Abstract: Biofilm on glass beads deposited within a bottom portion of a vertically elongated bioreactor housing for possible experimental evaluation through a testing port in the housing which is also provided with inlet ports for aeration and infeed of nutrients with liquid. The biofilm collected within the housing chamber undergoes growth on glass slides within a cross-sectionally rectangular portion of the bioreactor housing from which the slides may be upwardly withdrawn under selective control without biofilm damage. The bioreactor housing arrangement also provides a high length to width ratio designed to enhance aeration.

Abstract: Watertight closure of an opening within a wall, under manually controlled displacement of a door panel, is enhanced by pivotal mounting of the door panel on the wall by vertically spaced hinge assemblies each of which is more readily assembled from a minimal number of components including upper and lower hinge pads fixed to the wall, a single hinge pin supported on the upper hinge pad and extending downwardly therefrom through the lower hinge pad and an end portion of a hinge blade fixed to the door panel. Flanged bushings are inserted into the upper and lower hinge pads through which the hinge pin extends. Also positioned within the end portion of the hinge blade through which the hinge pin extends is a flanged bushing having a horizontally elongated hole formed, therein through which the hinge pin extends so as to allow limited horizontal displacement thereof relative to the wall. The bottom flange of the hinge blade bushing is spaced by a pair of washers from the flange of the lower hinge pad bushing.

Abstract: A rotary motor shaft extends through a rheological brake unit through which variable braking resistance to rotation of the motor shaft is applied while it undergoes rotation in response to torque mechanically applied thereto in sequence through a peripheral gear by a selected pair of diagonally aligned electro-magnetically energized push-rod actuators adjustably positioned axially along a varying diameter section of the gear under electrical control for stroke change to yield a variable output torque.

Abstract: A propeller shaft is supported on the stern end of a ship hull by a bearing within which optic fiber cables are embedded in close spaced relation to the outer cylindrical surface of a bearing supported portion of the propeller shaft for a monitoring wear thereof with maximum accuracy. An optical data acquisition system having a light source and a graphic display is operatively connected to the optic fiber cables through inserted optic connector cables to transmit light from the light source as a signal medium into the bearing so as to render the optic fiber cables therein operative as sensors to detect and measure wear of the entire bearing portion of the propeller shaft surface being thereby monitored. Wear measurement optical signals within the wear sensing cables are then transmitted back to the data acquisition system through the optic connector cables for display of the shaft bearing wear measurements.

Abstract: A metallic fuel mixture including solidic powders such as silicon, aluminum and magnesium together with an oxidant, and steam and hydrogen are fed into a combustor to undergo combustion therein. The combustor is positioned within a steam chamber enclosure filled with water as working fluid which is heated by the combustion. The heated water within the stream chamber enclosure is thereby converted into pressurized steam fed into a turbine for operation thereof to impart rotation to a shaft thereby propelling a sea vessel within which the steam chamber enclosure is housed. During such combustion, discharge from the combustor of a liquid by-product occurs as outflow through an exhaust funnel into a collector from which the by-product is processed for ejection into seawater without signature detection.

Abstract: An oil/water separator tank having intake, discharge and vent fittings is conditioned for in-situ cleaning of the oil separator plate stacks positioned therein by selective opening of manual valves connected to each of such fittings. When so conditioned by opening of the manual valves, the in-situ cleaning is performed during repeated operational phases under automated control of solenoid operated and motor driven valves through which a plurality of sequential operational steps are performed, consisting of (a) low pressure air injected into an air sparging array within the separator tank, (b) supply of potable water into a mixing tank; (c) mixing of the potable water with the cleaning agent within the mixing tank; (d) introduction of the cleaning agent after the mixing thereof into the separator tank to enhance in-situ cleaning by dispersing the low pressure air from the air sparging array; and (e) drainage of collected waste oil from the separator tank into a waste oil tank.

Abstract: A liquid-phase cooling device of a refrigeration system has an outer tubular housing enclosing a heat exchanger through which a mixture gases and liquid constituting a working fluid media is heated and cooled while undergoing compression and expansion within a cavity formed in the outer tubular housing at an axial end portion thereof closed by an electromagnetic actuator under selective control of an electrical power source through which operation of the heat exchanger is effected. The actuator has a casing attached to the outer tubular housing of the heat exchanger at said axial end thereof within which a diaphragm attached to the axial end of the casing is exposed to the working fluid media within the cavity enclosed by the outer tubular housing of the heat exchanger.

Abstract: Red, green and white colored lights are emitted from navigation orientation indicating light emitting devices mounted within a helicopter rotor blade near its tip. The light emissions from such devices are under control to respectively indicate passage of the rotor blade through limited arcuate portions of the travel path of the rotor blade end tip. Operational control over the light emitting devices is effected by data processing of outputs from air-speed responsive sensors on the blade end tip.

Abstract: Controlled flow of liquid is conducted between aligned inlet and outlet pipe sections through a valve housing within which a solid valve element is sealed and supported for electrically powered displacement between a fully open position establishing unrestricted flow and a fully closed position blocking inflow from the inlet pipe section and outflow from the outlet pipe section. The valve element is operatively displaced either by rotation or by linear movement under electrically powered control through a valve stem connected thereto, while a manual actuator is also connected to the valve stem outside of the valve housing for imparting reduced dithering displacement to the valve element so as to insure that it is in proper and readied working condition. Such electrically powered operational displacement of the valve element is sensed in response to movement of the valve stem.

