Abstract: Cylinder-to-cylinder attachment method and construction featuring nonutilization of mechanical fasteners or bonding, especially advantageous for attachment of cylinders which are composite or to be subjected to hydrostatic pressure. A fastening ring is interpositionally and rotatively engaged and aligned with a toothed axial end of each cylinder whereby the inwardly radial teeth for each cylinder appropriately mesh with the outer grooved circumferential surface of the fastening ring. The resultant joint is easily detachable and less susceptible than conventional joints to damage, breakage, degradation, stress concentrations and fluid infiltration.

Abstract: Bearing apparatus for submarine mast fairing or other cylindroid member, turing at least one stave bearing which is made an integral part of the fairing or other cylindroid member and which is tangentially and supportively engaged by a complementary structural bearing which is coupled with the submarine sail or other supporting structure. Utilization of the stave bearing surface rather than the cylindroid member surface in the bearing engagement permits utilization of superior materials for the mating elements and consequent improvement in wear, noise and maintenance characteristics of the bearing assembly. For some embodiments an adjustable housing for the complementary bearing allows for wear of the stave bearing and complementary bearing by providing adjustability of the clearance distance at the interface between these two mating elements. Additional structural support can be provided by one or more bushings, molds and/or other reinforcement members.

Abstract: A multiple-layered, translatedly rib-stiffened, composite hollow cylinder and method for fabrication thereof utilizing filament winding techniques known in the art. An inner skin is wound over a mandrel; then, circumferential ribs are wound over the inner skin, pin rings are placed at the axial ends of the mandrel, longitudinal stringers are engaged with the pin rings and wound over the circumferential ribs, circumferential bands are wound near the axial ends over the longitudinal stringers, and another skin is wound over the circumferential bands and longitudinal stringers; these steps, commencing with the winding of circumferential ribs and concluding with the winding of an additional skin, are repeated as many times as desired, each repetition forming an additional layer, with the circumferential ribs for each additional layer being longitudinally staggered in relation to the circumferential ribs for the previous layer.

Abstract: A minesweeping system, self-contained within the water vessel sought to be rotected against contact-actuated moored mines, effective against moored mines which are directly in the path of the vessel, featuring a beam-and-float arrangement. A ruddered float is maintained by a control system in virtually forward position with respect to the vessel and is attached at the fore end of a long boom beam, the aft end of which is pivotably attached to the bow of the vessel. A depressor for maintaining submergence of the lower end of the tow wire and the inward ends of the sweepwires is attached at the lower end of the tow wire, the upper end of which is attached to the beam near the float. Port and starboard sweepwires are attached to the tow wire near the depressor, each sweepwire projecting generally horizontally and backwardly obliquely. Diverters attached at the outward ends of the two sweepwires maintain their proper orientation. Cutters are situated along the outward ends of the sweepwires.

Abstract: An integral marine propulsion unit utilizes both collective and cyclic propeller blade pitch angle variations to generate a thrust vector in any of three degrees of motion for use with both the submersible and surface marine vessels. The present marine propulsion unit eliminates the need for extraneous drag generating control surfaces and rudders for motion control of a marine vessel by incorporating a flat plate mechanism which includes an Oldham coupler coupled to a pair of plates and a slotted plate coupled with one of the plates. The slotted plate and the one plate coupled to the slotted plate are relatively rotatable about a fixed axis. The flat plate mechanism permits relative angular displacement between the slotted plate and the one plate to collectively pivot all of the propeller blades and permits radial movement of the slotted plate along with propeller blades.

Abstract: A process for subjecting an electroset material to an evacuated environment rior to electrosetting results in a material with anisotropic density programmability. Articles can be fabricated with an anisotropic void distribution therein.

Abstract: Apparatus and method, having both structural and acoustical applicability, for measuring damping of a solid or fluid resonant physical system in terms of reverberation or decay time, featuring a digital computer-based measurement system in which plural numbers of resonances are grouped into single analysis bands. The resonant response is converted into an electronic signal, which is then pre-amplified, filtered, post-amplified, digitized and finally processed so as to determine the reverberation time in the resonant physical system.

Abstract: A hull extension is attached at an appropriate distance above the hull bottom surface to the stern of a planing water craft so as to be at least partially submerged at subplaning speeds and totally unsubmerged at planing speeds, effectively increasing hull length at subplaning speeds while not affecting hull length at planing speeds. A "step" effect is thus featured whereby the hull extension is not in contact with the water once planing commences. Hydrodynamic and buoyant efficiency is increased by the hull extension at subplaning speeds and unaffected thereby at planing speeds. The hull extension also offers practical utility in terms of providing additional protection, deck space and mounting area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the non-invasive sensing of the pressure within a pipe (or other vessel) is disclosed. An optical source produces a first light beam. This first light beam is split between a first (reference) and a second (measurement) optical fiber. The second optical fiber is associated with the pipe such that circumferential displacements in the pipe, due to changes in internal pressure, result in corresponding displacements in the length of the second optical fiber. Length changes in the optical fibers result in variations in the phase of the light emerging therefrom. The phase difference between the light beams emitted from the first and second optical fibers is then determined and related to changes in the internal pressure of the pipe.

