Patents Assigned to The Government of the United States of Americas, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
  • Patent number: 11944011
    Abstract: Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Boris N. Feigelson, Kevin P. Anderson, Benjamin L. Greenberg, James A. Wollmershauser, Alan G. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 11939276
    Abstract: A nanoparticle of a decomposition product of a transition metal aluminum hydride compound, a transition metal borohydride compound, or a transition metal gallium hydride compound. A process of: reacting a transition metal salt with an aluminum hydride compound, a borohydride compound, or a gallium hydride compound to produce one or more of the nanoparticles. The reaction occurs in solution while being sonicated at a temperature at which the metal hydride compound decomposes. A process of: reacting a nanoparticle with a compound containing at least two hydroxyl groups to form a coating having multi-dentate metal-alkoxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Albert Epshteyn, Zachary J. Huba
  • Patent number: 11939787
    Abstract: A rapidly deployable structure that includes a first and second hub, a plurality of legs and a rod connected to the first hub. The first hub includes first recesses. The second hub includes second recesses and an alignment guide. Each leg is connected to the first hub and the second hub. The rod connected is to the first hub and includes pins that are movable between an extended state, where pins protrude from the rod, and a retracted state where the pins are retracted within the rod. The first hub is movable relative to the second hub between a first state in which the rod is disposed above the alignment guide in an axial direction defined by an opening in the alignment guide and a second state in which a portion of the rod comprising the pins is below the alignment guide in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Edward Michaelchuck, Scott Ramsey, Christopher Strem
  • Publication number: 20240094425
    Abstract: A detector for detecting optically undetectable sub-cm orbital debris. A ring detector comprising a current pulse transformer (CPT) in which a conducting wire coil is wrapped around a loop of high permeability material having a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) core. Debris objects in low earth orbit become charged as they pass through local plasma. As each charged debris object passes through the coil-wrapped loop, its current generates an induced voltage pulse, which can be used to detect the presence of the debris object. By fielding such a detector on a satellite, a long duration survey of the debris distribution in the LEO region can be made as the satellite's altitude is systematically varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: William E. Amatucci, Gurudas I. Ganguli, Abhijit Sen, Christopher Crabtree
  • Patent number: 11937361
    Abstract: A cathode emitter assembly includes a cathode tube having a gas feed portion and a plasma outflow portion; an outer annular cathode insert in the plasma outflow portion of the cathode tube; an inner cathode insert in the plasma outflow section of the cathode tube; and an annular plasma emission portion defined between an inner surface of the outer annular cathode insert and an outer surface of the inner cathode insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Michael McDonald, Marcel Georgin
  • Publication number: 20240083754
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of irradiating a composition having water and hydrogen-terminated nanodiamonds with light that generates water-solvated electrons from the nanodiamonds. The method can be used to degrade fluoroalkyl compounds such as perfluorooctane sulfonate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Bradford B. Pate, William Maza, Vanessa Breslin, Paul A. DeSario, Tatyana I. Feygelson, Albert Epshteyn, Jeffrey C. Owrutsky, Carlos Hangarter
  • Patent number: 11920035
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns electrically conducting poly(pyrazoles). The concept of oligomerizing and polymerizing substituted aminopyrazole derivatives combined with a monomer activation procedure involving base-mediated conversion of the protonated pyrazole ring nitrogen to amine salt was developed. This disclosure concerns the specific chemistries needed for the synthesis of a pyrazole monomer used in the polymer synthesis. The procedure used for blending the novel polypyrazoles with other compounds needed for construction of solar cells for testing was developed. This disclosure concerns the concept of using these types of heteroatom-rich, electron-deficient oligomers or polymers as n-dopable or p-dopable electron acceptors in photovoltaic cells. This disclosure concerns synthesizing the starting monomer compounds and polypyrazoles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Brett D. Martin, Ian D. Giles, Jawad Naciri, Paul T. Charles, Scott A. Trammell, Jeffrey R. Deschamps, Jeffrey C. Depriest
  • Publication number: 20240067780
    Abstract: Described herein is the preparation of solid acid fuel cell (SAFC) electrode materials suitable for intermediate temperature (200° C.-300° C.) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysis via anaerobic, in vacuo pyrolysis of metal-organic coordination polymer precursor materials with divalent metals (e.g. Pt or Pd) as nodes to form small, catalytically active nanoparticles inside a porous, electrically conductive carbonized framework.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: James A. Ridenour, Olga Baturina, Albert Epshteyn, Bethany Hudak, Hannah Marie Ashberry
  • Publication number: 20240068106
    Abstract: Deposition of Pt nanoparticles on UiO metal organic frameworks via solvothermal reduction is achieved by reducing Pt acetylacetonate (Pt(acac)2) in a UiO-66 and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) mixture at, for example, 130° C. for 18 hrs. Modification of reaction temperature and time can control the size of the Pt nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Hannah Marie Ashberry, Albert Epshteyn, James A. Ridenour, William A. Maza, Olga Baturina
  • Patent number: 11912606
    Abstract: This application relates generally to an optical fiber for the delivery of infrared light where the polarization state of the light entering the fiber is preserved upon exiting the fiber and the related methods for making thereof. The optical fiber has a wavelength between about 0.9 ?m and 15 ?m, comprises at least one infrared-transmitting glass, and has a polarization-maintaining (PM) transverse cross-sectional structure. The infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining (IR-PM) optical fiber has a birefringence greater than 10?5 and has applications in dual-use technologies including laser power delivery, sensing and imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Daniel J. Gibson, Daniel Rhonehouse, Shyam S. Bayya, L. Brandon Shaw, Rafael R. Gattass, Jesse A. Frantz, Jason D. Myers, Woohong Kim, Jasbinder S. Sanghera
  • Patent number: 11904992
