Abstract: A vertical shaft 11 has several equally spaced blades 14 mounted thereon. Each blade consists of an inboard section 15 and an outboard section 16 skew hinged (17) to the inboard section. The inboard sections automatically adjust their positions with respect to the fixed inboard sections with changes in velocity of the wind. This windmill design automatically governs the maximum rotational speed of shaft 11.

Abstract: A cruciform wing structure for a solar powered aircraft is disclosed. Solar cells 28 are mounted on horizontal wing surfaces 20, 22. Wing surfaces 24, 26 with spanwise axis perpendicular to surfaces 20, 22 maintain these surfaces normal to the sun's rays by allowing aircraft to be flown in a controlled pattern at a large bank angle.The solar airplane may be of conventional design with respect to fuselage, propeller and tail, or may be constructed around a core 70 and driven by propeller mechanisms 75, 76, 77, and 78 attached near the tips of the airfoils.

Abstract: The invention is a ride quality meter that automatically transforms vibration and noise measurements into a single number index of passenger discomfort. The noise measurements are converted into a noise discomfort value. The vibrations are converted into single axis discomfort values which are then converted into a combined axis discomfort value. The combined axis discomfort value is corrected for time duration and then summed with the noise discomfort value to obtain a total discomfort value.

Abstract: A low energy electron beam magnetometer that utilizes near-monoenergetic electrons thereby reducing errors due to electron energy spread and electron nonuniform angular distribution. In a first embodiment of the invention (FIGS. 3 and 4) atoms in an atomic beam 30 of an inert gas are excited to a Rydberg state (lasers 32, 33 and 34) and then electrons of near zero energy are detached from the Rydberg atoms (gas chamber 35 ). The near zero energy electrons are then accelerated by an electric field V.sub.acc to form the electron beam 21. In a second embodiment of the invention (FIG. 5) a filament 42 emits electrons into an electrostatic analyzer 40 which selects electrons at a predetermined energy level within a very narrow range. These selected electrons make up the electron beam that is subjected to the magnetic field being measured.

Abstract: This invention is an airfoil which has particular application to the blade or blades of rotor aircraft such as helicopters and aircraft propellers. The airfoil thickness distribution and camber are shaped to maintain a near zero pitching moment coefficient over a wide range of lift coefficients and provide a zero pitching moment coefficient at section Mach numbers near 0.80 and to increase the drag divergence Mach number resulting in superior aircraft performance.

Abstract: Lightweight capped honeycomb stiffeners 18 for use in fabricating metal or metal/matrix exterior structural panels 14 on aerospace type vehicles 10 and the process for fabricating same are disclosed. The stiffener stringers are formed in sheets (FIG. 6), cut to the desired width and length and brazed in spaced relationship to a skin 16 (FIG. 2) with the honeycomb material serving directly as the required lightweight stiffeners and not requiring separate metal encasement for the exposed honeycomb cells.

Abstract: A lightweight, add-on structure which employs linear shaped pyrotechnic charges 40 to smoothly cut an airframe 10 along an egress area periphery 30 and compromises reaction surfaces 62 attached to the exterior surface of the airframe's skin 20 and designed to restrict the skin deflection and jettison that portion of the airframe within the egress area periphery 30 and retention surfaces 72 and sealing walls 78 attached to the interior surface of the airframe's skin 20 and designed to shield the interior of the aircraft during detonation of the pyrotechnic charges 40.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting errors in an electronic digital timepiece that includes an oscillator which has a 2.sup.n frequency output, an n-stage frequency divider for reducing the oscillator output frequency to a time keeping frequency, and means for displaying the count of the time keeping frequency. The error E in the time of the timepiece for an arbitrary period of time T is determined. A computer computes a new adjustment value N+(2.sup.n-m +N)E/T where N is the preceding adjustment value and m is a nonnegative integer less than n. Then the 2.sup.n-m divisor of the first n-m stages of the n-stage frequency divider is adjusted in an amount equal to the new adjustment value. In first and second embodiments of the invention the timepiece is synchronized with a time standard at the beginning of the period of time T.

Abstract: This invention is a multiple channel high data rate pressure sensing device for use in wind tunnels, spacecraft, airborne, process control, automotive, etc., pressure measurements. This device offers data rates in excess of 100,000 measurements per second with inaccuracies from temperature shifts less than 0.25% (nominal) of full scale over a temperature span of 55.degree. C. This device consists of thirty-two solid state sensors 11, signal multiplexing electronics to electronically address each sensor, and ditital electronic circuitry to automatically correct the inherent thermal shift errors of the pressure sensors and their associated electronics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for jet noise suppression through control of the static pressure of the jet and control of the rate of entrainment of ambient fluid into the jet downstream of the exhaust nozzle is disclosed and serving to regulate the momentum flux over an extended region of the jet, affecting Reynolds stresses in the jet and the spreading angle of the jet. Static pressure is controlled through a long hollow, porous nozzle plug centerbody which may be selectively vented to ambient conditions, connected to a vacuum source, or supplied with fluids of various densities for injection into the stream. Additionally, sound in the jet may be channeled along the nozzle plug centerbody by injecting coolant such as a cryogenic fluid through the center-body into the jet.