Abstract: An improved ceramic-plus-metal superconducting composition of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.6+x plus substantially pure aluminum for ultimate use in making superconducting devices such as wires and tapes for utilization in motors, generators, electric circuits, etc.

Abstract: A pumping mechanism featuring integration of a fixed-displacement radial ton pump within an electric drive motor and cooperative operation of a radially inwardly facing piston-actuating cam with a pair of opposing axially inwardly facing spool-valve actuating cams. The piston-actuating cam is effectively the inner surface of the rotating motor rotor, the pistons extending radially from a fixed central body. Consequent benefits of the integrated configuration are greater quietness, compactness, efficiency and corrosion resistance. The external motor unit provides protection, there is a damping effect, and there are fewer parts which are subject to damage or malfunction. Further reductions in noise and leakage are gained by synchronized operation, in terms of fluid pumping, of the spool-valve actuating cams and the piston-actuating cam.

Abstract: A circumferential rib-stiffened hollow cylinder and method for fabrication thereof featuring construction of the cylinder from complementarily shaped nestled prefabricated rings and resultant circumferential ribs which are integral with the rest of the cylinder. In one embodiment ring sections which are "L"-shaped in cross-section are axially and sequentially mated; ring sections which are "U"-shaped are axially and correspondingly integrated therewith, therein for a cylinder having internal circumferential ribs and thereout for a cylinder having external circumferential ribs. The dominant load path for the cylinder is through the reinforced cylinder elements, and the cylinder's wall-thickness-to-diameter ratio is effectively reduced, thereby allowing radial reinforcement of the ribs, reducing residual stresses and increasing strength; these advantages are especially significant for cylinders which are composite or are to be subjected to hydrostatic pressure.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for attenuating fluid foil tip vortices, featuring a "Coanda tip" and a "Coanda curtain." The fluid foil tip has a Coanda surface and means for discharging compressed fluid adjacent thereto; a resultant fluid barrier is formed generally chordwise and perpendicular to the fluid foil plane and tangential to the fluid foil tip upon Coanda entrainment and deflection of the discharged compressed fluid. The fluid barrier prevents crossflow from the higher pressure fluid region to the lower pressure fluid region, the fluid regions being separated by the fluid foil when moving relatively through a fluid, the fluid barrier thereby stemming tip vortex generation at its source.

Abstract: A fiber-optic hydrophone having a pair of jacketed fiber optic windings fed in a concentric planar spiral configuration in a layer of polyurethane is provided. One of the fiber optic windings has a fiber with a bonded acoustically sensitive jacket thereby increasing its sensitivity to acoustic energy. The second fiber optic winding, the reference winding, has a unbonded jacket enclosing the fiber resulting in reduced sensitivity to acoustic energy. Sensitivity to vibrational energy; however, is not reduced. The combining of signals from the pair of fibers provides a vibration-canceled acoustic signal.

Abstract: A single screw positive displacement compressor mechanism employing shallow ate rotor tooth penetration of the main rotor for purposes of reducing internal leakage and consequent compressor inefficiencies. The invention is provided with an interrupted main rotor thread for purposes of insuring multiple gate rotor teeth meshing with the drive portion of the main rotor thread, thereby reducing gate rotor tooth flank loads in the compressor section of the device. Provision is also made for main rotor thread baffling between the main rotor chamber section and the mechanism inlet.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for desalination of seawater using a hydrophobic por permeable membrane. Heated seawater is passed across one surface of a membrane at rates which cause the flow to be turbid such that its turbidity is characterized by Reynolds numbers in excess of 1000. Fresh water is passed across the other surface of the membrane to act as a condenser and collector of vapor which passes through the membrane.

Abstract: A membrane perfusion apparatus and method for determining the effective rase rates of soluble biologically active chemical agents from a surface. A test cell houses a porous membrane so as to expose one surface of the membrane to a fluid containing at least one organism potentially reactive with a chemical agent of interest being perfused through the membrane at predetermined rates. In the context of antifoulant chemical agents, the invention permits the determination of the minimum effective release rates for biocides.

Abstract: A low leaching nonpolluting marine antifouling coating formulation and a cess for preparing the same which comprises surface pretreatment of the metal oxide pigment particles with a water-dispersed organic polymeric resinous material, such as by intensively mixing or milling the metal oxide pigment and the resin, in order to recover a water-dispersable polymeric resin modified metal oxide pigment for subsequent incorporation into new water-based coating formulations.