Abstract: A sediment measuring device has a base that is fixed into the bottom of a body of water. A removable trap, having a retaining matrix, inserts into the fixed base to capture and retain moving sediment within the trap over a given period of time. The trap is removed from the base, and may be replaced with a second trap, after which the trapped sediment is measured.

Abstract: A method of killing aquatic species in water includes containing the water with the aquatic species therein within a conduit; pressurizing the water; and transferring gas to the water to thereby supersaturate the water with dissolved gas such that &Dgr;P is greater than zero.

Abstract: The invention comprises a device that uses a flexible material, preferably in a mostly square shape, having substantially orthogonal grooves scored into one side. An explosive charge, usually in the form of a sheet of explosives, is cut to fit the side opposite the grooves, in substantially the same shape as the grooves, without extending beyond the periphery of the flexible material. An initiating means is connected to the explosive charge so that upon initiation, the grooves focus the explosive charge so that a plurality of petals cantilevered are formed in the target material, substantially between the ends of the grooves, to define a fragment-free opening in the target material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for selectively draining melt material, such as molten salt, utilizes an unobstructed drain conduit detachably connected, as by screw threads, to a vessel containing the material. Two heaters are utilized for the conduit, a drain heater at the vessel and a plugging heater spaced from the vessel. The conduit is placed at the plugging heater and partially filled with a predetermined quantity of plugging material in flowable form. The plugging material is, typically, the same salt in particulate form and is retained in the conduit by any suitable closure. The plugging heater is energized to melt the plugging material and is then de-energized so that a solid plug of this material forms in the conduit. The conduit, including the plug, is removed from the closure and the plugging heater and is connected to the vessel when the drain heater is de-energized and when the vessel does not contain molten melt material, as when the vessel is empty or this material is solidified.

Abstract: The present invention is a modified HFPB polymer for use in propellants and explosives that is chemically degradable and also is compatible with commonly used energetic plasticizers. The HFPB polymer of the present invention contains ester linkages formed in the backbone of the polymer from a dicarboxylic acid containing either oxymeythylene or oxyethylene moeities. The ester and ether linkages change the polarity of the polybutadiene to make it compatible with polar energetic plasticizers. The ester linkages along with either oxymethylene or oxyethylene moeities make the polymer degradable to basic solutions while still maintaining the structural integrity necessary for a polybutadiene type binder.

Abstract: A method for producing a non-welded shape memory alloy ring, such as Nitinol, includes a wire segment. The alloy ring may be used in a venting mechanism for rocket motors or as a coupling device, such as for fitting piping.

Abstract: An automated contact gage system for gaging a workpiece or device has a left spindle, a right spindle and a stylus arm for contacting the workpiece or device in the same Y plane as the probe. A bearing arrangement is used to contact the stylus arm so as to guide and support the stylus arm during contact gaging of the device. The bearing arrangement comprises a spherical race, derived from three spherical elements, contacting a bearing so as to provide for multi-dimensional movement and measurement of movement of the stylus arm. First, and second sensors sense and measure movement of the stylus arm and/or workpiece in two dimensions, while a third sensor senses and measures rotation of the workpiece by the right spindle.

Abstract: A non-lethal flash grenade includes a transparent, generally cylindrical housing; a layer of flash lamps disposed in the housing; an ignition circuit connected to a first centrally located flash lamp in the layer of flash lamps; a battery connected to the ignition circuit; and a variable time delay switch connected to the ignition circuit; whereby the first centrally located flash lamp is activated by the ignition circuit and remaining flash lamps are sympathetically activated by a flash of the first centrally located flash lamp.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring pressure in a medium comprises a laser for emitting light; a dichroic beam splitter that reflects the light from the laser; a first lens that receives and focuses the light from the beam splitter; a first optical fiber for receiving the light from the first lens; a crystal having fluorescence properties and having a hemispherical shape, the crystal being attached to an end of the first optical fiber; a second lens that receives and focuses fluorescence generated by the crystal and reflected by the dichroic beam splitter; a second optical fiber for receiving the fluorescence from the second lens; a spectrometer that receives the fluorescence from the second optical fiber; a streak camera connected to the spectrometer; a charge-coupled device connected to the spectrometer; and a delay generator connected to the charge-coupled device, the streak camera and the laser.

Abstract: The invention, as embodied herein, comprises a kinetic energy driven projectile for defeating unexploded ordnance or buried land mines. This projectile has been developed to address the specific problem with similar devices in that the kinetic energy by itself does not sufficiently fracture the explosive material within a mine in order to fully defeat the mine. This invention adds a small amount of insensitive high explosive material but that is cap sensitive to one tip of the projectile, along with a novel initiation mechanism, so that the detonation of the high explosive material can more fully fracture the explosive material within a mine. This allows a neutralization agent to completely react with all of the explosive material within the mine, thereby consuming the entire fill.

