Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided to treat atherosclerosis wherein the artery is partially closed by dilating the artery while preserving the vital and sensitive endothelial layer thereof. Microwave energy having a frequency from 3 GHz to 300 GHz is propagated into the arterial wall to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally necrosing connective tissue and softening fatty and waxy plaque while limiting heating of surrounding tissues including the endothelial layer and/or other healthy tissue, organs, and blood. The heating period for raising the temperature a potentially desired amount, about 20° C. within the atherosclerotic lesion may be less than about one second. In one embodiment of the invention, a radically beveled waveguide antenna is used to deliver microwave energy at frequencies from 25 GHz or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz and is focused towards a particular radial sector of the artery.

Abstract: A quantitative risk assessment system (QRAS) builds a risk model of a system for which risk of failure is being assessed, then analyzes the risk of the system corresponding to the risk model. The QRAS performs sensitivity analysis of the risk model by altering fundamental components and quantifications built into the risk model, then re-analyzes the risk of the system using the modifications. More particularly, the risk model is built by building a hierarchy, creating a mission timeline, quantifying failure modes, and building/editing event sequence diagrams. Multiplicities, dependencies, and redundancies of the system are included in the risk model. For analysis runs, a fixed baseline is first constructed and stored. This baseline contains the lowest level scenarios, preserved in event tree structure. The analysis runs, at any level of the hierarchy and below, access this baseline for risk quantitative computation as well as ranking of particular risks.

Abstract: High quality films, preimpregnated tape (prepegs) and composites have been fabricated from polyimide precursor “salt-like” solutions. These “salt-like” solutions have a low viscosity (5,000 to 10,000 cp) and a high solids content (50-65% by weight) and can be coated onto reinforcing fiber to produce prepegs with excellent tack and drape at 12-15% residual solvent (˜4-6% water from thermal imidization reaction). The processing of these types of prepegs significantly overcomes solvent removal problems and allows excellent fiber wet out. In addition, the physical characteristics of the polyimide precursor “salt-like” solutions permits processing into high-performance materials through the use of standard prepregging and composite fabrication equipment. The resultant composites are of high quality.

Abstract: In order to achieve a considerable reduction of the outlay required on the ground in connection with the accurate calculation of the exact orbital position of each individual satellite of a constellation, first the exact orbital position of a preferably central master satellite of a sub-group of satellites embodied as a special formation is determined. This calculation is performed autonomously on board the satellite by means of customary measurements supported from the ground, or respectively by means of GPS, MANS, etc. Then the exact position of all other satellites in the same formation is determined from range and pointing data, which are provided by each IS link terminal. These pointing data are well known after the establishment of the inter- satellite link and are continuously updated.

Abstract: A multimedia communication system having a plurality of mobile, fixed location, and portable terrestrial communication terminals. The system links terrestrial communication terminals together through a network of non-geostationary satellites. The satellites communicate with a communication protocol similar to terrestrial communication protocols to reduce protocol conversion. The source and destination addressing uses static terrestrial cells for the uplink and the downlink. The terminal data stream is segmented into communication packets at the terrestrial gateway based on the uplink satellite's determination of system parameters. A control satellite dynamically balances up-links and down-links in the terrestrial areas with over-lapping satellite coverage.

Abstract: A structured singular value (&mgr;) analysis method of computing flutter margins has robust stability of a linear aeroelastic model with uncertainty operators (&Dgr;). Flight data is used to update the uncertainty operators to accurately account for errors in the computed model and the observed range of aircraft dynamics of the aircraft under test caused by time-varying aircraft parameters, nonlinearities, and flight anomalies, such as test nonrepeatability.

Abstract: A microencapsulation and electrostatic processing (MEP) device is provided for forming microcapsules. In one embodiment, the device comprises a chamber having a filter which separates a first region in the chamber from a second region in the chamber. An aqueous solution is introduced into the first region through an inlet port, and a hydrocarbon/polymer solution is introduced into the second region through another inlet port. The filter acts to stabilize the interface and suppress mixing between the two immiscible solutions as they are being introduced into their respective regions. After the solutions have been introduced and have become quiescent, the interface is gently separated from the filter. At this point, spontaneous formation of microcapsules at the interface may begin to occur, or some fluid motion may be provided to induce microcapsule formation. In any case, the fluid shear force at the interface is limited to less than 100 dynes/cm2.

