Abstract: Pressure data are obtained for a ship from sea trials and/or model tests conducted under various environmental (e.g., wave height, wave slam rate) and operational (e.g., ship speed, ship heading) circumstances. The pressure data are grouped into different “cells,” each defined by a unique set of environmental and operational circumstances. As to each cell, the corresponding pressure data are statistically approximated into a two-parameter Weibull distribution so as to obtain a shape parameter and a scale parameter. Additional cells and their corresponding Weibull distributions can be interpolated or extrapolated from existing cells.

Abstract: At a ship's magnetic silencing facility, calibration measurements are taken of onboard magnetic fields, and the off-board magnetic signature is minimized through an iterative degaussing process. Current data associated with the signature minimization is retained by a processor-controller implemented, along with degaussing coils and other apparatus, in a CLDG system effectuated onboard in a manner continually adaptive to changing conditions while voyaging. According to the CLDG methodology: Real time measurements are taken of the onboard magnetic fields, and are modified to account for the degaussing coils' magnetic effects. Via least squares fit mathematics, scale factors are calculated based on the relationship between (i) the real time measurements (as modified) of the onboard magnetic fields and (ii) the calibration measurements of the onboard magnetic fields.

Abstract: Based on its superconductive properties relating to “nonlineanty,” a conventional HTS strip is divisible into three “domains,” namely, a medial domain and two lateral domains. The nonlinearity associated with the conventional strip's medial domain is considerably greater than that which is associated with its lateral domains. Similarly divisible into a medial domain and two lateral domains, the present invention's HTS strip uniquely exploits these physical distinctions by causing more (e.g., most) of the current that it conducts to be conducted by its lateral domains. Various inventive designs accomplish this through narrowing or interruption/punctuation (e.g., via holes and/or trenches) or degradation, or some combination thereof, of the medial domain. By thus “re-proportioning” current conduction as compared with a conventional strip, an inventive strip succeeds in “re-proportioning” the associated nonlinearities.

Abstract: Thermal images of an object are produced outdoors so as to be significantly differentiated temporally and/or geometrically and be inclusive of natural background such as would be illuminated by sunlight. A calibration of the thermal imager (e.g., radiometer) against theoretical blackbody radiation is effected using measured incident radiation, resulting in a calculated pixel intensity. A system transfer function calculation of the pixel intensity is effected, resulting in a radiance. A matrix inversion calculation of all of the radiances considered together is effected, resulting in a bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). Advantageously, the BRDF is determined from the target in a direct but mathematically-enhanced manner, thereby making economic use of natural illumination and obviating the need for modelling, simulating or reconstructing the target.

Abstract: A stern flap has a “contour” shape which facilitates installation thereof upon the curved stern of a ship. The stem flap's lower surface includes an intermediate region and two curvedly tapered end regions. The intermediate region is delineated forwardly by a curved leading edge and aftly by a parallelly curved trailing edge, the chord length therebetween being constant. The curve characterizing the flap's leading edge is congruent with the curve characterizing the ship stern's lower transverse edge (the junction between the ship's bottom and the ship's stern), thereby permitting contiguous disposition of the flap's leading edge relative to the ship's lower transverse edge, as well as permitting even and unbroken disposition of the flap's lower surface relative to the ship's bottom.

Abstract: The electromagnetic field produced by an electrical device is electromagnetically canceled by a three-dimensional configuration of electrical coils which together provide a box-like enclosure having at least six sides/faces. The electromagnetic containment of the electromagnetic field is effected via the physical occurrence of zero magnetic flux perpendicularly through each side/face. At least one coil is positioned in correspondence with each side/face of the box-like enclosure. Each coil has a set of conductors divided into two halves in terms of circuitry, the conductors in each half being connected to each other in series. With regard to each coil, a first amplifier receives an electrical signal from the first conductor half and outputs to a second amplifier a voltage signal proportional to the AC magnetic flux through the coil. The second amplifier inputs a current signal to the second conductor half so as to render nonexistent the first amplifier's output voltage signal.

Abstract: A configuration of grooves provided in a nonskid coating on an aircraft carrier flight deck promotes the lateral and backward drainage of slippery liquids. A straight longitudinal middle groove extending fore and aft intersects multiple “W”-shaped grooves each extending athwartship. Each W-shaped groove includes a pair of “V”-shaped groove sections located on opposite sides of the middle groove. Each V-shaped groove section aims vertex-forward and includes a pair of straight groove segments defining an interior angle in the approximate range between 60° and 120°. Abrasive entities may be included in the coating for nonskid purposes. The coating's inclusion of metal-polymer nanolaminate entities along with other pigment entities may serve to reduce or minimize solar heat absorption, particularly in terms of increasing solar reflectance and decreasing thermal emittance.