Abstract: An acoustic filter is provided with a single flow chamber for exposure of a flexible rubber layer to liquid undergoing flow through the flow chamber with noise producing acoustic energy therein. The flexible rubber layer is supported on a cylindrical drum with slanted holes therein through which the exposure to the liquid in the flow chamber is effected. An axially sectioned drum with dimensionally different diameters, radial thicknesses and slanted holes therein is positioned over the rubber layer within an outer casing to establish a plurality of gas-filled cavities of different axial lengths and separated from each other along the axial length of the liquid flow chamber which is connected at its opposite axial ends by pipe sections to a piping system from which the liquid within the flow chamber is derived.

Abstract: A platform assembly of circular plates are yieldably held positioned by a support mounted on an underwater vehicle propelled under remote control within seawater to a location below an underwater surface such as the bottom of a ship hull, for surface measurement survey of such surface through sensors that are projected upwardly from the positioned platform assembly into contact with the surface under spring bias pressure established during survey measurement.

Abstract: In-situ cleaning of the bilgewater processing plates of stacks within a treatment tank chamber of a 50-gpm oil/water separator is performed by an injected chemical cleaning agent dispersed by diverted flow of pressurized air introduced into the tank chamber below the plate stacks by emergence of air bubbles from plural branches of an air sparging array system positioned in underlying alignment with crest formations on the processing plates. The air sparging array system consists of an upper and lower tank arrays.

Abstract: An axially elongated cylindrical tool has a protrusion at a lower end thereof which is inserted into a metallic work piece substrate under pressure during rotation of the tool and displacement thereof in one direction. Mixing of a matrix of metal and particles by the protrusion occurs within a stir zone underlying the substrate surface which is thereby treated by dispersion of the particles therein in response to rotation of the tool. Influx of the hard particles into the work piece substrate is effected during said mixing by the rotating tool.

Abstract: A plurality of sensing modules are deployed by positioning thereof in spaced relation to each other on a seafloor surface at a shallow depth to establish a targeted seawater zone within which certain conditions are detected, such as those produced by the presence of a sea vessel such as a submarine within the targeted zone. Data signals are generated within the deployed sensing modules in response to said detection of the submarine for radio frequency transmission above the seawater targeted zone from floating transmitters ejected from the sensing modules positioned on the seafloor surface after detection of the submarine.

Abstract: An annular stator holder within a homopolar motor housing is positioned within magnetic fields established by magnet coils positioned in surrounding relation to brushes in sliding contact with the motor rotor. Also enclosed within the stator holder is a slip ring preassembled with the brushes attached thereto on one side by soft-solder joints with the other side attached by hard-solder joints to spring devices for clamping to the stator holder by leaf springs to exert pressure on the brushes thereby maintained in sliding contact with the rotor.

Abstract: The stern hull portion of a surface ship or underwater sea craft is provided with a waterjet propulsion unit having an outlet end from which a discharge propelling waterjet emerges underwater and undergoes flow beyond the stern end of the hull between a pair of twin contoured rudders normally positioned for straight forward propulsion of the hull. The contoured rudders pivotally mounted underwater on the hull are angularly displaced by maneuvering control in opposite directions from the normal positions to maneuvering positions with their lower end tips in contact with each other to form a bucket to directionally change flow of the emerging waterjet for steering, deceleration and backing purposes during hull propulsion between low and high speeds. The twin rudders are also angularly displaced by the maneuvering control in the same angular direction for a different directionally regulated change in waterjet flow to effect turning of the hull for propulsion in a reverse direction.

Abstract: Frequency calibration of a bi-static type of radar system is performed by positioning radar transmitter and receiver in spaced relation to each other over a targeted seawater surface from which radar radiation along a forward radiation scattering path is reflected toward the receiver while radar energy is also radiated along a direct path to the receiver by-passing the seawater during sequential frequency measurement tests to determine a frequency diffraction factor. A radiation blocking barrier is positioned by a floating support at a reflection location at an angular position on the seawater surface for intersection by the forward scattering path to block reflection of radar energy radiation toward the receiver during one of the measurement tests.

Abstract: Containers are transported by movement of upper and lower trolleys along vertically spaced travel paths established by laterally spaced rails formed in a boom supported in a horizontal position by suspension cables attached to a frame assembly through which the boom extends horizontally between container receiving and delivery locations.

Abstract: Side-slip of an aircraft during flight is detected through a pair of pressure sensors fixedly mounted on opposite lateral sides of the aircraft fuselage. Pressure measurement signals at said sensors are fed to electronic circuitry within the aircraft for generating magnitude and frequency signals reflective of the side-slip that are applied to a pair of vibrators respectively mounted on the undersides of a pair of pilot foot pedals located within the cockpit. The foot pedals are connected by linkage to the tail rudder on the aircraft fuselage. The varying magnitude and frequency of vibrations applied to the rudder foot pedals by the vibrators enables the pilot to immediately sense side-slip through the feet on the pedals. In response to such side-slip sensing, one of the pedals may be timely depressed for side-slip corrective angular displacement of the rudder.

Abstract: A conductivity sensor positioned in-line between two pipe sections within a cylindrical collar portion of a measurement assembly measures the electrical conductivity of fluid under flow through a passage therein to generate a conductivity data signal, while a separate temperature measurement data signal is generated by a temperature sensor embedded within the collar portion of the measurement assembly in close axially spaced relation to the conductivity sensor. Both of the data signals are fed from the conductivity and the temperature sensors to a data processing system to provide a temperature compensated conductivity measurement readout.