Abstract: An accelerometer and rate sensor package to aid gravity gradiometers is provided. The accelerometer and rate sensor package is mounted directly on or within a gravity gradiometer instrument (GGI). Outputs from the sensors can be used to reduce unwanted noise due to angular rotational rates, angular accelerations and linear accelerations that may be coupled to the GGI. Since the sensor assembly is directly mounted on or within the GGI, the sensor assembly is coupled to the GGI and senses the acceleration and angular rates as seen by the GGI. Thus, outputs from the GGI can be corrected more effectively using the sensor assembly's outputs.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 2, 2008
Date of Patent:
September 7, 2010
Assignees:
Bell Geospace, Inc., Lockhead Martin Corp.
Abstract: An electromagnetic radiation detector system is disclosed which includes a detector of semiconductor material in the form of a superlattice having a plurality of layers of a first conductivity type spaced by alternate layers of a second conductivity type forming a layered structure having distinct natural energy band gap responsive to a narrow band of electromagnetic wavelengths, but which can be tuned by physical or electromagnetic devices to alter the band of wavelengths to which the detector responds. The system includes electrodes connecting the sensor to an output device.
Abstract: In a multi-cell battery, an open-circuit failure of any one cell renders the entire battery unusable. An automatic electronic bypass switch is connected across each battery cell to provide a low-resistance conductive path around such battery cell should it fail. Contrary to conventional usage in which a fuse is employed to "clear" or "open" a short-circuit condition, the electronic switch of the present invention employs a fuse to activate a highly conductive path, which ideally would approach a short circuit, around an open-circuit condition. The electronic switch includes a field-effect transistor connected across the battery cell and a fuse to hold the field-effect transistor in the "off" condition.