Abstract: An electric power system having power supplies connected in parallel to a common bus includes a voltage feedback and current feedback loop for each supply. A voltage feedback signal and a current feedback signal are combined with a reference signal to produce an error signal. The output voltage of each supply is controlled in response to its corresponding error signal, to achieve current sharing and redundancy without interconnections among the control circuits of the various supplies.

Abstract: A water tight prehung door for a ship bulkhead, the door being formed from a plate with a peripheral band welded thereto, being stiffened by a plurality of channels extending from one side of the door to the other and having elongated dimples in the plate disposed between the channels; a double directional gasket which buckles when closed is contained in a partial enclosure and cooperates with a dogging mechanism utilizing a parallel bar linkage which moves rollers over wedge shaped lugs to dog the door closed and form a water tight seal irrespective of which side of the door is subjected to pressure.

Abstract: A mechanism for bypass isolation switches of the type comprised of at least three circuit interruption devices each having a handle has at least three switch gears, one positioned over each circuit interruption device and having either a drive gear or a spacer gear therebetween. A cam having a mouth which engages the handle of the circuit interruption device is eccentrically mounted on each switch gear. A stop is provided on at least one gear to permit the gears to rotate only 180.degree.. Since the drive, spacer and switch gears are interconnected, the cams must move or not move simultaneously. As a result, the at least three circuit interruption devices are operated simultaneously.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing plastic parts with a resilient projection, such as connectors for corrugated tubing. The apparatus includes means for flowing plastic material on a core provided with a recess to mould the resilient projection, plural core cam surfaces to extract the resilient projection out of the recess, after the mass of plastic material is solidified and extract the solidified part from the core.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell generator has a pair of spaced apart tubesheets in a housing. At least two intermediate barrier walls are between the tubesheets and define a generator chamber between two intermediate buffer chambers. An array of fuel cells have tubes with open ends engaging the tubesheets. Tubular, axially elongated electrochemical cells are supported on the tubes in the generator chamber. Fuel gas and oxidant gas are preheated in the intermediate chambers by the gases flowing on the other side of the tubes.Gas leakage around the tubes through the tubesheets is permitted. The buffer chambers reentrain the leaked fuel gas for reintroduction to the generator chamber.

Abstract: Planar millimeter wave transceiver includes a plurality of patch antenna elements disposed on a substrate in right and left hand circular polarization. Microstrip feeds having an intermediate feed point, interconnect adjacent elements. First switches interconnect with the feed points of adjacent feeds and are alternately operable between first and second states for establishing azimuth and elevation. Second switches interconnected with the first switches are alternately operable between first and second states for establishing transmit and receive modes for the antenna and with phase compensation. The microstrip feeds, and the first and second switches are interconnected on the substrate without crossovers. Transmitter and receiver elements may also be incorporated onto the substrate to form an integrated transceiver.

Abstract: Both a system and a method are provided which allows an eddy current probe to accurately determine both the proximity and dimensions of non-conductive structures which are normally invisible to such probes. The system includes a portable target medium that is movable into a known position with respect to the non-conductive structure, and that includes a conductive material that couples strongly with a fluctuating magnetic field, and a movable eddy current probe that emanates a fluctuating magnetic field and which generates a signal indicative of the magnitude of the interaction between the field and the portable target medium from which the distance between the two may be computed. The system may be used to determine the proximity of non-conductive structures such as plastic pipes that have been buried under ground, as well as the dimensions of such non conductive structures.

Abstract: A circuit breaker, and method of constructing same, in which a levering-in mechanism may be added after the circuit breaker has been assembled. The circuit breaker includes a chassis having first and second side plates which define upwardly open slots, which enable the levering-in mechanism to be "dropped in" to the correct position of an assembled circuit breaker, with bottom portions of the slots functioning as half bearings. First and second retainer plates with downwardly open slots are respectively attached to the first and second side plates, to complete the half bearings and hold the levering-in assembly. The levering-in mechanism includes a threaded shaft having a traveling nut, with a bushing on the shaft being held radially, but not axially, by a bracket member, with the bushing also functioning as a non-stress stop for the traveling nut.

Abstract: In a power generating installation including a steam turbine-generator system, a source of steam under pressure, and a steam conditioning unit, the steam turbine-generator system including a high pressure turbine and at least one low pressure turbine, each turbine having a steam inlet and an exhaust outlet, and an output shaft coupled to all turbines, and the steam conditioning unit being connected between the exhaust outlet of the high pressure turbine and the steam inlet of each low pressure turbine and being effective to remove moisture from, and reheat, steam flowing between the exhaust outlet of the high pressure turbine and the steam inlet of the low pressure turbine, the steam conditioning unit is composed of two structurally separate devices which include a reheating device which functions exclusively to add heat to the steam and a moisture separating device which acts to remove moisture from the steam.