Abstract: A manual welding wire feeder apparatus comprising a bendable elongate metal frame with a feed roller mounted at the center thereof for rotation about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame. The frame ends are turned up as tabs and each provided with openings in alignment with each other and the mid-width center of the roller surface. The tab openings are sized to accommodate welding wire and each extends to a side edge of the tab, both opening on the same side of the frame, whereby welding wire can be side-loaded onto the frame. On the side of the frame, opposite the roller a lock ring handle is attached tangentially and is rotatable about the attachment point and an axis perpendicular to the frame. The device is grasped in the hand normally used to hold the wire. A finger is placed through the loop ring and the frame positioned across the palm and lower fingers. The thumb is positioned atop the wire so it can be moved from the back of the frame across the roller, and towards the front.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enhance visible contrast within an acquired image for display. The contrast enhancement utilizes all N bands of an original N-band spectral image to produce an M-dimensional enhanced image for display. The method creates an enhanced image from an original image in which the visible contrast in the original image is improved. The original image includes pixels, each pixel having N spectral intensities. The display or printer device which must display the relevant information may be limited to a number of bands M which is smaller than N. Maximum contrast of objects is obtained by emphasizing differences in the N-dimensional pixels by as large differences as possible within the dynamic range of the M-band display space. When M=N=3, this means moving pixels in the display space to utilize the full color palette available on a color monitor or printer. When N>M, a mapping from N space to M space must also be accomplished.

Abstract: The apparatus and method employ remote sensing to measure the air temperature a sufficient distance ahead of the aircraft to allow time for a variable inlet/engine assembly to be reconfigured in response to the measured temperature, to avoid inlet unstart and/or engine compressor stall. In one embodiment, the apparatus of the invention has a remote sensor for measuring at least one air temperature ahead of the vehicle and an inlet control system for varying the inlet. The remote sensor determines a change in temperature value using the at least one temperature measurement and prior temperature measurements corresponding to the location of the aircraft. The control system uses the change in air temperature value to vary the inlet configuration to maintain the position of the shock wave during the arrival of the measured air in the inlet.

Abstract: A dual polarized horn antenna that increases the efficiency of a square or rectangular aperture which may be used in situations where a high efficiency aperture is needed in a constrained space. The antenna has a body that is tapered from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is smaller in cross section than the second end. A flange is formed around the periphery of the body adjacent to the first end. An opening is formed in the first end of the body. A tuning iris is preferably disposed in the opening that provides for impedance matching. An insert is disposed in the central tapered opening 16 adjacent to the second end that has a central cross-shaped tapered member. The central cross-shaped tapered member extends into the central tapered opening and forms a plurality waveguide passages that form a corresponding plurality of quadrants. A plurality of cross-shaped members are respectively disposed in the quadrants and extend a short distance into the central tapered opening.

Abstract: The spaceborne Global Positioning System receiver provides navigational solutions and is designed for use in low Earth orbit. The spaceborne GPS receiver can determine the orbital position of a spacecraft using any of the satellites within the GPS constellation. It is a multiple processor system incorporating redundancy by using a microcontroller to handle the closure of tracking loops for acquired GPS satellites, while a separate microprocessor computes the spacecraft navigational solution and handles other tasks within the receiver. The spaceborne GPS receiver can use either microcontroller or the microprocessor to close the satellite tracking loops. The use of microcontroller provides better tracking performance of acquired GPS satellites. The spaceborne GPS receiver utilizes up to seven separate GPS boards, with each board including its own set of correlators, down-converters and front-end components. The spaceborne GPS receiver also includes telemetry and time-marking circuitry.