Abstract: A “passive-active” mount includes an emanator-securement plate, a foundation-securement plate, at least one elastomeric “streamlined resilient element,” and at least one collocated motion sensor-vibratory actuator pair. The mount brings to bear, sequentially and complementarily, passive vibration control followed by active vibration as control. The passive vibration control is effectuated by one or more “streamlined resilient elements,” each attributed with a “constant natural frequency” (CNF) property whereby such element is naturally predisposed to passively reducing vibration at a particular frequency band regardless of the extent of the loading, within certain limits, to which such element is being subjected.

Abstract: A pin array is connectively disposed between a surface region of a heat sink and a surface region of an entity to be cooled. Cooling fluid flows between the heat sink's surface region and the entity's surface region, the fluid flowing adjacent each surface region and through the space occupied by the pins, the fluid thereby being agitated by the pins. Frequent inventive practice attributes the pins with supportability of the entity. The pins can be made to be thermally nonconductive, the heat transfer thus being primarily founded on thermally convective principles involving the cooling fluid, the invention thus being effective in the absence of significant heat conduction from the entity to the heat sink. Typical inventive practice prescribes that a given array is patterned in an orderly fashion, all pins therein are parallel and each pin therein has the same cross-sectional geometry; however, there can be disparity between or among pins in any or all such respects.

Abstract: In an electro-mechanical distribution system having plural units each comprising a valve/switch and dual sensors, a computer is associated with each unit so as to process sensor information and control the valve/switch. According to the control logic, a unit is either in normal mode or fault mode. The fault mode begins with a transient waiting period and may continue on to a series of steps. A step waiting period (wherein the valve is closed) may be followed by the step testing period (wherein the valve is closed) of the same step; a step testing period may be followed by the step waiting period of the next step. Fault mode is triggered if at any time during normal mode either sensor detects a fault condition. Normal mode is triggered if at any time during fault mode both sensors concurrently detect a normal condition.

Abstract: Gradiometers are encompassingly disposed, relative to an object of interest, in a configuration generally describing a closed prolate spheroidal shape, and the measurements taken by the gradiometers are mathematically processed. The gradiometric measurements are defined as directional derivatives which exist in equations involving directional derivatives and prolate spheroidal multipole moments of said entity. The prolate spheroidal multipole moments are thereby calculated, and these prolate spheroidal multipole moment values are extrapolated to ascertain the magnetic fields (equivalently expressed, the magnetic signatures) associated with the object and inwardly delimited by the prolate spheroid. The practitioner can optimize such distribution numerically, orientationally and/or positionally by using the equations involving directional derivatives and prolate spheroidal multipole moments. Extraneous magnetic field effects (e.g.

Abstract: A composite structure contains crystalline and/or polycrystalline triboluminescent elements distributed therein externally and/or internally, totally and/or regionally. The structure is instrumented with at least one optical fiber which is coupled therewith penetratingly and/or superficially/tangentially. Each optical fiber is exteriorly light transparent/translucent along at least a longitudinal portion thereof which is situate in the vicinity of at least one triboluminescent element. Concomitant with the occurrence of damage in and/or on the structure is the occurrence of mechanical action with respect to at least one triboluminescent element, a consequence of which is the occurrence of triboluminescence which, to at least some degree, passes radially into at least one optical fiber so as to reach the optical fiber's transmissive axial core and thereby be transmitted to remotely located photosensitive equipment. The triboluminescent elements can exist wholely and/or partly in various capacities, e.g.

Abstract: A dualistic stern-appendant device comprises, in integrated form, at least two gate-supportive bodies and at least one flap-hydrodynamic body. The device is characterized by an alternating arrangement of bodies (totaling an odd number of at least three bodies) whereby no two consecutive gate-supportive bodies are next to each other and no two consecutive flap-hydrodynamic bodies are next to each other. Each gate-supportive body has an upper surface which is a gate-supportive surface, all of the gate-support surfaces together representing a cumulative gate-supportive surface. Each flap-hydrodynamic body has a lower surface which is a flap-hydrodynamic surface, all of the flap-hydrodynamic surfaces together representing a cumulative flap-hydrodynamic surface. The geometric plane defined by the cumulative gate-support surface is not encroached upon by any flap-hydrodynamic body.

