contact and translate the object.

Abstract: This invention is for a single lamina biaxial transducer-made of an electrodeformable material. Several methods form making biaxial transducers are taught. The biaxial transducer has responsivity vectors which are directed along radial lines from the axis and change in in intensity with distance from the axis so that when an electric field is applied the transducer will biaxially deform. The biaxial lamina can be stacked with a common electrode between them. Biaxers can be used for reducing stress between layers in bodies. They are also useful in deforming bodies and for making pumps.

Abstract: The present invention describes a process for the compaction and densification of discrete powder materials utilizing a high amplitude stress wave which produces a high pressure condition at a surface of the particles thereby driving said stress wave into and through the particles.

Abstract: This invention relates to a hydrostatic bearing having a journal 3 annularly circumscribed by a bearing 2 wherein a high pressure fluid is forced between the bearing and the journal axially. The high pressure fluid flowing axially along the journal in the bearing keeps the journal centered. A roughened or diamond knurled 11 inside surface interrupts the circumferential and axial flow of the fluid for improved rotor stability and less leakage. Other features include a tapered inner bore 9 to increase the bearing stiffness and a sharp edged inlet for greater control of the bearing stiffness and damping. The axially fed hydrostatic bearing combines the seal function and the bearing function for annular fluid flows along a journal.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a micro-passage heat exchanger includes preparing a substrate of multiple square tubes, configuring multiple layers of the square tubes in a vertical plane, interposing between each layer a braze alloy to form a core, bonding the multiple layers of multiple tubes to form a core mass, forming in alternate tube layers counter flow fluid channels, providing the core mass with sides and manifolds, and brazing the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A reactor for producing hot hydrogen in vacuo which in turn drives a power-generating device such as a turbine is disclosed. Within the reactor are injected heat-generating reactants such as beryllium and oxygen. The reactants heat hydrogen which in turn is delivered to a power-generating device such as a turbine.

Abstract: The entropic echinoid 2 applies force to an object 6 with the cummulative effect of myriad feet 8 activated by fluid expansion pulses from electrical resistance heaters 30. Each heater lying in a fluid filed socket 10 of a substrate 4 and activated by a signal from a corresponding foot position sensing capacitor 26. The entropic echinoid is useful in high temperature environments for motors, actuators, bearings and clutches.

Abstract: A variable pressure passive regenerative fuel cell system is provided wherein both the fuel cell and electrolyzer are designed to operate under variable pressure conditions.

Abstract: Tilters 2, are made of an electrotiltable material comprising an electroshearable material having a unidirectional gradient of responsivity, such as piezoelectric ceramic. Responsive to an activating electrical signal, tilters 2, tilt surfaces 26, with large side strain and negligible side stress. Forcible tilt provides forceful positioning of objects such as rollers, optical elements, and fluids. Tilting combined with a normal force of traction 16, forcefully moves a roller 12. Rollers pass tilting power to objects 14, in tractive contact such as a motor shaft 14. Alternating activation sense and tilting gradient 10 giving zero tilt at support surfaces 7, provide rigidity with negligible stress. Other embodiments use tilt to position optical elements, vary the flow resistance of fluid in a duct, and bunch charged particles. The actuator's tiltable surface 26 has an optical or acoustic element 52 attached for changing the angle at which radiation interacts with the element.

Abstract: An electronic system is provided for stimulating a segmented transducer with resonant electrical signals to produce a nonsinusoidal transducer output. In an illustrative embodiment, the transducer comprises a segmented piezoelectric actuator. The actuator comprises stacked piezoelectric dimorphs forming the actuator segments, each of which reacts electrically as a capacitance. Each segment (capacitance) is connected in a loop in electrical series with an external capacitor or a corresponding segment of a second actuator. An electrical controller stimulates each loop with a separate resonant electrical signal related to the others in frequency, phase, amplitude, and polarity. The resulting output of each actuator is the vector sum of the mechanical outputs of the individual dimorphs of that actuator. In an ideal resonant drive system for a segmented transducer, the only electrical energy used is that which is converted directly to mechanical work by the actuator.

Abstract: A variable pressure passive regenerative fuel cell system is provided wherein both the fuel cell and electrolyzer are designed to operate under variable pressure conditions.

Abstract: A dilution cooled lithium reactor for producing hot hydrogen which in turn drives a power-generating device such as a turbine is disclosed. Within the reactor are injected heat-generating reactants such as liquid lithium and liquid oxygen. The reactants combine to heat hydrogen which in turn is filtered and delivered to a power-generating device such as a turbine.

Abstract: This invention relates to an actuator which changes its length without changing its width or breadth dimensions. Four shear electrodeformable bodies 4 are placed symmetrically on two faces of a central electrode 6. Each body also has a connecting electrode 8, attached to the electrodeformable body, thus forming a tetramorph which is the basic building block of the actuator. Each connecting electrode allows the tetramorphs to be attached to each other in layers and stacks to the desired dimensions of the actuator. Two of the electrodeformable bodies in the top half of the tetramorph are polarized to shear in one direction and the two electrodeformable bodies in the bottom half are polarized to shear in the opposite direction. If the shear in the electrodeformable bodies is up and down the tetramorph acts as a lifter. If the shear in the electrodeformable bodies is sideways the tetramorph is a tangenter or axier.

Abstract: An electrode is provided comprising a metal base and, on at least a portion of the metal base, a conductive material comprising a metallic mixture of antimony and lithium. This electrode may be utilized in an apparatus for electrochemical treatment of radioactive waste.

Abstract: A multiplicity of heaters 50 on the surface 10 of a hollow torus chamber 4 are employed to exobarically stimulate the fluid contained in the chamber to make a resonant traveling wave 20 which has its high pressure peaks 22 adjacent outlet ports 16 and its negative pressure peaks 26 adjacent inlet ports 12, thus pumping the fluid. The traveling wave can be composed of two waves having a phase difference. A controller 62 directs the heaters to exobarically stimulate the fluid so as to create the traveling wave in the fluid. Heaters 50 can act as anemometers to detect the position of the waves in the chamber so that the controller may determine when to add pulses to the wave. By having a traveling wave which always has a high pressure peaks 22 adjacent to outlet ports 16 and its negative pressure peaks 26 adjacent inlet ports 16, no valves are required to make the pump function, thus eliminating any moving parts in the pump.