Abstract: A hydrogen storage assembly includes at least one wafer formed of a substrate material that produces metal hydride when exposed to a hydrogen-rich carrier fluid. The wafer can be supported by a housing and arranged so that the hydrogen-rich carrier fluid can flow over a reaction surface of the wafer. At least one heating element can be arranged to transfer heat to the wafer to attain an operating temperature suitable for hydrogen charging on the reaction surface. A de-activation material may be provided on the reaction surface for inhibiting formation of surface oxide that impedes hydrogen absorption during charging and hydrogen desorption during discharging. The at least one wafer can include a plurality of monolithic plate wafers spaced apart about a central axis of the assembly. The at least one wafer can include a plurality of monolithic disc wafers in at least one stacked arrangement.

Abstract: A ventilation louver (10) includes a first plate (52) defining a first opening (74) therein for permitting fluid flow along a first direction (128), a second plate (54) defining a vane (82) therein, the vane at least partially covering the first opening and directing the fluid flow along a second direction (130), non-parallel to the first direction, and a third plate (56) defining a louvered opening (108) therein wherein the louvered opening directs fluid flow along a third direction (138), non-parallel to both the first direction and the second direction. In a non-limiting example, the ventilation louver may be disposed in a belly fairing of an aircraft.

Abstract: A processing system includes a housing having an interior chamber and a central vertical axis extending through the interior chamber. A rotor is disposed within the housing interior chamber and is configured to support one or more work pieces. At least one lift actuator is configured to linearly displace the rotor along the central vertical axis between a lower, inactive vertical position and an upper, transfer vertical position. At least one levitation actuator is spaced above the rotor and is configured to exert a magnetic pulling force on the rotor to levitate the rotor upwardly from the transfer vertical position to a working vertical position. Further, an annular stator assembly is coupled with the housing, is disposed about and spaced radially outwardly from the rotor and includes a motor stator, the at least one lift actuator being configured to vertically displace the rotor relative to the stator assembly.

Abstract: A digital booster for an optical system includes an image acquisition unit. The image acquisition unit is configured to acquire an image frame from a non-magnified optic. The image frame includes an aiming reticle imposed by the non-magnified optic. The digital booster includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to locate the aiming reticle on the image frame, select a sub-frame of the image frame with an aspect ratio that is centered on the aiming reticle of the image frame, perform image inversion and rescaling of the sub-frame, and transmit the sub-frame to the display.

Abstract: A routing device for installation on a moving platform connects with multiple wireless access devices for wireless interconnection with a wide-area network (WAN). The routing device routes traffic to the WAN through an active one of the wireless access devices. The routing device monitors connection quality between each of the wireless access devices and the WAN and in response to the metric of connection quality for the wireless access device at the active port dropping below a threshold value, reconfigure the routing device to route data traffic to the WAN through a wireless access device at a targeted one of the ports, different from the active one of the ports.

Abstract: A control system for a raise boring machine drilling a pilot hole and related methods are disclosed. The control system includes a cuttings box for receiving and weighing cuttings ejected from the pilot hole during drilling. The cuttings box is configured to retain an amount of cuttings indicative of advancing the pilot hole substantially the length of a drill rod. A controller in communication with the cuttings box is configured to receive a signal reflective of a weight of cuttings in the cuttings box. The controller is further configured to compare the received signal to an expected weight criteria associated with the drill rod length, and to in response to the signal satisfying the expected cutting weight criteria, have cuttings ejected from the cuttings box.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method includes: selecting dimensions of a slot to be provided in a device feature, the dimensions selected to accommodate one or more tools while resulting in tangential contact between the slot and the one or more tools when the one or more tools are inserted into the slot and used to manipulate the device feature; and forming the slot in a surface of the device feature according to the selected dimensions.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a mixing valve pressure balancer and temperature controller module, a mixing valve flow diverter module, a modular assembly including the pressure balancer and temperature controller module and the flow diverter module, and a mixing valve including the modular assembly.

Abstract: An article formed of a metal alloy is covered at least partially with a metal hydride and a shell metal to form an assembly. Load is applied to the assembly and the assembly is heated. The shell metal deforms around the article and the metal hydride and forms a gas proof seal. The metal hydride thermally decomposes to form hydrogen gas. At least a portion of the hydrogen gas dissociates and moves as monoatomic hydrogen into the article. The metal alloy can be a zirconium metal alloy, the metal hydride can be a zirconium metal hydride, and the shell metal can be substantially copper.

Abstract: A zoom relay system includes an optical element for receiving light from an object. The zoom relay system is adapted to generate an image of the object on an image plane. The system includes a single varifocal lens group positioned along an optical axis. The varifocal lens group includes at least one lens for providing magnification and a varifocal freeform lens including two lens plates. The lens plates are configured to be disposed along a dimension transverse to the optical axis, such that, when the varifocal lens group is moved along the optical axis to adjust the magnification, the lens plates of the varifocal freeform lens are displaced in the transverse dimension relative to each other to provide compensation, such that, when the magnification is changed, a distance between the object and the image plane remains constant.

