Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for gelling liquid propane and other liquefied gasses. The apparatus includes a temperature controlled churn mixer, vacuum pump, liquefied gas transfer tank, and means for measuring amount of material entering the mixer. The method uses gelling agents such as silicon dioxide, clay, carbon, or organic or inorganic polymers, as well as dopants such as titanium, aluminum, and boron powders. The apparatus and method are particularly useful for the production of high quality rocket fuels and propellants.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 23, 2006
Date of Patent:
October 12, 2010
Assignee:
CFD Research Corporation
Inventors:
Adam Elliott, Roberto DiSalvo, Phillip Shepherd, Ryan Kosier
Abstract: The present invention is a constant volume rocket motor that uses a non-detonating constant-volume, bipropellant combustion process in pulse-mode operation. Opening and closing of the combustion chamber exhaust outlet is controlled by an actuated reciprocating thrust valve (RTV). Fuel enters the combustion chamber at low pressure with the RTV closed. The valve opens after or during combustion when combustion chamber pressure is at or near maximum. The motor has applications in reaction control systems and attitude control systems in spacecraft.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 27, 2006
Date of Patent:
December 15, 2009
Assignee:
CFD Research Corporation
Inventors:
Roberto DiSalvo, Mark Ostrander, Adam Elliott
Abstract: The present invention provides a pseudospark switch that overcomes the aforementioned limitations of existing pseudospark switches and proved e-beams for applications such as FELs, pulsed lasers, X-ray machines, and radar. The improvement in e-beam quality is obtained by inductively ionizing gas inside the hollow cathode chamber (HCC), prior to main gap breakdown using a HCC that incorporates a spiral induction coil. The gas in the hollow cathode chamber is ionized by the discharge of an auxiliary capacitor bank through the spiral coil that forms the back surface of the HCC.
Abstract: The present invention is an electrostatic collector for low cost, high throughput, high efficiency sampling and concentration of bioaerosols. The device is small enough to be portable and can be contained within or placed on the wall of a typical office or hospital building. The collector comprises one or more collector modules, each having an ionizing electrode, a conical outer electrode, a wet collection electrode, and a liquid collection system. Airflow through a collector module may be partially blocked to enhance the collection of smaller particles and the collection electrode may comprise multiple, programmable electrodes to focus particle deposition onto a smaller area. Particles are collected into a small volume of liquid to facilitate subsequent analysis by an attached analyzer or at a remote site.