Abstract: Disclosed is a high-speed, high-force impulse load damper susceptible to adaptive control including a cylinder, a piston defining in the cylinder a volume, a coil, fixed relative to the cylinder, configured to generate a magnetic field, and a fluid channel, configured to be influenced by the magnetic field, for one or both of providing fluid to and evacuating fluid from the volume. Also disclosed is a damper including a cylinder, a piston defining in said cylinder a first volume and a second volume, a first fluid channel for one or both of providing fluid to and evacuating fluid from the first volume, first means for regulating flow through said first fluid channel, a second fluid channel for one or both of providing fluid to and evacuating fluid from the second volume, and second means for regulating flow through said second fluid channel, wherein said first fluid channel and said second fluid channel are in fluid communication.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensor flatpack capable of extremely sensitive strain measurements, without the complexity, high installation costs, and sensitivity to extraneous effects associated with conventional strain gage technologies, such as resistance foil strain gages. The “flatpack” strain sensor houses two individual sensors to allow for accurate temperature compensated strain measurements. The packaging method incorporates plastic materials and laminate manufacturing techniques, which results in a fully hermetic package that is resistant to harsh environmental conditions. Multiple flatpacks can be connected in series and interrogated along a single optical fiber cable when the flatpacks are constructed with fiber optic sensors that can be serially multiplexed, such as with Bragg grating sensors.