Abstract: A method of modifying a rotor blade is provided for a rotor blade including a spar having an inboard portion with a substantially constant overall height, the inboard portion further including a top layer having a substantially constant first thickness and a bottom layer having a substantially constant second thickness. The method includes removing a root portion of the inboard portion to thereby modify the rotor blade and installing a cuff configured to couple to the rotor blade to an aircraft.

Abstract: Sealed containers for radioactive material are presented herein. A sealed container forms an interior envelope for housing a radioactive material and prevents escape of the radioactive material into a surrounding environment. The sealed container provides a diffusion window for gaseous decay products to escape at a particular diffusion rate. In one example, an apparatus, comprises a container forming a sealed interior envelope for a radioactive material. The container has an aperture covered by a window material, and properties of the window material are selected to provide for diffusion of at least one gas produced by radioactive decay of the radioactive material.

Abstract: A system for digital rights management including a processor in a platform and a memory device comprising instructions that when executed configure the processor to perform operations. The operations may include determining whether a digital media is locally installed in a platform before initiating an operating system, and launching a first UEFI application configured to generate attestation data and communicate attestation based data to a server through an encrypted medium in response to determining the digital media is not installed. The operations may also include receive a binary file of the digital media and a first decryption key and performing a sealing of the binary file using a sealing enclave of the first UEFI application and generating a local decryption second key based on the first key and local entropy. The operations may also include installing the sealed binary file on local storage.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes producing a mixed feedstock of at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks. A first of the at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks includes an SP3 carbon, a second of the at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks includes an SP2 carbon, and a third of the at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks includes at least two SP1 carbons. The method further includes producing a polyorbital-hybrid pre-ceramic polymer comprising the SP1 carbons, the SP2 carbon, and the SP3 carbon. The polyorbital-hybrid pre-ceramic polymer is produced by reducing the mixed feedstock such that one or more halogen atoms are removed from the mixed feedstock. The method also includes fabricating the polyorbital-hybrid pre-ceramic polymer into a greenware form and producing a polyorbital-hybrid ceramic carbon comprising the SP1 carbons, the SP2 carbon, and the SP3 carbon. The polyorbital-hybrid ceramic carbon is produced by thermolyzing the polyorbital pre-ceramic polymer.

Abstract: A rotor blade assembly connectable to a rotor hub configured to rotate about a center axis includes a torsional pitch member coupled to the rotor hub, a torque tube coupled to the torsional pitch member, wherein the torsional pitch member extends away from the center axis through a portion of the torque tube, a blade coupled to the torque tube, and a pitch control member coupled to the torque tube and configured to control a pitch angle of the blade, wherein the torsional pitch member includes a first curvilinear channel and a second curvilinear channel each having a front side and a back side, wherein the first curvilinear channel and the second curvilinear channel are disposed adjacent to each other, such that the back side of the first curvilinear channel faces the back side of the second curvilinear channel.

Abstract: Provided herein are various enhanced systems, apparatuses, and techniques for optical communication among a constellation of satellites. One example includes establishing an initial cross-connect configuration comprising optical communication links among a constellation of satellites. In the initial cross-connect configuration, the satellites can optically communicate with both adjacently positioned and non-adjacently positioned satellites in the constellation. The satellites obtain angular states of the optical communication links resultant from orbital motion of the satellites. When angular states of a portion of the optical communication links reach an exclusion range, the satellites establish a subsequent cross-connect configuration to avoid optically communicating within the exclusion range.

Abstract: A reflector antenna includes a reflector having a curved reflecting surface that extends around a longitudinal center axis, wherein the curved reflecting surface is defined by rotating a concave curve around the longitudinal center axis and wherein one end of the concave curve defines an apex on the longitudinal center axis. The reflector antenna may further include a ground plane extension having a flat reflecting surface abutting an edge of the reflector and extending radially away from the longitudinal center axis. A phased array feed may be arranged spaced apart from and opposite to the reflecting surfaces of the reflector and the ground plane extension. A tapered collar may be arranged adjacent to the phased array feed, wherein the tapered collar tapers outward away from the phased array feed and towards the reflector, and wherein the tapered collar comprises an inner reflective surface facing the reflector.

Abstract: A septum orthomode transducer polarizer (SPOL) is presented comprising sidewall ridges which increase bandwidth in the presence of draft angles for injection molding manufacturing techniques. A SPOL with sidewall ridges is able to accommodate draft angles for injection molding while creating greater modal separation within the SPOL and increasing the resultant bandwidth. A horn aperture may be included with the SPOL, and the combined structure may be injection molded as a single part to realize significant cost and mass reductions.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a system includes a three-dimensional (3D) printer, a hydraulic press, and a kiln. The three-dimensional printer includes a print bed, a first printhead, and a second printhead. The first printhead is configured to deposit a layer of a first powder on the print bed. The second printhead is configured to deposit a layer of a second powder on the print bed. The hydraulic press is configured to compress a greenware to form a compressed greenware. The kiln is configured to heat the compressed greenware to a reaction temperature to form an object. The object is surrounded by an excess of the first powder. The kiln is also configured to heat the object surrounded by the excess of the first powder to a melting temperature. The melting temperature is at least the melting point of the first powder and less than the melting point of the object.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed, in certain embodiments, a component of a mechanical apparatus. The component includes a cast body with an initial structure formed by a mold and at least one feature deposited on the cast body using a solid state additive manufacturing process, such that in combination the initial structure and the at least one feature form a complete structure of the component.

