Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for detecting arc faults. For some embodiments, arc faults are detected from waveforms that are acquired and processed, preferably using an Average Magnitude Difference Function (AMDF). The characteristics of the waveform provide an indication of whether or not an arcing fault occurred.

Abstract: An oxygen number density or concentration sensor including a sampling luminescent oxygen probe located in a fluid environment, and a gas impermeable enclosure located in the fluid environment and a reference luminescent oxygen probe located within the gas impermeable enclosure, wherein the sampling and reference luminescent oxygen probes are formed by an ideal PSP. A predetermined fixed oxygen number density or concentration is provided within a medium contained in the gas impermeable enclosure. A detector receives signals corresponding to luminescent emissions of the sampling and reference probes. A processor determines a number density or concentration of oxygen in the fluid environment from a signal generated at the sampling probe with reference to an oxygen number density or concentration dependent signal generated at the reference probe.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for detecting arc faults. For some embodiments, arc faults are detected from waveforms that are acquired and processed, preferably using an Average Magnitude Difference Function (AMDF). The characteristics of the waveform provide an indication of whether or not an arcing fault occurred.

Abstract: A method for detecting an object in a body of water by generating a plurality of signals and applying each signal to a separate submerged sonar node that is a part of an array of sonar nodes.

Abstract: A method of measuring a load on a surface produced by a contact force. An elastic film or coating is located on a supporting surface to provide an indication of normal and tangential or shear forces applied to the surface. A thickness measurement, corresponding to a normal displacement, and a tangential displacement of the film, corresponding to a shear displacement, is obtained and input to a response function to reconstruct the normal and shear load components of the contact force on the surface. A differential thickness measurement of the film is detected by an optical method in which a luminescent output from a luminophore in the film is measured. A luminescent output from a reference luminophore located below the film is also measured to provide a measurement system independent of the illumination source used to produce the luminescent output.

Abstract: A method of measuring fluid flow including the steps of providing a light source including at least one LED, providing an image detecting element and defining an illuminated measurement space with an optical element located between the measurement space and the image detecting element. The measurement space is located optically in-line between the light source and the image detecting element. The method further includes the steps of providing a fluid flow through the measurement space, the fluid flow including particles, and illuminating the measurement space with the light source to induce light extinction from the particles comprising shadow markers of the position of the particles within the fluid flow. The image detecting element is used to detect the shadow markers produced by the particles to record displacement of the particles as a function of time corresponding to movement of the fluid flow. In a further aspect, the light source includes plural LEDs emitting different colors.

Abstract: A method of analyzing the condition of a motor driven rotating system using a current waveform produced by the motor. The motor position is initially identified from the current waveform produced by the motor and more particularly, a step of identifying the segment switching of the motor is performed to identify the system position with reference to individual rotations of the motor. The current waveform is then normalized to a preselected number of data points, each rotation being described by the preselected number of data points, such that the current waveform is converted from the time domain to a spatial domain corresponding to positions of the system. Subsequently, a frequency analysis is performed to identify frequencies corresponding to characteristics of the system, including calculating a frequency dependent distribution of the normalized current waveform to determine the energy content of the waveform at particular frequencies.

Abstract: A novel aspect to the invention is a structural arrangement to widen the Fabry-Perot gap beyond a 100-micron LC thickness. The widening permits greatly enhanced spectral discrimination (i.e. many more WDM channels) across the device response range, which is expanded to ITU standards by use of the twin etalon configuration. A liquid crystal optical multiplexer according to the present invention is a two-etalon Fabry-Perot laser etched into many (>100) sub-etalons in a rectangular array. Each sub-etalon is independently tunable and can be coupled to a distinct fiber. Any single sub-etalon or random combination of sub-etalons is free to be tuned to a particular wavelength corresponding to one of the input channels. This allows for any combination of signals (i.e digital video, data and voice) in a signal broadband channel to be switched to any of several receivers. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is used to combine or separate individual types of signals from a single fiber.

Abstract: A novel aspect of the invention is a structural arrangement to widen a Fabry-Perot gap beyond a 100-micron LC thickness. The widening permits greatly enhanced spectral discrimination (i.e. many more WDM channels) across the device response range, which is expanded to ITU standards by use of a twin etalon configuration. A liquid crystal optical multiplexer according to the present invention is a two-etalon Fabry-Perot laser etched into many (>100) sub-etalons in a rectangular array. Each sub-etalon is independently tunable and can be coupled to a distinct fiber. Any single sub-etalon or random combination of sub-etalons is free to be tuned to a particular wavelength corresponding to one of the input channels. This allows for any combination of signals (i.e. digital video, data and voice) in a signal broadband channel to be switched to any of several receivers. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is used to combine or separate individual types of signals from a single fiber.