Abstract: The invention comprises a micromechanical shock sensor that is formed on the surface of a micro-substrate. A moveable proof mass is formed on the surface with at least one spring connected to the proof mass and the surface. The spring allows the proof mass to move a predetermined distance. Latching means are formed on the surface the predetermined distance from the proof mass. When the sensor is subjected to a sufficient shock, the proof mass moves and contacts the latching means. An indicator means is provided to allow this contact to be readily known by the user.

Abstract: An apparatus for walking on mud includes a shoe body made of a rigid material that floats in water, the shoe body including a generally horizontal top surface having a substantially greater area than an area of a sole of a foot of a user, the shoe body including a bottom portion having a bottom surface with a generally convex contour; a fastener attached to the top surface for attaching the apparatus to a foot of a user; and pegs attached to the bottom surface, the pegs extending downwardly away from the bottom surface.

Abstract: A tool for pulling a lockwire, which extends around the intersection of mating cylindrical surfaces within a case and extends tangentially from between these surfaces through an opening in the case to a termination at the exterior of the case, has a body which mates at one side with conforming exterior elements of the case adjacent to the opening. The body extends tangentially of the surfaces from the one body side and the case opening. The tool has an extraction rod extended from the case opening through a square passage within the body. The lockwire is of rectangular cross section with opposite surfaces which are parallel to the axis of the mating case surfaces, and the lockwire termination has a hole extending between these surfaces. One rod end portion is of square cross section fitted to the passage and ends in jaws disposed to fit oppositely over these lockwire termination surfaces so that bores in the jaws are aligned with the lockwire hole.

Abstract: A communication system comprises an input-output processor IOP (11) coupled to a plurality of network devices (10) and a protocol processor PP (12), both processors being coupled to a common memory (15). Memory access control means (16) resolves competition between the processors for memory access. Normally, if one of the two processors is accessing the memory, the memory control unit (16) allows that access to be completed before allowing the other processor to access the memory. But if data loss in a network device is imminent, the IOP, is granted a higher priority memory access, the memory access controller aborts (interrupts) any memory access by the PP, allowing the IOP to access the memory immediately.

Abstract: An accelerometer system principally for use in high spatial density urban arrays for near-real-time mapping of strong shaking due to large earthquakes. The present accelerometer system offers research-grade “16-bit resolution” (=90.3 dB dynamic range =20log(215)), and yet it is inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to maintain. A more efficient and accurate calibration and compensation procedure is also disclosed. The improved accelerometer system is ideally suited to any situation requiring large numbers of instruments, low installation costs, high robustness, low maintenance costs, and near-real-time response. The price/performance point achieved by the present invention far exceeds past instrumentation and opens many new markets.

Abstract: The present invention is an economical and easily installed irrigation system for agricultural products covering large areas. The invention comprises top and bottom layers of geosynthetic material having a non-cohesive, porous material between the layers. A water distribution system is also placed between the layers. This system can be placed directly on the area to be irrigated without digging a trench or hole. Agricultural products, such as turf or row crops, are placed with top soil directly on the system.

Abstract: A robust two spectral band radiometer for long-term stand-alone spectral radiance measurements in the field is provided. The instrument can be used to monitor various surface parameters over prolonged periods of time by automatically collecting spectral radiance measurements at a user selected time interval (minutes to days). Two main applications are the monitoring of water surface parameters, such as total SSC and turbidity, and on-land vegetation by collecting spectral radiance measurements in a broad visible red and near-infrared spectral bands. Use for other application is possible using different spectral bands and multiple radiometers. Also included is the use of a ratioing technique to correlate the spectral radiance values rather than spectral reflectance values to the surface parameters of interest; this simplifies both the filed instrumentation requirements and post processing procedures.

Abstract: Dinitropyrazolopyrazole-amine salts are used as burn modifier ingredients in gun propellant compositions.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a rocket motor nozzle that replaces the fixed-wall throat with a “wall” created by injecting gas radially into the nozzle. By injecting gas into the flow of combustion products that are going through the nozzle, this will deflect the combustion product flow, restricting and accelerating such flow, just as a fixed-wall does in a standard nozzle. However, by using the “gas-wall” described herein, no erosion will result at the restriction area.

Abstract: A method of photonic analog-to-digital conversion including the steps of using an analog signal to modulate a laser, splitting the modulated optical output into 2N paths, attenuating the different paths along a gradient, then splitting each path again and recombining with an adjacent path in such a way that only one path has significant energy. An implementation architecture is also provided which includes a laser source, a modulator for modulating the laser source in accordance with an analog input signal, a first splitter section for splitting the modulated optical output into 2N paths, and for attenuating the different paths along a gradient, an interferometer section for splitting each path again and for recombining the signals in such a way that only one path has significant energy, and a decoder section for outputting a digital word corresponding to the analog input signal.