Abstract: A porous fuel cell component, such as an electrode substrate, has a densified edge which forms an improved gas seal during operation when soaked with electrolyte. The edges are made from the same composition as the rest of the component and are made by compressing an increased thickness of this material along the edges during the fabrication process.

Abstract: Fuel flow to a gas turbine engine is controlled in response to power lever position and CDP. Fuel is supplied to the engine through three fuel flow regulating circuits which are in parallel. In one of these circuits there is a valve which establishes a minimum fuel flow which decreases with increasing power lever advance. In a second circuit there is a valve which modifies fuel flow in response to CDP. In a third circuit there is a valve which modifies fuel flow in response to CDP and receives fuel from a valve which opens with increasing power lever advance. The fuel control system includes a low power sensitive torque motor which may be activated to increase the pressure drop across the three circuits whose flow thus increases proportionally. Normal engine operation is obtainable without the use of the torque motor which provides an interface to an electronic control unit which senses various engine and ambient parameters and activates the torque motor in order to modify fuel flow accordingly.

Abstract: A compressor structure for a gas turbine engine capable of enhanced active clearance control within the compressor is disclosed. Various construction details which enable the discharge of cooling air against the compressor case and which minimize thermal distortion of the case are developed. The concepts are applied to a longitudinally split compressor case and include an external bleed manifold of circular cross section which extends across the longitudinal split in the case. Cooling air is dischargeable beneath the manifold to cool the case structure. Heat shields are provided in access ports to the manifold to inhibit heat transfer to the compressor case at the local regions of the ports.

Abstract: In fabricating sheet material with closely spaced parallel ribs on one side, a mold with ribbed shaped grooves is uniformly filled with a loose, dry molding material using a coater with a plurality of adjacent blades extending therefrom with the blade tips parallel to and preferably in contact with the mold top surface. The coater is swept across the mold top surface and the blades distribute and compress the molding material into the mold grooves. The invention is particularly useful for molding materials with high fiber content which are difficult to pack uniformly and with sufficient density into the mold.

Abstract: Turbine blade growth is measured by judiciously locating a prescribed dimple on the blade remote from the root and indexed in a fixture relative to a master blade. An optical micrometer affixed to the fixture can be readily adapted to facilitate the measurement technique.

Abstract: A fuel injection system for low emission burners in which the primary fuel is delivered in an annular spray into the primary combustion zone; at high power operation, secondary fuel is injected additionally in a low angle axial spray to penetrate beyond the primary zone and into the secondary combustion zone downstream of the primary zone.

Abstract: Domestic cookware and laboratory and industrial processing apparatus are disclosed comprising graphite fibers in a glass matrix. The graphite is laid up in the glass matrix so as to produce a glass rich use or contact surface, which coupled with the materials selected provides versatility in article processing, high thermal conductivity and uniformity of heat distribution in the articles produced, chemical inertness, gas and liquid impermeability, and high impact resistance and flexural strength. The articles are produced by hot pressing a mixture of the fibers and glass in a mold at elevated temperture or by extrusion or pull-trusion processing. The high thermal conductivity of the articles of the present invention (e.g. in excess of 30 BTU inch hr.sup.-1 ft.sup.-2 .degree.F..sup.-1) contributes to all of the above properties and makes the composites particularly useful as domestic cookware and laboratory and industrial processing apparatus.

Abstract: A burner construction in which staging of combustion is obtained by a primary pressure-atomizing nozzle having a low spray angle to maintain combustion within a central core of the combustor, and a secondary fuel aerating nozzle delivering fuel in a hollow cone configuration surrounding the primary fuel spray for combustion in an annulus between the central core and the wall of the combustor. Although most of the air for primary combustion is supplied with the fuel nozzle, additional air may be introduced at the upstream end of the combustor by high penetration jets that enter the central core and additional air for secondary combustion is introduced by one or more rows of holes in the combustor wall near the upstream end.

Abstract: An air cycle heat pump uses a regenerative heat exchanger to provide warm air to heat a load, while at the same time providing fresh air to the load. The stale air returned from the load is utilized as the refrigerant air in an electrically driven regenerative air cycle heat pump, and no additional heat exchangers are required, thereby significantly reducing the electric power needed for heating the load. A turbine-driven compressor is used to raise the stale load air in pressure and temperature and, after giving up some of its heat to the fresh ambient air used to heat the load, the compressed refrigerant air performs useful work in the expansion turbine before being returned to ambient.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus improving the dimensional accuracy of forged components. Uniformity of like component details is sought and a specific object is to provide a die package for forming closely toleranced appendages integrally with a central disk structure from which the appendages extend.In one effective embodiment incorporating concepts of the present invention, the forging dies include a stationary die and a movable die comprising at least two separately movable elements which are mounted on a common axis with the stationary die. A plurality of arcuate die segments are adjacently placed in cylindrical array about the stationary and movable dies. The arcuate die segments form cavities of the inverse geometry of the appendages to be formed and in at least one embodiment are interlocked to prevent tilting of the segments in the die package.