Abstract: An LC optical multiplexer according to the present invention is a two-etalon Fabry-Perot laser etched into many (>100) sub-etalons in a rectangular array. Each sub-etalon is independently tunable and can be coupled to a distinct fiber. Any single sub-etalon or random combination of sub-etalons is free to be tuned to a particular wavelength corresponding to one of the input channels. This allows for any combination of signals (i.e digital video, data and voice) in a signal broadband channel to be switched to any of several receivers. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is used to combine or separate individual types of signals from a single fiber. Phase-matching coatings are used on the materials within the Fabry-Perot gap, thereby enhancing transmission performance of the WDM device. Mechanical techniques are used to widen the Fabry-Perot gap beyond a 100-micron LC thickness. The widening permits greatly enhanced spectral discrimination (i.e.

Abstract: A non-invasive elastic wave fluid level sensing system for use in sludge laden environments, including transmitting and receiving transducers mounted on an outer face of a wall of a container for a fluid and along a propagation path for an elastic wave transmitted through the wall of the container wherein the elastic wave has a frequency of less than 5 kHz, more preferably less than about 2 kHz, and most preferably less than 1 kHz. A signal processor determines a change in a characteristic of the elastic wave between when a fluid is present in the container in the region of the propagation path and when a fluid is not present in the container in the region of the propagation path. One embodiment utilizes multiple horizontally oriented transmitting and receiving transducer pairs to detect levels of the fluid in the container.

Abstract: A deployable buoy having a nose cone and a tail section interconnected by a housing. The buoy comprises an outer shell and a canister with the outer shell axially moveable relative to the canister. An expansion chamber is provided between the outer shell and canister to produce and increase the axial length of the buoy and thereby increase the buoyancy of the buoy from a low buoyancy to a greater buoyancy and to orient and maintain the buoy in a substantially vertical orientation. The buoy is provided with a hot fluid generation source to melt a layer of ice and a nose cone ejection system to expose an antenna for the transmission of data to the central processing system.

Abstract: A hydrophone arrangement, housed within a dome shaped concrete and steel bunker, to accurately establish a bearing of a target object while diminishing potential displacement of the hydrophone arrangement from an initial installed position. A plurality of hydrophones are centrally positioned within the bunker and equally spaced about a periphery of a steel cylindrical member so that each hydrophone receives acoustic energy in a time delay manner with respect to the other adjacent hydrophones so that a bearing determination may be made from information received by a single stand alone bunker. An acoustic horn may also be provided to focus the acoustic energy towards the hydrophones to improve the signal-to-noise ratios and provide control of the phase of the acoustic energy as the energy is received by the hydrophones.

Abstract: A dual-purpose bullet is provided consisting of a thermoplastic body, a base cap, and a pressed powder core. The bullet in the preferred embodiment can either penetrate destroying and disrupting large volumes of human tissue or not penetrate the human tissue delivering a strong shock event and creating a thermal nuisance. The lethal mode is achieved by a high-velocity launch of the bullet without ignition of the igniter mixture and pressed powder core. The less-than-lethal mode is achieved by a low-velocity launch with ignition of first the pressed powder core and softening of the plastic projectile body.

Abstract: A selectable cartridge is provided consisting of a cartridge head, a dual-bed propellant chamber, a primer, and a tube. The invention enables the user to select a launch velocity prior to chambering the round. A high-velocity projectile is launched by mechanically rotating the base cap and rotation band such that holes along the primer align with the larger of two propellant beds. A low-velocity projectile is launched by rotating the base cap and rotating band a quarter turn from the high-velocity setting such that the holes along the primer align now align with the smaller propellant bed. The invention is suited for use in shotguns.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus, for use in adverse conditions comprising a housing having an aperture formed therein. A generally spherically shaped housing, which is larger in size than the aperture, partially extends through the aperture. The generally spherically shaped housing supports a desired sensor and is supported for rotation about an axis of rotation. A drive mechanism is provided for rotating the generally spherically shaped housing to and fro about its rotational axis from a use position, in which the sensor is positioned outside the housing to obtain sensor measurements, to a retracted position in which the sensor is completely accommodated within the housing and sheltered from the elements. A peripheral scraping ring is mounted circumferentially about the aperture in close proximity to an exterior surface of the generally spherically shaped housing but spaced therefrom.