Abstract: This invention is for magnetic actuators which are composed of individually controlled layers. Each layer comprises a stationary sheet 34, a movable sheet 30 and a roller 40 between the sheets. Each layer may either have ribs 32 or sheet portions having conductors, remanent portions or permeable portions which apply a magnetic force against the roller to move the sheets. The magnetic force may be between a current carrying roller and a current carrying rib or sheet portion, a current carrying roller and a remanent rib or sheet portion, a current carrying roller and a permeable rib or sheet portion, a magnetic roller and a current carrying rib or sheet portion, or a permeable roller and a current carrying rib or sheet portion. The sheets in each layer may be moved in parallel or normal directions. When the layers are stacked, actuators may be made. The actuators can be controlled in pairs or larger groups to position and move objects and motor shafts. Thus motors generators and actuators can be made.

Abstract: A molten salt process vessel for treatment of hazardous materials such as explosive or propellant waste, employing a tall, thin vessel with sufficient height that salt splash from the molten salt at the bottom of the vessel can be controlled and hard salt deposits are prevented from forming on the walls which restrict the gas outlet. The vessel, e.g. of cylindrical shape, has an increased height to diameter ratio in the range of about 7:1 to about 12:1, to give additional clearance. As an additional feature the vessel diameter can also be adjusted to create a "necked-down" region just below the gas outlet duct adjacent the top of the vessel to increase product gas velocity of the gas containing entrained salt particles, to prevent sticking of such particles to the vessel walls and restricting the gas outlet duct.

Abstract: A feed system for feeding solid propellant or explosive energetic materials, e.g. in the form of chunks, into a molten salt furnace for destruction of said materials by oxidation with air, while substantially avoiding the danger of detonation of such materials during feeding. The system comprises a feed hopper separated from the molten salt furnace by a barrier such as a concrete wall. The feed hopper is preferably vibrated to move the chunks of waste to an inclined chute which passes through a penetration in the barrier to the furnace, the chute also being preferably vibrated to facilitate passage of the waste material. The chunks of waste are discharged from the inclined chute either directly into the molten salt bath in the furance, or added incrementally thereto by a lock valve arrangement.

Abstract: Diffusion resistant refractory such as alumina for containment of destructive fluorine and fluorine compounds in the molten salt oxidation of fluorine-containing organic waste, formed of a porous refractory such as porous alumina impregnated with a salt such as sodium carbonate, which is non-reactive with the refractory and compatible with the molten salt reaction medium, thereby effectively blocking diffusion baths for fluorine and its compounds from the molten salt bath through the refractory. Conventional refractories such as alumina bricks containing about 1 to about 25% open porosity can be placed in a molten liquid salt such as molten sodium carbonate, in a vessel which can be pressurized to force the molten sodium carbonate into the pores of the alumina brick to impregnate same and form alumina brick resistant to diffusion of fluoride-rich molten salt.

Abstract: A variable pressure passive regenerative fuel cell system is provided wherein both the fuel cell and electrolyzer are designed to operate under variable pressure conditions.

Abstract: A piezocellular force generating and acoustic interacting device comprising a multiplicity of electrodeformable membranes under semi-autonomous cellular control that directly converts electrical energy into fluid energy by membrane bending, directs thrust by concerted cell actions, and ameliorates friction by passively and actively complying with, and adding fluid to, a boundary layer. The device also provides useful passive and active acoustic fluid interactions.

Abstract: Optical measuring devises for measuring the angular position and rotation rate of a shaft 14. The shaft 14 has a variable pitch diffraction grating 22 etched on one end 16. The pitch gradient of the diffraction grating 22 varies as a function of circumferential position on the shaft 14. A monochromatic light source such as laser source 50 provides incident beam 20 which strikes grating 22. A diffracted light beam 26 from a the grating 22 strikes a position detector 61 at varying positions depending on the angular position of the shaft 14. By employing a position detector 61 which is sensitive to the position of the diffracted beam 26, a continuous position indicator of the shaft angular rotation is possible. A microprocessor calculates shaft position and rotation rates from the data supplied from the beam position detectors.

Abstract: A process for destroying alkali metal and alkaline earth metal-containing wastes, such as sodium, by feeding such waste into a molten bath containing a molten salt such as sodium carbonate, or a mixture of salts having a lower melting point, such as a mixture of sodium carbonate and an alkali metal halide, e.g. sodium chloride, or mixtures of alkali metal chlorides, feeding a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen into the molten salt bath and reacting the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal such as sodium in the waste with the carbon dioxide and oxygen to form alkali metal carbonate, e.g. sodium carbonate, in the molten salt bath.

Abstract: In an aircraft having an integrated turbo-ramjet engine system for hypersonic flight there is provided an air breathing system having an air intake arrangement which can be selectively functioned to supply air to the turbo-ramjet engine system when the aircraft transitions from a turbo-propulsion mode to a ramjet-propulsion mode and back to a turbo-propulsion mode.

Abstract: This invention is for a pump having a series of chambers in a stack wherein electrodeformable material is used to deform a diaphragm to change the volume in the chambers. The architecture of the pump features stacks of chambers having a common diaphragm between adjacent chambers such that when a diaphragm is deformed to increase the volume in one chamber it simultaneously decreases the volume in the adjoining chamber. In one embodiment the stacks of chambers can be combined with other stacks to increase the head pressure in stages. In a second embodiment the stages can be in the same stack.

