Abstract: A hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material comprising a catalyst support impregnated with catalyst is provided for reforming hydrocarbon fuel gases in an electrochemical generator. Elongated electrochemical cells convert the fuel to electrical power in the presence of an oxidant, after which the spent fuel is recirculated and combined with a fresh hydrocarbon feed fuel forming the reformable gas mixture which is fed to a reforming chamber containing a reforming catalyst material, where the reforming catalyst material includes discrete passageways integrally formed along the length of the catalyst support in the direction of reformable gas flow. The spent fuel and/or combusted exhaust gases discharged from the generator chamber transfer heat to the catalyst support, which in turn transfers heat to the reformable gas and to the catalyst, preferably via a number of discrete passageways disposed adjacent one another in the reforming catalyst support.

Abstract: A row of mix-tuned rotor blades for use in a turbomachine in which the first mode vibratory frequency of each of the blades falls into either of two distinct groups. The blades from the first group alternate with the blades from the second group so that no two adjacent blades have the same frequency, thereby inhibiting the onset of stall flutter. The blades are made by forging a forging blank between upper and lower die halves. The orientation of the upper die half relative to the lower die half when the die is fully closed is different depending on whether blades are being made for the first or second group, the difference being an offset in the position of the upper die half. As a result, the airfoils of the blades in the first and second groups have slightly different shapes, thereby resulting in the difference in resonant frequency.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for the blast cleaning of the surface of an object using solid carbon dioxide pellets as the abrasive projected by a gaseous carbon dioxide propellent. The method and apparatus of this invention subjects a portion of a quantity of liquified carbon dioxide contained within a storage vessel to adiabatic expansion to provide a solid phase carbon dioxide and then compressing or extruding the solid phase carbon dioxide to form a plurality of pellets. Another portion of the liquified carbon dioxide is vaporized to provide a volume of gaseous carbon dioxide at above atmospheric pressure which is then used as a carrier and propellent to project the carbon dioxide pellets against the surface of the object to be cleaned. This invention eliminates the need to use a separate compressed air or nitrogen propellent system for a blast cleaning operation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a diagnostic system for measuring and monitoring selected operating parameters of a solenoid operated valve. The valve assembly, comprised of a valve body, a valve plug attached to a valve stem is actuated or operated by a solenoid. The valve assembly is provided with one or more sensors attached to or positioned adjacent to the valve assembly to measure and monitor selected operating parameters of the valve assembly and provide electrical output signals indicative of the measurements to a signal conditioning, processing and data collection apparatus used to receive and record the electrical output signals. The diagnostic system allows the user of the valve to measure and monitor the various electrical and mechanical activities of the valve during its operation while in service and to see if the valve is operating within its design parameters.

Abstract: An information display system for representing the condition of an industrial process is dynamically convertible via a control input from presenting information in a first form of output to one or more additional forms of output that are different but equivalent to the first. The system can thereby convert the presentation to display terms and labels in a second language or to use a different diagrammatic representation for process flow conditions and the like. The system has a processor with encoded definitions that may be data type groups or point groups, text groups, symbol groups and the like. A memory stores the different but equivalent definitions applicable to the two forms of output, preferably in one-for-one corresponding lists in memory. A control input such as a pointing device or touch sensitive screen triggers the processor to change from one set of definitions to another.

Abstract: An alkali metal battery has an alkali metal anode such as lithium in an organic anolyte and a cathode in an aqueous catholyte. An ion conductive diaphragm allows ions to migrate between the anolyte and the catholyte while limiting the transport of water from the catholyte to the anolyte.In a preferred embodiment, the ion conductive diaphragm is nonporous so that there is no transport of water ion to the anolyte.The battery is particularly useful for long durations of up to a week or longer in seawater.

Abstract: A digital quadriphase-shift keying modulator is described which generates a modulated intermediate carrier frequency (IF) based on a desired number of samples for each input information bit. The design includes a ROM (or RAM) look-up table which stores digitized waveforms. The inphase and quadrature components of a complex baseband signal are translated to an IF at a multiple of the sampling rate simply by alternating the inphase and quadrature samples and alternating signs. The real IF output is produced by summing the inphase and quadrature signals.