Abstract: A two-loop superconducting sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter includes a first superconducting inductor to which the analog signal is applied. A resistor converts to current in the first inductor to a voltage which is applied to a second superconducting inductor. The current in the second inductor, which increases quadradically with time, is applied to an overdamped Josephson junction which kicks back a single quantum voltage pulse each time its critical current is exceeded. This pulse reduces the current in the second inductor and serves as a digital ONE output. The pulses are also applied to an underdamped Josephson junction in a feedback pulse generator which latches at its gap voltage for the remainder of a half cycle of an ac bias current.

Abstract: A bonded structure is described consisting of a semiconductor wafer, preferably gallium arsenide, soldered to a substrate material. A method for forming the structure is also described. The structure provides mechanical support and thermal conductivity for the wafer, as well as a multitude of connections through the substrate material at predetermined locations on the wafer. The substrate material and the soldering process are selected to minimize the resulting stresses in the wafer. A pattern of pads consisting of a refractory metal covered by a solder material is formed on the substrate to maintain space for excess solder in order to avoid the shorting of the individual connections on the wafer, and to control the size and location of voids in the solder upon solidification.

Abstract: A system and method for suppressing heat around a missile housed in a canister during a restrained firing condition is provided. A missile canister has a hollow wall and an inner side provided with a plurality of dispensing holes. A coolant reservoir communicates with the canister wall via a coolant intake port. When a restrained firing condition occurs, gas is generated below the missile while the missile is physically restrained within the canister. The gas pressure impinges on a flexible face of the coolant reservoir causing its volume to decrease and coolant to be urged into the canister wall and out of the dispensing holes.

Abstract: A series impedance compensation system for a set of transmission lines which are used for electrical power transmission, with these parallel lines being protected from the transient faults and dynamic subsynchronous oscillation problems. These problems can become aggravated by the introduction of capacitor banks which thus serve as only a partial solution to the disturbances of transient faults during conventional recovery modes of operation. The impedance compensation system is coupled in series to each transmission line to dynamically balance the inductor impedance on the transmission line, responsive to demand, by injecting a voltage component determined to be optimized substantially at quadrature leading or lagging phase angles (.+-.90.degree.) with respect to the transmission line voltage and current components.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for quickly determining the angle of arrival of a signal at a spinning interferometer based on the phase rate of changes and the cone angles between respective pulses received at the spinning interferometer.

Abstract: A logic level interlock device for an electrical contactor having an armature carrying separable contacts is provided. The interlock includes a plunger which is movable with the armature as the armature moves between its open and closed positions. A logic level sensing means is provided adjacent the plunger. An activation means which is sensed by the logic level sensing means is carried by the plunger member. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensing means is a set of magnetic reed switches which are activated by a permanent magnet carried on the plunger. In another embodiment of the invention, the sensing means is an opto-coupler circuit. The activation means carried on the plunger is perferably an opening which allows the infrared radiation to pass through to the receiver portion of the opto-coupler. In accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention, the sensing means are two inductive sensing elements which are activated by a permanent magnet or a ferrite bead.

Abstract: A rotating union used to transmit fluid to and from a rotating shaft includes a hollow tubular housing having inlet and outlet ports defined on an outer end, a set of radial bearings stationarily mounting the tubular housing within an axial bore in the rotating shaft permitting rotation of the rotating shaft relative to the tubular housing and defining an annular fluid cavity flooding the bearings with fluid, and annular seal assemblies sealing the annular fluid cavity at the outer and inner ends of the tubular housing. The union also includes inner and outer hollow tubular pipes disposed in the tubular housing. The inner pipe at its inner end is supported for rotation with the rotating shaft by an annular plug located between infeed and return passages in the rotating shaft.

Abstract: An electric operator having a reciprocally mounted actuator is adapted to be mechanically coupled to an operating handle from a molded case circuit breaker or a molded case switch for moving the operating handle between an open position or, alternatively, to a closed position. The electric operator includes an electric motor for driving the actuator and allowing the circuit breaker to be controlled from a remote location and a mechanical crank assembly which alternatively allows for manual operation of the actuator in the event of a loss of electric power to the electric motor.

Abstract: The present invention is a radar system that corrects for changes in apparent reflectivity and two-way precipitation attenuation using a correction curve that includes a segment for low rain rates, a segment for high rain rates and, if desired, a transition segment for medium rain rates. The signal to noise ratio is further improved by using a sliding azimuth window during post detection integration processing.

Abstract: A circuit breaker having a housing, fixed and movable contacts respectively supported by a fixed contact support structure and a movable contact arm, a trip mechanism, and an operating mechanism which is releasably engageable with the trip mechanism. The operating mechanism includes a pivotable operating member and a tension spring. The fixed contact support structure includes a contact supporting leg portion. The movable contact arm has a contact supporting side, and an opposite spring supporting side. The tension spring links the pivotable operating member and the spring supporting side of the movable contact arm. The contact supporting leg portion of the fixed contact support structure and the movable contact arm are disposed in closely spaced relation when the fixed and movable contacts are in engagement, to provide a reverse current loop which magnetically assists in rapid contact separation.