Abstract: This invention is for an object moving actuator composed of a stack of independently controllable layers which convert thermal exobaric pulses into mechanical motion. Each layer can be a lifter for moving the stack normal to the object to be moved or a tangenter for moving the stack tangentially to the object. Each layer has a plurality of chambers having a heat source and a thermal expansive material contained therein. The heat source is controlled by a controller to generate a heat pulse which expands the thermal expansive material thereby moving a rolling barrier to make the layer move normally or tangentially. Preferably two pair of actuator stacks work together to alternately engage and move the object. The first pair makes contact with the object by lifter motion and moves the object by tangenter motion while the second pair is lifted off the object and retraces to get into position to contact and translate the object.

Abstract: This invention is for a single lamina biaxial transducer-made of an electrodeformable material. Several methods form making biaxial transducers are taught. The biaxial transducer has responsivity vectors which are directed along radial lines from the axis and change in in intensity with distance from the axis so that when an electric field is applied the transducer will biaxially deform. The biaxial lamina can be stacked with a common electrode between them. Biaxers can be used for reducing stress between layers in bodies. They are also useful in deforming bodies and for making pumps.

Abstract: The present invention describes a process for the compaction and densification of discrete powder materials utilizing a high amplitude stress wave which produces a high pressure condition at a surface of the particles thereby driving said stress wave into and through the particles.

Abstract: This invention relates to a hydrostatic bearing having a journal 3 annularly circumscribed by a bearing 2 wherein a high pressure fluid is forced between the bearing and the journal axially. The high pressure fluid flowing axially along the journal in the bearing keeps the journal centered. A roughened or diamond knurled 11 inside surface interrupts the circumferential and axial flow of the fluid for improved rotor stability and less leakage. Other features include a tapered inner bore 9 to increase the bearing stiffness and a sharp edged inlet for greater control of the bearing stiffness and damping. The axially fed hydrostatic bearing combines the seal function and the bearing function for annular fluid flows along a journal.

Abstract: The entropic echinoid 2 applies force to an object 6 with the cummulative effect of myriad feet 8 activated by fluid expansion pulses from electrical resistance heaters 30. Each heater lying in a fluid filed socket 10 of a substrate 4 and activated by a signal from a corresponding foot position sensing capacitor 26. The entropic echinoid is useful in high temperature environments for motors, actuators, bearings and clutches.

Abstract: Tilters 2, are made of an electrotiltable material comprising an electroshearable material having a unidirectional gradient of responsivity, such as piezoelectric ceramic. Responsive to an activating electrical signal, tilters 2, tilt surfaces 26, with large side strain and negligible side stress. Forcible tilt provides forceful positioning of objects such as rollers, optical elements, and fluids. Tilting combined with a normal force of traction 16, forcefully moves a roller 12. Rollers pass tilting power to objects 14, in tractive contact such as a motor shaft 14. Alternating activation sense and tilting gradient 10 giving zero tilt at support surfaces 7, provide rigidity with negligible stress. Other embodiments use tilt to position optical elements, vary the flow resistance of fluid in a duct, and bunch charged particles. The actuator's tiltable surface 26 has an optical or acoustic element 52 attached for changing the angle at which radiation interacts with the element.

Abstract: This invention relates to an actuator which changes its length without changing its width or breadth dimensions. Four shear electrodeformable bodies 4 are placed symmetrically on two faces of a central electrode 6. Each body also has a connecting electrode 8, attached to the electrodeformable body, thus forming a tetramorph which is the basic building block of the actuator. Each connecting electrode allows the tetramorphs to be attached to each other in layers and stacks to the desired dimensions of the actuator. Two of the electrodeformable bodies in the top half of the tetramorph are polarized to shear in one direction and the two electrodeformable bodies in the bottom half are polarized to shear in the opposite direction. If the shear in the electrodeformable bodies is up and down the tetramorph acts as a lifter. If the shear in the electrodeformable bodies is sideways the tetramorph is a tangenter or axier.

Abstract: A multiplicity of heaters 50 on the surface 10 of a hollow torus chamber 4 are employed to exobarically stimulate the fluid contained in the chamber to make a resonant traveling wave 20 which has its high pressure peaks 22 adjacent outlet ports 16 and its negative pressure peaks 26 adjacent inlet ports 12, thus pumping the fluid. The traveling wave can be composed of two waves having a phase difference. A controller 62 directs the heaters to exobarically stimulate the fluid so as to create the traveling wave in the fluid. Heaters 50 can act as anemometers to detect the position of the waves in the chamber so that the controller may determine when to add pulses to the wave. By having a traveling wave which always has a high pressure peaks 22 adjacent to outlet ports 16 and its negative pressure peaks 26 adjacent inlet ports 16, no valves are required to make the pump function, thus eliminating any moving parts in the pump.

Abstract: This invention relates to an injector in which fluid is injected into a reaction region 30 after pressurization and translation in traveling cells 20 between crests 46 of traveling waves of one or more waveplates 12 made of shear transducer material. Multiple phases of applied electrical stimulation cause electrical segments of the waveplate to form traveling waves by shearing in a predetermined sequence of amplitudes. Inlet wave amplitude taper 14 provides a prescribed state of inlet fluid acceleration. Outlet wave amplitude taper 18 predetermines the degree of mixing of two or more exiting fluids. Self filtering, valve action, high pressure, and high mass flow are provided with few and relatively benign modes of apparatus degradation due to friction. High system efficiency results from absence of rubbing and the recirculation of stored energy. The fluid delivery rate is smooth, continuous, and electrically variable. Balance of the mass flow rate of two or more fluids is electrically controlled.