Abstract: An auxiliary thruster for a marine vessel. The auxiliary thruster includes a submersible propulsion unit which has a shroud with a propeller rotatably mounted therein. A canned electric motor is mounted between the propeller and the shroud for rotating the propeller to create thrust. A propulsion unit deploying and rotating mechanism is mounted on the hull and on the propulsion unit. The propulsion unit deploying and rotating mechanism is operable to extend the propulsion unit out of the hull and retract it into the hull and to rotate the propulsion unit to direct the thrust generated thereby in any desired direction when the thruster is in the deployed position. When the thruster is retracted, it is positioned with a tunnel extending transversely through the hull. Rotation of the propeller while in the retracted position generates laterally directed thrust through the tunnel.

Abstract: A support apparatus has dual, or left and right, palm rests. The apparatus is positionable to support an item like a keyboard in various inclined positions. The dual palm rests are mounted separately on a common carriage that slides in a plane back and forth relative to a front edge of an item on the apparatus. The manner of mounting the palm rests permits each palm rest to swivel about a generally vertical swivel axis and, additionally, move hingeally about a hinge axis that extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the associated swivel axis. The palm rests are connected to sets of torsion springs or the like to normally bias the palm rests about both the swivel axes and the hinge axes for clamping. Likewise, the sliding action of the carriage is preferably normally biased for clamping as well. Overall, the carriage, dual palm rests and biasing cooperatively effect a multiply adjustable clamping action on the from edge of the item.

Abstract: Loose parts are sensed moving in a conduit carrying a flowing material, such as the cooling circuit of a pressurized water nuclear reactor. An acoustic pickup produces an electrical signal with vibration of the conduit due to impact of the loose part, and background noise. A signal processor encodes the values of distinct parameters of the electrical signal such as amplitude, amplitude at particular frequencies, etc., in an ongoing manner, producing discrete output values. These outputs are coupled as inputs to a neural network with physical or logical neuron cells loaded with weighting factors affecting the strength and polarity of neural interconnections. The factors represent the acoustic signature of the loose part. Products of the input values and the weighting factors are summed to produce one or more neural network outputs, compared to a threshold. The sum normally varies randomly, but has a strong swing when the pattern is encountered, due to the factors emphasizing the pattern over background noise.

Abstract: A tool for removing a metal plug from a tube with repeated pulling impulses includes a pneumatic cylinder defining an interior, cylindrical chamber. A distal end surface of the cylinder defines an anvil. A cylindrical slug, or hammer, is sealingly slidable within the chamber in response to a pressure difference above and below the hammer within the chamber. The cylinder is rigidly connected to the plug so as to hang therefrom, the weight of the cylinder providing a static pull force working in conjunction with the pulling impulses. A pulling impulse is provided by first raising the hammer above the anvil by pneumatically creating a first pressure difference wherein the pressure below the hammer is greater than the pressure above the hammer, then creating a second pressure difference wherein the pressure below the hammer is no greater than the pressure above the hammer in order to drive the hammer against the anvil at speed.

Abstract: An exhaust system for an axial flow turbomachine having a diffuser comprised of inner and outer flow guides that direct the flow of working fluid from a turbine cylinder to an exhaust housing having a bottom opening, thereby turning the flow 90.degree. from the axial to radial direction. The flow exiting at the top of the diffuser is directed by a flow-guiding surface of the exhaust housing to turn 180.degree. from the vertically upward direction to the downward direction. The axial length of the outer flow varies around the circumference thereof as a function of the distance from the flow-guiding surface of the exhaust housing to the inlet of the outer flow guide so that the axial length of the outer flow guide is less than 30% of the height of the last row blade airfoil throughout any portions of the outer flow guide in which the distance from the flow-guiding surface to the outer flow guide inlet is less than the height of the airfoil.

Abstract: A primary coolant system of a nuclear power plant for providing coolant to a reactor vessel, the primary coolant system comprises a primary loop for transferring heat away from the reactor vessel. An accumulator tank for containing water under a pressurized, gaseous atmosphere is attached to the primary loop via a coupling, which provides an outlet for the coolant from the accumulator tank to pass to the primary loop. A valve, which includes a pressure sensor that senses the pressure in the accumulator tank and opens or closes the coolant flow in the coupling in response to the sensed pressure, is attached to the coupling for sensing the pressure in the accumulator tank.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring discrete velocities of exhaust flows coming out of individual circumferential rotor body vent holes while a rotor is running at operating speed. The apparatus and method employs a hot film anemometer to measure flow distributions around the rotor shaft, i.e., circumferential flow distributions.