Abstract: Many embodiments of the present invention are imbued with both sight-facilitative and touch-facilitative characteristics. The invention's unitary resinous matrix configuration encompasses, in the form of small discrete bodies, three genres (luminescent, reflective, retroreflective) of visually enhancing material along with tactilely enhancing material. The retroreflective and abrasive bodies partially project at a light-exposable surface of the resinous matrix material; the luminescent and reflective (diffuse and/or specular) bodies lie beneath the light-exposable surface. The luminescent, reflective and retroreflective bodies are complementarily and cumulatively effective; in particular, they versatilely afford increased visibility at practically all angular lines of sight as well as under practically all deficient illuminative conditions. The abrasive bodies afford vehicular skid prevention, surefootedness and the capability to manually and/or pedally “feel one's way” to safety.

Abstract: Each circuit breaker in an electrical distribution system is paired with an electronic device which includes a computer processor and an electrical sensor. The processor of each device receives sensory current signals from the sensor contained in the same device, converts the signals from analog to digital data, and processes this digital data into information indicative of the direction of current in the vicinity of the circuit breaker with which the device is paired. The devices are networked (e.g., via Ethernet) so that each device's processor receives the current direction information which is produced by every other device, and processes the entirety of the current direction information which is both locally and remotely produced, thereby identifying the suspected fault in the system and deciding whether to send an activation signal to the circuit breaker with which the device is paired in order to isolate the fault.

Abstract: Each guidance structure has two orthogonal surfaces (a horizontal surface and a vertical surface) which define the insides of an “L”-shaped profile. A first pair of guidance structures is positioned on a loading platform so that the corresponding vertical surfaces are parallelly facing either toward each other or away from each other. Alignedly therewith, a second pair of guidance structures is positioned on an ingress-egress platform (connected to the loading platform) so that the corresponding vertical surfaces are obliquely facing either toward each other or away from each other. Vehicular cargo travels the ingress-egress platform so as to be “funneled” by the back pair onto the loading platform. The front pair's horizontal surfaces operate as tracks for the cargo's wheels, thereby more widely distributing the loading associated with the cargo. The vertical surfaces of both pairs operate as lateral barriers for the cargo's wheels.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methodology for being visually informative as to risks associated with sea mines which may be present in geographical regions of interest. A region is selected, topographical data pertaining to such region is acquired, a “safe-depth” (water depth demarcation between significant risk thereabove and insignificant risk therebelow) is designated, and a map of such region is displayed. In a visibly differentiable manner, the map depicts existing water areas in which sea mine risk is significant, existing water areas in which sea mine risk is insignificant, and existing land areas. In relation to a particular region, the nature and bounds of sea mine risk and/or lack thereof can be readily, completely and detailedly ascertained by viewing a computer display and effectuating appropriate computer operations. On individual ships, alarms can be installed which suitably actuate responsively to sea mine risks.

Abstract: A metal mold is machined via a computer numerically controlled wire-cut electrical discharge technique so as to describe a fractally profiled parallel grooves-and-ridges configuration. Fibers are placed along the mold's grooves. Using the mold combined with the fibers situate in its grooves, a first composite portion is resin transfer molded so as as to describe a complementary fractally profiled parallel grooves-and-ridges configuration, and to include, in its ridges, the fibers situate in the mold's grooves. Fibers are placed along the first composite portion's grooves. Using the first composite portion combined with the fibers situate in its grooves, a second composite portion is resin transfer molded so as as to describe a complementary fractally profiled parallel grooves-and-ridges configuration, and to include, in its ridges, the fibers situate in the first composite portion's grooves, and to effect secondary bonding of the first and second composite portions.

Abstract: A complex signal correlator such as can be implemented in a correlation detector system affords a unique algorithm which estimates the codifference correlation between two complex signals based on the sum and difference of codifference estimates, each codifference estimate having equivalently associated therewith a dispersion estimate. Typical embodiments provide a receiving antenna and a receiver inclusive of the codifference correlator, wherein radio frequency waves are down converted and sampled, the sampled signals are correlated with a reference signal contained in a memory, and the resultant correlation signal is detected and transduced. The inventive correlator is based on an alpha-stable distribution and, in comparison with conventional alpha-stable distribution-based correlators, can more effectively operate in a realm wherein alpha is less than one.

Abstract: A film-based HTS device comprises a substrate and a superconducting film. A peripheral portion of the film is a-axis-aligned material which is so situated on the substrate as to describe a-b planar barriers which are perpendicular to the substrate and which in parallel fashion border upon the entire periphery of the film. The a-b planar barriers serve to block vortices which nucleate at the film's periphery, thereby attenuating the overall vortex activity associated with the film, thereby attenuating the ELF and white noise which are normally prevalent in superconductor devices. Effectiveness in terms of arresting vortex motion may be increased by providing an interior film portion which is also a-axis-aligned material. It may be preferable to provide an interior film portion which is c-axis-aligned material, since this is easier to make and the a-axis-aligned peripheral portion of the film will be sufficiently effective in terms of “pinning” the vortices.