Abstract: A process for preparing a thermoplastic poly(imidesulfone) is disclosed. This resulting material has thermoplastic properties which are generally associated with polysulfones but not polyimides, and solvent resistance which is generally associated with polyimides but not polysulfones. This system is processable in the 250.degree.-350.degree. C. range for molding, adhesive and laminating applications. This unique thermoplastic poly(imidesulfone) is obtained by incorporating an aromatic sulfone moiety into the backbone of an aromatic linear polyimide by dissolving a quantity of a 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) in a solution of 3,3'-diaminodiphenylsulfone and bis(2-methoxyethyl)ether, precipitating the reactant product in water, filtering and drying the recovered poly(amide-acid sulfone) and converting it to the poly(imidesulfone) by heating.

Abstract: A process for providing a thermal control solar stable surface coating for aluminum surfaces adapted to be exposed to solar radiation wherein selected values within the range of 0.10 to 0.72 thermal emittance (.epsilon..sub.T) and 0.2 to 0.4 solar absorptance (.alpha..sub.s) are reproducibly obtained by anodizing the surface area in a chromic acid solution for a selected period of time. The rate, voltage and time, along with the parameters of initial .epsilon..sub.T and .alpha..sub.s, temperature of the chromic acid solution, acid concentration of the solution and the material anodized determines the final values of .epsilon..sub.T and .alpha..sub.s.

Abstract: A novel composition and method for increasing the use temperature of polyamides based on the incorporation of a latent crosslinking agent into the polymer backbone, wherein high temperature performance is achieved without sacrificing solubility or processability.

Abstract: A system for attenuating the inherent vibration associated with a mechanical refrigeration unit employed to cryogenically cool sensitive instruments used in measuring chemical constituents of the atmosphere. A modular system including an instrument housing 13 and a reaction bracket 14 with a refrigerator unit 15 "floated" therebetween comprise the instrumentation system. A pair of evacuated bellows 20,25 "float" refrigerator unit 15 and provide pressure compensation therefor at all levels of pressure from sea level to the vacuum of space. Vibration isolators 27 (FIG. 1) and 57 (FIG. 2) when needed provide additional vibration damping for refrigerator unit 15. Flexible thermal strap 38 (20.degree. K.) serves to provide essentially vibration free thermal contact between cold tip 32 of refrigerator unit 15 and the instrument component 37 mounted on TDL mount 36. Another flexible strap 41 (77.degree. K.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for stressing a deformable material specimen. The apparatus consists of top plate 11 and bottom plate 12 sandwiching a guide cylinder 13. The specimen 14 is positioned on the bottom plate 12 and attached to a load piston 20 (FIG. 2). Force is applied through top plate 11 into guide cylinder 13. Once specimen 14 has been loaded, the stress is maintained by tightening tie bolt nuts 17.

Abstract: An instrument that receives pulses from a primary external source and one or more secondary external sources and determines when there is coincidence between the primary and one of the secondary sources. The instrument generates a finite time window (coincidence aperture) during which coincidence is defined to have occurred. The time intervals between coincidence apertures in which coincidences occur are measured.

Abstract: A tracking generator 21 is slaved to a spectrum analyzer 23 to produce an input signal having a frequency that follows the frequency of the spectrum analyzer sweeping local oscillator 22. The input signal is gated to a transducer 26 by a transmitter gate 25 to produce ultrasonic waves in the sample 28. The resulting ultrasonic echoes are converted into electrical signals by the transducer and then gated into the spectrum analyzer by receiver gate 29. This arrangement produces spectra that are equivalent to shock-exciting the transducer with a true delta function shock-excitation.

Abstract: A rubber-toughened addition-type polyimide composition having excellent high temperature bonding characteristics in the fully cured state and improved peel strength and adhesive fracture resistance physical property characteristics is disclosed. The process for making the improved adhesive involves preparing the rubber-containing amic acid prepolymer by chemically reacting an amine-terminated elastomer and an aromatic diamine with an aromatic dianhydride with which a reactive chain stopper anhydride has been mixed, and utilizing solvent or mixture of solvents for the reaction.

Abstract: A solar energy collector focuses solar energy onto a solar oven which is attached to a mixer which in turn is attached to the channel of a MHD generator. Gas enters the oven and a liquid metal enters the mixer. The gas/liquid metal mixture is heated by the collected solar energy and moves through the MHD generator thereby generating electrical power. The mixture is then separated and recycled.

Abstract: A pyroelectric detector array and the method for using it. A series of holes 13 formed through a silicon dioxide layer 12 on the surface of a silicon substrate 11 forms the mounting fixture for the pyroelectric detector array. A series of nontouching strips of indium 14 are formed around the holes 13 to make contact with the backside electrodes 16 and form the output terminals for individual detectors. A pyroelectric detector strip 15 with front and back electrodes 17 and 16, respectively, is mounted over the strips 14. Biasing resistors 18 are formed on the surface of the silicon dioxide layer and connected to the strips 14. A metallized pad 19 formed on the surface of layer 12 is connected to each of the biasing resistors 18 and to the film 17 to provide the ground for the pyroelectric detector array.