Abstract: A digital booster for an optical system includes an image acquisition unit. The image acquisition unit is configured to acquire an image frame from a non-magnified optic. The image frame includes an aiming reticle imposed by the non-magnified optic. The digital booster includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to locate the aiming reticle on the image frame, select a sub-frame of the image frame with an aspect ratio that is centered on the aiming reticle of the image frame, perform image inversion and rescaling of the sub-frame, and transmit the sub-frame to the display.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system with boresight error correction includes a focusing lens to receive light along an optical axis of the variable magnification optical system, with the focusing lens configured to create an image of a target at a focal plane. The system includes a magnification changer disposed along the optical axis, with the magnification changer including an optomechanical drive system to adjust an optical magnification setting of one or more zoom lenses. The system also includes a light source configured to emit a pilot beam into the magnification changer. The system includes a position sensitive photodetector configured to receive the pilot beam exiting the magnification changer. The system further includes a microdisplay optically conjugate to the focal plane, with the microdisplay configured to impose an image of an electronic reticle on the focal plane based on the position of the pilot beam relative to the position sensitive photodetector.

Abstract: An optical system with adjustable eye relief includes a relay lens assembly. The relay lens assembly is defined by a collimating lens and a focusing lens. The optical system includes an aperture stop. The aperture stop is configured to shift axially along an optical axis between the collimating lens and the focusing lens. The optical system also includes an afocal lens assembly. The afocal lens assembly is defined by the focusing lens and an eyepiece. Additionally, an axial shift of the aperture stop along the optical axis between the collimating lens and the focusing lens changes an eye relief of the eyepiece based on a transverse magnification of the afocal lens assembly.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing device and method for controlling the device are provided. The device includes a housing defining a fluid outlet. A valve controls the flow of fluid to the outlet. A sensor is configured to detect an object outside of and proximate to the housing. A solenoid is configured to move the valve between an open position and a closed position. A controller is configured to receive the output signal of the sensor, determine a characteristic of noise in the output signal such as a level of noise; adjust at least one of a sampling rate of the output signal and an amount of filtering of the output signal responsive to the characteristic of noise in the output signal, and transmit a control signal to the solenoid responsive to the output signal.

Abstract: Methods and systems relating to the design and testing of systems that include hinged flight control surfaces of aircraft are disclosed. The systems and methods disclosed herein make use of a structural model representing a structural environment of the system in a relatively simple manner. In various embodiments, the structural model comprises one or more actuation branches having a common linear actuation direction, a load mass, and a massless connector representative of a hinge line of the flight control surface. The massless connector is connected to and disposed between the one or more actuation branches and the load mass and is movable along the common linear actuation direction so that linear movement of the massless connector is correlated to rotational movement of the hinged flight control surface.

Abstract: A stall control system for a raise boring machine is provided. In one implementation, the stall control system includes one or more hydraulic control valves connected to thrust cylinders of the raise boring machine to vent pressurize oil from a cap end of the thrust cylinders back to an oil tank or to a rod end of the thrust cylinders. In another implementation, the stall control system includes one or more hydraulic control valves connected to thrust cylinders of the raise boring machine to inject pressurized oil into a rod end of the thrust cylinders to increase pressure on the rod end of the thrust cylinders.

Abstract: An auto-center barrel cam for small optical systems including an outer barrel having a first channel extending longitudinally where the first channel is tapered from an inner surface to an outer surface of the outer barrel at a first angle and an inner barrel within the outer barrel. The inner barrel including a second channel extending longitudinally along the inner barrel where the second channel is tapered from an inner surface to an outer surface of the inner barrel at a second angle. A cam follower includes a flexure part having a first section with a first surface and a second section with a second surface. A spring section pulls the first section and the second section toward each other. The flexure part is arranged to maintain the cam follower within a center of the first and second channels as the inner barrel moves in relation to the outer barrel.

Abstract: A method of providing a path between bridges of a first network segment. The first network segment is configured using a Spanning Tree Protocol (‘STP’). The method includes providing a second network segment interconnecting first and second bridges of said first network segment. The second network segment is operable to transmit frames adherent to a High-availability Seamless Redundancy (‘HSR’) network control protocol and to discard the STP control data frames. The method also includes modifying at a first Redundancy Box (‘RedBox’) STP control data frames to form modified data frames adherent to the HSR protocol. The method also includes modifying at a second RedBox, the modified data frames to re-form the STP control data frames.

Abstract: A locking rail mount including a body mounted adjacent to a mounting rail and a clamp screw extending through a channel defined by the body and across the mounting rail. The clamp screw includes a screw head having a surface facing toward the mounting rail with locking elements having a surface relief geometry. At least one compression spring is positioned between the body and a rail clamp that pushes the rail clamp toward the surface of the screw head. The surface of the rail clamp includes locking elements having the surface relief geometry that are complementarily arranged with respect to the locking elements of the screw head. When the clamp screw is tightened, the locking elements of the rail clamp and screw head are aligned to lock the rail clamp and clamp screw together to prevent unintended rotation of the clamp screw.

Abstract: A rail mounting assembly for mounting an accessory to a rail of a firearm includes a base portion arranged to support the accessory. The assembly includes a lock nut receiving recess on a first side portion and a moveable clamp on a second side portion where the side portions cooperate to grip the rail. A crossbar extends between the side portions such that the crossbar is movable relative to the moveable clamp. A lock nut is threadably engageable to an end of the crossbar proximate to the first side portion and a lock plate is positioned within the lock nut receiving recess between the lock nut and a spring disk when the lock nut is threadably engaged with the crossbar. The lock nut receiving recess is shaped to prevent rotation of the lock plate while allowing rotation of the lock nut.