    Abstract: The invention relates to a payload frame for deploying a payload underwater. The payload frame includes at least three lead screws, each lead screw connected near a top end of the lead screw to the payload by a corresponding spherical bearing; at least three motors, each motor connected to a bottom end of one of the lead screws, the motor to rotate the lead screw through the corresponding spherical bearing; at least three feet, each foot attached to one of the motors, the feet to support and secure the payload frame on a water body bed; an accelerometer attached to the payload, the accelerometer to measure gravity vectors of the payload; and a microcontroller connected to the accelerometer and the motors. The microcontroller to receive the gravity vectors from the accelerometer and control each of the motors based on the gravity vectors to position the payload in a target orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Christopher M Price, Paul R Leary, Brian S Bingham
  • Publication number: 20240043601
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and thermoset made by: reacting a di- or tri-functional isocyanate with a silyl-containing compound to form a polyurethane having at least one unreacted isocyanate group, reacting the polyurethane with an aminoalkylalkoxysilane to form an alkoxysilane-terminated polyurethane, and moisture-curing the alkoxysilane-terminated polyurethane to form the thermoset. The silyl-containing compound has the formula: SiR1n[R3—(O—CO—X—R3)m—OH]4-n. Each X is —O— or —NR2—; each R1 is an alkyl group or an aryl group; each R2 is —H, an alkyl group, or an aryl group; each R3 is an alkylene group; n is 0, 1, or 2; and each m is a non-negative integer. The thermoset may be degraded by treatment with a solution of a fluoride salt in an organic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Erick B. Iezzi, Keith B. Sutyak, Grant C. Daniels, Eugene Camerino
  • Patent number: 11894449
    Abstract: Heterostructures include a layer of a two-dimensional material placed on a multiferroic layer. An ordered array of differing polarization domains in the multiferroic layer produces corresponding domains having differing properties in the two-dimensional material. When the multiferroic layer is ferroelectric, the ferroelectric polarization domains in the layer produce local electric fields that penetrate the two-dimensional material. The local electric fields modulate the charge carriers and carrier density on a nanometer length scale, resulting in the formation of lateral p-n or p-i-n junctions, and variations thereof appropriate for device functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Berend T. Jonker, Connie H. Li, Kathleen M. McCreary, Olaf M. J. van't Erve
  • Patent number: 11890598
    Abstract: A supported heterogeneous catalyst material for catalyzing the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction for the selective formation of CO using an alkali metal-doped molybdenum carbide on a gamma alumina support (A-Mo2C/?-Al2O3, A=K, Na, Li). The A-Mo2C/?-Al2O3 catalyst is synthesized by co-impregnation of molybdemun and alkali metal precursors onto a ?-Al2O3 support. It is then carburized to form the A-Mo2C/?-Al2O3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Marc Porosoff, Heather D. Willauer
  • Patent number: 11888312
    Abstract: A solid state circuit breaker that may include a metal oxide varistor (MOV) that is connected in series to a thyristor, the MOV to clamp voltage of current flowing through the solid state circuit breaker; the thyristor including a gate to control flow of the current to the MOV along a first path to the MOV; a breakover diode to activate at a target voltage level to allow the current to flow to the MOV along a second path; and a Zener diode to close the gate and allow current to flow along the first path in response to the current on the second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America,represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Di Zhang
  • Patent number: 11885801
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a release system for delaying application of chemical reagents in a lateral-flow immunoassay. A chemistry release fiber comprising a permeable membrane and a chemical release agent is used to delay chemical reagent delivery to the indicator of a lateral-flow immunoassay. Also disclosed is the related method of delaying application of chemical reagents in a lateral-flow immunoassay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: David A. Kidwell
  • Patent number: 11878064
    Abstract: A nanoparticle (NP)-peptide conjugate provides efficient steric hindrance/blockage of cellular membrane potassium (K+) channels to mediate depolarization of cellular membrane potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: James B. Delehanty, Megan Muroski, Eunkeu Oh, Jeffrey R. Deschamps
  • Patent number: 11881359
    Abstract: A microcapacitor array for providing artificial muscles is described. The microcapacitor array includes a dielectric body with electrode chambers, positive electrodes in positive electrode chambers, the positive electrodes being connected by a first set of channels in the dielectric frame; negative electrodes in negative electrode chambers, the negative electrodes being connected by a second set of channels in the dielectric frame. The first and second set of channels are arranged so that application of a voltage differential between the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes generates an attractive force between each set of adjacent positive and negative electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Emil Paskalev Kartalov, Michelangelo Coltelli, Jeffrey Catterlin
  • Patent number: 11882023
    Abstract: Methods, and systems, for Multiagent Pathfinding for Non Dynamic Programming Problems, including a CE method which provides for sampling from a complex probability distribution that is not necessarily known in a closed form. The applications of this method include rare-event simulation, variance reduction for estimation problems, and stochastic optimization. The method iteratively searches for a probability distribution that is “close” to the intended distribution, where the closeness of distributions is measured using the Kullback-Liebler (KL) divergence between the distributions. At each step, the method generates samples according to a current candidate distribution from the family. Next, it uses those current candidate distribution samples to move the distribution toward a new candidate distribution that is closer in the sense of KL divergence to the target distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Doron Drusinsky, James Bret Michael
  • Publication number: 20240014271
    Abstract: A bipolar nanocomposite semiconductor (BNS) material in which electrons and holes are separately transported throughout the BNS volume via an interpenetrating plurality of networks, where some of the networks have one conductivity type and others have the opposite conductivity type. The interpenetrating networks can include one or more multiple nanocrystalline structures, metal and dielectric networks and are intimately connected to enable band-like transport of both electrons and holes throughout the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Boris N. Feigelson, Alexander L. Efros, Benjamin L. Greenberg, Michael Shur