Abstract: An improved positive terminal feedthru for a lithium/metal sulfide battery cell is provided which permits electrical access to the positive terminal of the battery cell from outside the case. The positive terminal feedthru assembly includes a first annular compressible seal which is provided about the positive feedthru and abuts the positive terminal. A first bushing is provided around the positive feedthru adjacent to the first compressible seal. A second annular compressible seal is provided about the positive feedthru between the first bushing and the battery case. A second annular bushing is provided about the positive feedthru adjacent the opposite side of the case from the second compressible seal. An annular washer is provided around the positive feedthru adjacent the second annular bushing. This washer maintains a compressive load on the first and second compressible seals to account for expansion and contraction due to temperature cycling.

Abstract: A subharmonic image rejection and image enhancement mixer for mixing millimeter wavelength signals using a low conversion loss technique is described. A local oscillator frequency from an external source is fed to a first subharmonic mixer and through a phase shifter to a second subharmonic mixer. The phase shifter delays the local oscillator signal by (90.degree./n), where n is the multiple of the subharmonic mixers and is greater than 1. The first and second subharmonic mixers mix the local oscillator frequency with an input signal, which includes a desired frequency and an image frequency, to produce an intermediate frequency having a desired component and an image component at a select phase. A 0.degree.-90.degree. hybrid separates and terminates the image component of the intermediate frequency.

Abstract: A high temperature-high pressure electrode for electrochemical potential measurement has a high temperature probe comprising an oxidized zirconium alloy tube member having an electroconductive core which includes a liquid electrolyte and a porous plug held in place by an oxidized zirconium alloy tube and end plug with an axial bore extending therethrough. The electroconductive core can comprise a liquid electrolyte of soaked zirconia sand and a second porous plug. In another embodiment, the zirconia sand is replaced by a surface oxidized zirconium alloy rod with grooves which extend between ends for containment of the liquid electrolyte. This embodiment also contains a second porous plug. In a modification of the latter embodiment, there is a bore in the proximal end of the surface oxidized rod which communicates with the grooves to provide electrical continuity. A Teflon sleeve forms an annular seal between the proximal end of the oxidized rod and the oxidized tube.

Abstract: The invention comprises of an electrically conducting doped or admixed cerium oxide composition with niobium oxide and/or tantalum oxide for electrochemical devices, characterized by the general formula:Nb.sub.x Ta.sub.y Ce.sub.1-x-y O.sub.2where x is about 0.0 to 0.05, y is about 0.0 to 0.05, and x+y is about 0.02 to 0.05, and where x is preferably about 0.02 to 0.05 and y is 0, and a method of making the same.

Abstract: In a method of decontaminating a primary loop of a pressurized water reactor, including a steam generator, reactor coolant pump and hot and cold legs in the loop, the primary loop is isolated from a nuclear reactor vessel by closing hot leg and cold leg loop stop valves. Decontamination process water is circulated from one side of the steam generator channel head to the other side of the channel head via a bypass pipe extending between the cold leg and the hot leg without bypassing the water through steam generator tubes extending between the sides of the channel head. The level of the decontamination water in the steam generator is maintained at two to three feet in the tubes.

Abstract: In a turbine system of the type wherein a first large cylinder having a first flange is connected to a second large cylinder having a second flange by a multiplicity of bolts securing the first flange to the second flange, a method of precisely aligning the first and second cylinders includes steps of (a) loosening the bolts that secure the first flange to the second flange so as to permit the first and second cylinders to be slightly shifted with respect to each other; (b) removing at least one of the bolts from its respective boltholes in the first and second flanges; (c) replacing the removed bolt in the respective boltholes with an apparatus for laterally shifting the first flange with respect to the second flange by a controlled amount; (d) shifting the flanges by using the apparatus; (e) tightening the bolts; (f) removing the apparatus; and (g) replacing and tightening the removed bolt. A unique apparatus for performing the lateral shifting is also disclosed.