Abstract: A magnetic amplifier sensor for measuring the magnitude and polarity of a DC current flowing in a line includes a pair of saturable cores, each having a primary and secondary winding mounted thereon. The primary coils are connected in series and a portion of the DC current component to be measured is diverted to a shunt circuit which includes the primary windings. The secondary coils are connected to a push/pull type of AC source so that the flux levels in the cores operate in a drive/reset mode. A DC current in the primary winding causes a variation in the absolute magnitude of the flux levels of the two cores as a function of the time constant of the shunt circuit so that during the drive interval one core saturates before the other.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a rotor including a rotor shaft which is journaled within an external structural engine casing. Stator elements are mounted within the external casing about the rotor, and in order to maintain a precise radial clearance between the rotor and stator elements, a stator support assembly is positioned within the engine casing and supports the stator elements relative to the rotor. The support assembly is comprised by an internal casing having one portion that is free to move by a limited amount in radial directions relative to the external casing, and a casing support disc extending generally radially outward to the internal casing from a bearing on the rotor shaft. The casing support disc holds the internal casing radially fixed relative to the shaft and, thus, references the movable portion of the internal casing relative to the rotor and rotor shaft rather than the external engine casing.

Abstract: Collapsing bladder positive expulsion devices are provided in which the bladder itself is configured to have areas of longitudinal stiffening such that upon the application of external pressure the bladder can be caused to collapse inwardly upon itself in a predetermined fashion without the requirement for a separate internal support structure.

Abstract: A self-flaring rivet and the method of making the same is disclosed. The end remote from the rivet head carries the swaging mechanism that is pulled outwardly to flare the end, inherently applying a tension force. This swaging mechanism also can be designed to remain in the rivet end or be pulled out completely. In the first instance the working stem of the swaging mechanism is broken off.

Abstract: In an integral rocket-ramjet having a combustor which initially serves as a rocket combustion chamber for booster propellant, and after the booster propellant is expended, serves as a ramjet combustor where fuel and air are burned, a fuel control system is described for the ramjet stage by which ram burner light-off is automatically initiated upon transition from rocket to ramjet propulsion. The fuel control regulates fuel flow to the combustor over the entire flight regime and responds to operating conditions to provide a light-off schedule, to stabilize the shock wave in the air inlet, to provide a maximum fuel-to-air ratio limit, to limit the maximum vehicle Mach number, and to prevent lean burner blowout by providing a minimum fuel-to-air ratio limit. Mach number limiting is performed in closed loop fashion, while the other functions are scheduled or open loop controls.

Abstract: The addition of copper phthalocyanine to composite solid propellant compositions has been found to substantially reduce the tendency toward combustion instability of the propellant. The invention is particularly useful in connection with smokeless composite propellants employing hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene as a binder.

Abstract: Hydrogen is produced from an electrolyte solution by suspending semiconducting platelets in a vertically flowing solution of the electrolyte contained in a radiant energy transparent, vertically disposed divergent fluid conduit. By utilizing a divergent fluid conduit to suspend the platelets in the vertically flowing electrolyte the platelets are maintained in a substantially stable equilibrium position in the conduit with a constant electrolyte flow rate and the particular array of platelets in the conduit can be specifically controlled by simply varying the weight, size or shape of the platelets, further improving the hydrogen generating capability of such system. The fluid conduit is impinged with radiant energy of sufficient wavelength to cause charge transfer in the platelets dissociating the electrolyte solution producing the hydrogen gas. The platelets are maintained suspended in the vertically flowing electrolyte by controlling the flow rate of the electrolyte solution.

Abstract: Hydrogen and bromine are produced from a bromide-containing electrolyte solution by suspending semiconducting platelets in a vertically flowing solution of the electrolyte contained in a radiant energy transparent vertically disposed fluid conduit. The fluid conduit is impinged with radiant energy of sufficient wavelength to cause charge transfer in the platelets dissociating the electrolyte solution into bromine liquid and hydrogen gas. The platelets are maintained suspended in the vertically flowing electrolyte by controlling the flow rate of the electrolyte solution. The respective dissociation products are collected for subsequent energy generation. The semiconducting platelets comprise an n-doped semiconducting layer, ohmic contact, and p-doped semiconducting layer, at least the edge of the ohmic contact being covered by an insulation layer.

Abstract: A graphite reinforced glass composite is described comprising discontinuous graphite fibers in substantially planar orientation in a glass matrix with strength and fracture toughness greater than the unreinforced glass matrix. The resulting composite has superior strength, fluid impermeability, wear resistance, failure strain and fracture toughness. In fact, the stress-strain, curve for composites of the invention resembles that of metal making it particularly suitable for a variety of moldable shapes and machinable designs.

Abstract: A mechanical scanning apparatus adapted for oscillating the focus zone of a beam of radiation having high power to modify and control the nature and extent of the interaction zone on a workpiece is disclosed. The apparatus includes a compound beam adapted for being vibrated in a vibratory mode resulting in oscillatory motion of at least a first end of the compound beam; a reflective surface attached to the first end of the compound beam and adapted for focussing radiation incident thereon to a focus zone, and means for vibrating the compound beam to induce oscillatory motion of the reflective surface resulting in oscillatory motion of the focus zone. For vibration frequencies greater than the characteristic thermal response time of the workpiece material, the effect is a broadening of the interaction zone with a beam-material interaction characteristic of a reduced incident average power intensity while maintaining a high local intensity essential to the establishment of effective radiation-material coupling.