Abstract: A Reconfigurable, Flexible Multi-User (RFMU) electronically steered antenna (ESA) includes a top panel and a number of side panels that enable many contacts simultaneously with varying gain requirements from a single, in situ, installation. The top panel includes multiple subarrays and can communicate with flyover satellites, and the side panels can communicate with satellites flying past a side of the ESA. The top panel and the side panels can achieve a beam steering that covers a full or partial, variable gain, hemispheric field-of-view (FoV). The RFMU ESA terminal top and side panels are scalable using flexible modular building blocks. This enables increased contacts, increased gain or a combination thereof sized to meet desired performance.

Abstract: A propeller system for a tail section of an aircraft includes a propeller hub located at the tail section of the aircraft, a plurality of propeller blades mounted to and extending outwardly from the propeller hub, a propeller shaft coupled to the propeller hub and operable to rotate the propeller hub about an axis of rotation, and a propeller gearbox connected to the propeller shaft. The propeller gearbox is fluidly cooled by an airflow within the tail section. A spinner assembly surrounds the propeller hub. The spinner assembly includes at least one outlet opening formed therein downstream from the propeller hub relative to the airflow. The spinner assembly is rotatable to draw the airflow into at least one cooling flow inlet formed in the tail section and across the propeller gearbox to cool the propeller gearbox and out the at least one outlet opening.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a cold plate assembly include providing a base and a cover. The cover can be fixedly coupled to the base. Each of the base and the cover can include spaced internal ribs, which can form flow paths when the base and cover are fixedly coupled together. The internal ribs of the base and the cover can have spaced tabs that can be fixedly coupled to the other of the base or the cover. The base and the cover may also include spaced external or outer sacrificial ribs.

Abstract: A method for controlling a rotary wing aircraft includes determining a measured airspeed of the rotary wing aircraft based on data from a pitot probe, determining an estimated airspeed of the rotary wing aircraft based on rotor control commands, and determining a blended airspeed based on both the measured airspeed and the estimated airspeed.

Abstract: Provided are flow batteries that include a fluidic train within a dynamic fluidic network system which fluidic train is convertible between a first state and a second state, the first state the first state placing a main electrolyte source and a dynamic fluidic network, outside the fluidic train and an electrode region, into fluid communication with the electrode region and the second state placing the main electrolyte source and the dynamic fluidic network, outside the fluidic train and the electrode region, into fluid isolation from the electrode region and placing the electrode region into fluid communication with a sampling segment. Also provided are methods of operating flow batteries.

Abstract: In one embodiment, systems and methods include using a pressure measurement and leak test tool to measure the internal pressure of a container. A pressure measurement and leak test tool comprises a first side, a second side, a top end, a bottom end, and a front surface. The first and second side are disposed along the same plane opposite from each other, wherein the top and bottom end are coupled to the first and second side, wherein the top and bottom end are disposed opposite from each other, wherein the front surface is disposed on an edge defined by the first side, the top end, the second side, and the bottom end. The pressure measurement and leak test tool further comprises an electrical connector disposed on the top end, a power switch disposed on the front surface, and an information handling system comprising a display disposed in the front surface.

Abstract: A heterodyne phase-controlled beam-combiner system includes a laser source, a first beam splitter, a plurality of phase modulators, a tiled array and an optical mixer. The laser source generates a light beam, and the first beam splitter splits the light beam into multiple beamlets. A phase modulator tags each beamlet with an arbitrary phase dither signal corresponding to an arbitrary phase setpoint or offset, and a tiled array, including a number of lenslets, combines the tagged beamlets and directs the combined light to a second beam splitter. The optical mixer generates a heterodyne light including tagging information. A first output light of the second beam splitter is a target light directed to a target, and the arbitrary phase offset enables achieving a nonflat phase profile for beamlets to obtain the desired on-axis far-field intensity of the target light.

Abstract: A rotary blade aircraft includes an airframe, a rotor shaft driven about a rotor axis, and a plurality of rotor blades driven by the rotor shaft about the rotor axis. The rotary blade aircraft includes a swashplate assembly coupled to the plurality of rotor blades. The swashplate assembly is operable to move the plurality of rotor blades about a respective longitudinal axis. The rotary blade aircraft includes a hydraulic control servo coupled between the airframe and the swashplate assembly. The hydraulic control servo is operable to move the swashplate assembly relative to the rotor axis. The rotary blade aircraft includes a harmonic control actuator coupled between the airframe and the swashplate assembly. The harmonic control actuator is operable independently relative to the hydraulic control servo to move the swashplate assembly relative to the rotor axis to reduce vibration at selected frequencies in the airframe.

Abstract: Systems and methods include using an ultrasonic cutter tool to cut a seal. The system comprises an ultrasonic cutter tool disposed onto a railing system coupled to a platform, wherein the ultrasonic cutter tool is configured to translate along the railing system. The system further comprises a power source electrically coupled to the ultrasonic cutter tool, and an alignment mold disposed parallel to the railing system and offset by a distance. The system further comprises one or more roller bearing carriages coupled to the railing system, wherein each of the one or more roller bearing carriages comprises a set of roller bearings, wherein each set of roller bearings is disposed over the alignment mold, wherein each set of roller bearings is configured to translate along the alignment mold as each of the one or more roller bearing carriages translates along the railing system.