Abstract: The present invention is a low cost carbon fiber-coating produced via a precursor/solvent solution and the methods and processes for fabricating such a carbon fiber-coating. The carbon fiber-coating comprises a fibrous substrate or fabric material and a carbon coating. The carbon coating prior to carbonization, is comprised of a coating solution made of a precursor dissolved directly within a solvent. Fabrication is achieved by first desizing the fibrous substrate, second immersing the desized fibrous substrate in the coating solution, third evaporating the solvent and curing the precursor via a low temperature pyrolysis in preferably an inert atmosphere, and fourth carbonizing the coating via a high temperature pyrolysis. These steps can be repeated as necessary, depending on the desired final thickness of the carbon coating. Multiple applications of the carbon coating can be used to provide limitless final coating thickness.

Abstract: An airfoil is provided with a seamless control surface which comprises upper and lower skins fixed to a spanwise extending spar and extending chordwise to a trailing edge and having an outer surface which is substantially a continuation of the upper and lower surfaces of the airfoil. A joint mechanism proximately attaches together the bailing edges of the upper and lower skins while permitting relative chordwise movement therebetween. Actuating devices are operable for selectively altering the curvature of the upper and lower skins to cause deflection of the seamless control surface between an extreme raised position through a neutral position to an extreme lowered position. In this manner, the outer surface curvature of the airfoil and of the seamless control surface is smooth and continuous over substantially the entirety thereof at all positions of the seamless control surface. The actuating devices may be hydraulic, pneumatic, or solid state and the upper and lower skins may be of composite material.

Abstract: This invention discloses an exhaust manifold for an engine made of all fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite material so as to be light weight and high temperature resistant.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of making a reinforced composite structure wherein a reusable mold closure is mated to a mold to close off a mold cavity in which a reinforcement is positioned. The mold closure or mold includes a plurality of collapsible resin supply ports through which resin is pumped into the mold cavity from a source of resin to infuse or impregnate the reinforcement with resin. After the resin is introduced into the mold cavity, the resin residing in the resin supply ports is selectively cured to form respective cured resin plugs on which the resin supply ports collapse to seal them in air-tight manner. The resin residing in the mold and infused in the reinforcement is not cured at that time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar emitter recognition system and method for classifying incoming emitters into their functional roles as disclosed by their electronic signatures and the context within which the radar transmissions are received. An electronic support system provides incoming data, including unknown attribute information, to a neural network which has been synthesized or trained to calculate a network solution indicative of an emitter's classification within a range of attributes. Similarly the electronic support system provides incoming data, including unknown context data, to a fuzzy logic system that has been provided with possibility distributions to classify the emitter as originating from one of several strategic contexts. The resultant categorizations from the neural network and the fuzzy logic system are combined in a classifier to yield an improved recognition of the emitter under observation.

Abstract: Methods of making fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite (FRCMC) parts by compression and injection molding. The compression molding method generally includes the initial steps of placing a quantity of bulk molding compound into a female die of a mold, and pressing a male die of the mold onto the female die so as to displace the bulk molding compound throughout a cavity formed between the female and male dies, so as to form the part. The injection molding method general includes an initial step of injecting a quantity of bulk molding compound into a cavity of a mold. In both methods, the bulk molding compound is a mixture which includes pre-ceramic resin, fibers, and, if desired, filler materials. Once the part has been formed by either method, the mold is heated at a temperature and for a time associated with the pre-ceramic resin which polymerizes the resin to form a fiber-reinforced polymer composite structure.

Abstract: A pollutant-reducing catalytic converter for an internal combustion engine. The catalytic converter is of ceramic and operates at higher temperatures for increased efficiency. A ceramic foam is used as the substrate for the catalyst. The foam is an open-celled foam and the substrate is deposited on the walls of the cells. Thus, there is a maximum area of catalyst with a minimum amount of catalyst required. The catalytic converter can be placed in the engine compartment adjacent the engine for maximum efficiency without causing temperature problems within the engine compartment.

Abstract: A novel process for producing novel curable, liquid, hydroxyl-terminated epoxy polyether polymers by the direct polymerization of vinyl epoxy ether monomers in the presence of a strong alkali, to form a hydroxyl-terminated vinyl polyether polymer, followed by the epoxidation of the vinyl groups to form a novel curable, liquid hydroxyl-terminated epoxy polyether polymer which is stable against unintended polymerization in view of the epoxidation of the vinyl groups and is rapidly curable with the addition of conventional multifunctional curing agents.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of increasing the surface bond strength characteristics of a resin composite material. The method begins with providing a peel-ply sheet which defines opposed planar faces. A multitude of elongate bond fibers are embedded into the peel-ply sheet in a manner in which a majority of the bond fibers do not extend in co-planar relation to the planar faces of the peel-ply sheet. A resin composite material is provided. The peel-ply sheet is applied to the resin composite material such that the bond fibers are partially embedded therein. The resin composite material is cured. The peel-ply sheet is removed from the cured resin composite material such that the bond fibers remain implanted therein.

Abstract: Traffic is monitored in individual lanes of a roadway as to vehicle count or presence, speed and direction of movement by mounting a microphone array high above the road surface, digitizing the output signals of the microphones, filtering, beamforming and storing the digitized signals to provide separate power histories for separate locations in individual lanes. These power histories are then analyzed to provide vehicle movement data for each lane.