Abstract: Circuit apparatus for controlling a plurality of parallel connected batteries to equally share a common load is shown that includes an n parallel batteries connected to a common load element through a load current monitor that monitors the current through the load element, a battery current monitor for each battery, and a plurality of DC/DC converter circuits having outputs connected in series with each battery respectively. The load current output signal of the load current monitor is scaled down by 1/n, where n is the number of batteries, by a scale down amplifier circuit and distributed as a reference voltage to summing circuits where the scaled down load current is compared to the output of the battery current monitors. The outputs of the summing circuits are respectively connected as control signals to each of the DC/DC converters that are connected to each battery. Each DC/DC converter circuit adjusts it's output voltage to regulate the battery currents to I1 . . .

Abstract: A spacecraft battery system arranges battery cells in two planes with a common mounting plate between them allowing for a more compact arrangement so the battery assembly can be removed from a limited mounting area resource of the spacecraft such as the north/south faces and placed remotely. Accordingly, a first battery assembly comprised of a plurality of battery cells in electrical continuity are mounted on and spread in a single plane over a first mounting surface of a planar mounting panel and a similarly constructed second battery assembly is mounted on and spread in a single plane over a second, opposed, mounting surface of that same planar mounting panel, the plane of the second battery assembly being spaced from the plane of the first battery assembly. The system includes a plurality of heat pipes embedded in the planar mounting panel and thermally connected with each of the battery cells for distributing heat uniformly across the planar mounting panel.

Abstract: The invention provides a permeable treatment wall comprising one or more high-permeability columns, as well as a methods for preparing such a permeable treatment wall.

Abstract: A frequency selective surface devise is described. The device separates or combines two channels by using two or three spaced layers of resonant elements which may be loops or tripoles and which are coupled and which have interactive effects between layers such that the relatively broad transmission and reflection bands characteristic of resonant elements are modified by reinforcement of multiple reflection between the layers in the manner of a Fabry-Perot etalon effect in order to increase the sharpness of the transition of the transmission and reflection bands and thereby to permit combination or separation of closely spaced channels.

Abstract: The present invention is a dissipating protection energy system designed to receive and safely dissipate the kinetic energy from high energy fragments. The energy dissipation system dissipates energy transferred to it by the incremental and progressive rupturing at an approximately constant force of strategically placed sacrificial stitching applied to a number of high strength straps, such as an aromatic polymide fiber of extremely high tensile strength. Thus, the energy dissipation system provides a lightweight device for controlling and dissipating the dangerous and destructive energy stored in high strength fragments released by catastrophic failures of machinery minimizing damage to other critical components.

Abstract: An attitude control system and method operative with a thruster controls the attitude of a vehicle carrying the thruster, wherein the thruster has a valve enabling the formation of pulses of expelled gas from a source of compressed gas. Data of the attitude of the vehicle is gathered, wherein the vehicle is located within a force field tending to orient the vehicle in a first attitude different from a desired attitude. The attitude data is evaluated to determine a pattern of values of attitude of the vehicle in response to the gas pulses of the thruster and in response to the force field. The system and the method maintain the attitude within a predetermined band of values of attitude which includes the desired attitude. Computation circuitry establishes an optimal duration of each of the gas pulses based on the pattern of values of attitude, the optimal duration providing for a minimal number of opening and closure operations of the valve.

Abstract: A radio wave receiving apparatus including a signal processing circuit which performs on Fourier transform with respect to an azimuth of an electric field signal outputted from an antenna receiving circuit. The Fourier transform is also performed with respect to an azimuth of the antenna pattern of an antenna. The Fourier transform signal derived from the electric field signal is then divided by the antenna pattern Fourier transform signal. A low-pass filter subjects the divided signal to low-pass filtering. The band of the output signal of the low-pass filter is extended into that beyond the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter by using extrapolation. The band-extended signal is subjected to Fourier inverse transform with respect to azimuth, the signal after the Fourier inverse transform being outputted as a final antenna output.

Abstract: An injection molded phased array antenna system such as may advantageously employed on satellites. The antenna system comprises a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic horn radiating elements respectively coupled to a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic orthomode junctions that produce a corresponding plurality of vertically and horizontally polarized outputs. A metal plated, injection molded plastic vertical and horizontal beamforming networks is coupled to outputs of the plurality of orthomode junctions that establish unique phases and amplitudes that produce two separate outputs associated with two independent beams.