Abstract: In a method for addressing holograms stored in a plurality of separate storage media, a reference beam is directed to a selected one of the plurality of storage media, the reference beam is then focused so as to obtain a substantially flat wavefront within a reference beam plane of the selected storage medium, and the angle of the reference beam is then varied so as to select a hologram stored therein.

Abstract: A power converter is disclosed that includes multiple lower power boost converters interconnected to reduce the magnitude of the input current ripple and output current ripple by distributing the converter current draw over time, as compared to a single boost converter. The operating cycle of each of the multiple boost converters is phase shifted with respect to the others. The converter described converts a primary input DC voltage into an output DC voltage, wherein the output DC voltage is higher than the primary input DC voltage. The converter includes a primary input terminal for receiving the primary input DC voltage and a plurality of boost converter cells, each of which has an input connected to the primary input terminal, and each of which has an output. The converter additionally includes a master controller for causing each boost converter cell to operate in a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the other boost converter cells.

Abstract: A structural fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite (FRCMC) material adapted for clutch use. The entirety of the frictional components of a clutch mechanism or only particular components thereof can be made of the FRCMC material. One embodiment has integrally molded fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite clutch friction pads forming the friction surfaces of metal clutch parts. Clutch components exhibiting a higher temperature and wear-resistance than currently available clutch parts are described. These clutch components and pads exhibit improved performance at high temperatures and are highly wear-resistant in comparison to current clutch components.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a reinforced composite prepreg material comprising the steps of aligning discontinuous fibers by use of a strong electric field while simultaneously inserting the fibers through a mesh screen and into a ply or plies of fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite in an uncured state in a direction normal to the surface of the composite material. After the fibers are attached in the ply of fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite, the aligned fibers are forced through the composite material by applying a gentle pressure to the top of the conductive fibers while simultaneously being guided by the mesh screen. After the insertion process has been completed, the mesh screen is lifted vertically away from the composite material and any unaligned fibers are simultaneously removed. The newly formed reinforced prepreg composite films are then stacked on top of each other and pressurized and cured in an autoclave or press to produce an improved composite laminate.

Abstract: A nonrecurrent version of the Neural Network Binary Code Recognizer is disclosed. This Nonrecurrent Binary Code Recognizer, which decodes an input vector of n analog components into a decoded binary word of n bits, comprises an analog-to-digital converter, an inverter circuit, a digital summing circuit and a comparator circuit.

Abstract: Improved electronic circuitry incorporated into a tag attached to a user worn wrist strap of a static electrical discharge dissipation system. The electronic circuitry monitors the electrical connection of the wrist strap from the user to ground and tests the functionality of the tag. The electronic circuitry comprises an oscillator, a signal transmitter, a discharge resistor and a discharge resistor check circuit for monitoring the accuracy of the discharge resistor. The electronic circuitry also comprises a skin resistance check circuit for monitoring the electrical connection of the wrist strap to the user, and a ground fault detect circuit for monitoring the electrical connection of the wrist strap to ground.

Abstract: A compact infrared identification and communication assembly, including a transponder device and at least one interrogator device, is provided. Each device includes a housing having an opening therein through which light may be received or emitted. The opening has a spectral filter mounted therein which permits only a specific frequency band of incident light to pass into and out from the housing. A dichroic beam splitter is mounted in the housing, aligned with the spectral filter, for reflecting and transmitting separate selected portions of the specific frequency band. A photodiode is aligned with the beam splitter, thereby receiving light from one of the separate portions, for example the transmitted portion. The photodiode converts its received light into an electrical signal which is subsequently converted into a form which a user may easily understand, for example an LED display.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing offset and shading from a video signal include a filter that convolves the video signal with a second derivative. The derivative can include first and second non-zero values centered about a third non-zero value, zero-filling between the first and third values, and zero-filling between the second and third values. The filter can be applied to Modulation Transfer Function measurement of an electro-optical sensor, in which offset and shading are removed from the sensor's video signal prior to Fourier analysis. Filtering and Fourier analysis are performed by a digital signal processor, which allows the measurement to be fully automated.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting and warning of an impaired operator, such as a drowsy vehicle/machine operator or air traffic controller. The system and method employ an imaging apparatus which produces consecutive digital images including the face and eyes of an operator. There is an eye finding unit which determines the location of the operator's eyes within each digital image, and generates correlation coefficients corresponding to each eye which quantify the degree of correspondence between pixels associated with the location of the operator's eye in an immediately preceding image in comparison to pixels associated with the location of the operator's eye in a current image. An impaired operator detection unit is used to average the first N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to generate a first average correlation coefficient.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for making a fiber reinforced composite wherein fiber reinforcement material is disposed in a molding cavity formed between a substantially rigid molding tool and a compliant molding tool in a pressurizable chamber of a pressure vessel, such as an autoclave. Uncured polymer resin is introduced under pressure to the molding cavity by a resin pump disposed in the chamber or external thereof so as to initially infiltrate the fiber reinforcement material with the resin. The chamber is gas pressurized to provide isostatic pressure on the rigid and compliant tools during resin infiltration of the fiber reinforcement material. The resin-infiltrated fiber reinforcement material then is heated in the chamber to cure the resin matrix. Large surface area composites of the aerospace skin structure type can be made using the present invention.