Abstract: A twist capsule rotary joint system for passing a fluid through a pressure hull without a dynamic seal. A rotating cylindrical drum positioned outboard of the pressure hull is adapted to be driven in a reciprocating manner through an angle and backward through the same angle. At least one outboard pressure line or hose has a first end attached to a fixed connector that extends through the pressure hull near and radially outward of the rotating cylindrical drum. A second end of the outboard pressure line or hose is attached to a connector that extends through the top outboard surface of the drum. As the drum rotates, the pressure line wraps around the drum, or unwraps from the drum. In an exemplary embodiment, two pressure lines carry two-phase coolant through the pressure hull of a spacecraft in support of a rotating radiator that is adapted to rotate to present a minimum surface area toward the sun.

Abstract: A burn wire release mechanism for a spacecraft or other system having two masses initially held together by a pretensioned loop, with a spring configured to push the masses apart. The burn wire release system includes at least one burn wire held in contact with the pretensioned loop material. When an electrical current flows through the burn wire, the wire heats up and severs the pretensioned loop, and the masses are pushed apart by the spring.

Abstract: A tethered spacecraft has a first endmass and a second endmass with a telescoping stacer spring and a tether arranged between the endmasses. The spring is coiled around a center rod and initially contained within a housing, the spring being biased to push the first endmass away from the second endmass. The spring housing is affixed to the first endmass, a first end of the spring being affixed to the spring housing, and tether are affixed to spring at one end and to the second endmass at the other end. A pretensioned loop holds the endmasses abuttingly together, and a burnwire release mechanism cuts the loop to deploy the spring. Upon deployment, the spring extends to its full length to form a cylindrical boom, and the endmasses continue to move outward along the spring centerline until stopped by the tether.

Abstract: A twist capsule rotary joint system for passing a fluid through a pressure hull without a dynamic seal. A rotating cylindrical drum positioned outboard of the pressure hull is adapted to be driven in a reciprocating manner through an angle and backward through the same angle. At least one outboard pressure line or hose has a first end attached to a fixed connector that extends through the pressure hull near and radially outward of the rotating cylindrical drum. A second end of the outboard pressure line or hose is attached to a connector that extends through the top outboard surface of the drum. As the drum rotates, the pressure line wraps around the drum, or unwraps from the drum. In an exemplary embodiment, two pressure lines carry two-phase coolant through the pressure hull of a spacecraft in support of a rotating radiator that is adapted to rotate to present a minimum surface area toward the sun.

Abstract: A slider for a head to read data from or write data to a magnetic media is disclosed. The slider includes an air bearing surface including raised bearing surface(s) elevated above recessed bearing surface(s) to pressurize air flow along the air bearing surface to provide a fly height for the slider above the media. The raised bearing surfaces are formed along one or more raised substrate structures etched from a substrate body. The slider includes one or more insets inset into the one or more raised substrate structures formed of an inset material having a different coefficient of expansion than a substrate material of the slider to compensate for temperature and/or humidity changes.

Abstract: A tethered spacecraft has a first endmass and a second endmass with a telescoping stacer spring and a tether arranged between the endmasses. The spring is coiled around a center rod and initially contained within a housing, the spring being biased to push the first endmass away from the second endmass. The spring housing is affixed to the first endmass, a first end of the spring being affixed to the spring housing, and tether are affixed to spring at one end and to the second endmass at the other end. A pretensioned loop holds the endmasses abuttingly together, and a burnwire release mechanism cuts the loop to deploy the spring. Upon deployment, the spring extends to its full length to form a cylindrical boom, and the endmasses continue to move outward along the spring centerline until stopped by the tether.

Abstract: A burn wire release mechanism for a spacecraft or other system having two masses initially held together by a pretensioned loop, with a spring configured to push the masses apart. The burn wire release system includes at least one burn wire held in contact with the pretensioned loop material. When an electrical current flows through the burn wire, the wire heats up and severs the pretensioned loop, and the masses are pushed apart by the spring.

Abstract: A slider for a head to read data from or write data to a magnetic media is disclosed. The slider includes an air bearing surface including raised bearing surface(s) elevated above recessed bearing surface(s) to pressurize air flow along the air bearing surface to provide a fly height for the slider above the media. The raised bearing surfaces are formed along one or more raised substrate structures etched from a substrate body. The slider includes one or more insets inset into the one or more raised substrate structures formed of an inset material having a different coefficient of expansion than a substrate material of the slider to compensate for temperature and/or humidity changes.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a main body, a sensor, and a filler. The main body includes an outer surface having a continuously-variable radius of curvature in at least one portion. A sensor in thermal communication with a region of that surface having relatively low radius of curvature is disposed in the assembly recessed from the outer surface. Liquid droplets adhered to the outer surface in this region tend to migrate to a distant location having a higher radius of curvature. The main body has low thermal conductivity. The filler has a relatively higher thermal conductivity and, in embodiments, fills an opening in the outer surface of the main body, providing a thermally-conductive pathway between the sensor and the surrounding environment via the opening. A probe having a plurality of such sensors, and methods of detecting the presence of liquid and phase transitions in a predetermined space are also disclosed.

Abstract: A sensor comprises a transducer portion including a semi-permanently deformable portion. A deformation of the semi-permanently deformable portion in response to an activation energy deforms the transducer portion. The deformation is retained after the activation energy is removed. In another embodiment of the invention, a transducer comprises a body having an active element, a magnetostrictive element and a magnet having a magnetic field. The magnetic field causes a deformation of the magnetostrictive portion thereby adjusting the position of the active element.

Abstract: A slider having a magnetic read/write head and including, a base coat, a reader element having a transducer, a writer element, the writer element including at least one conductive coil, the coil being electrically insulated by a composition which has a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, and an overcoat.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider body having a trailing edge and a leading edge. The slider also includes a thin film structure deposited in layers on the trailing edge. The thin film structure includes a write transducer configured to read and write to a storage medium. The thin film structure also includes a non-thermally activated actuator at least partially formed with the write transducer and configured to move the write transducer relative to the trailing edge.

Abstract: An air bearing slider includes a slider body, a head stack portion attached to a rear portion of the slider body, and a transducer contained within the head stack having a pole tip for communicating with a disc. A distance separates a plane containing the bottom surface of the pole tip and a plane containing the bottom surface of the slider body. The head stack portion includes a material that is semi-permanently deformable, and a deformation of the material changes the distance. A method for adjusting a pole tip position in an air bearing slider includes providing an air bearing slider having a material within a head stack portion. A distance separates a plane containing the bottom surface of the pole tip and a plane containing the bottom surface of the slider body. The method includes semi-permanently deforming the material to change the distance.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider having an air bearing surface is used for reading and writing data from a magnetic medium. The magnetic head includes a substrate having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading face, a trailing face, and first and second sided edges. The slider includes an end layer positioned upon the trailing face of the substrate wherein the basecoat has a disc opposing face and is comprised of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate. An air bearing pad is formed solely on the disc opposing face of the end layer. A transducing head is formed in the air bearing pad and exposed at an air bearing surface.

Abstract: An air bearing slider includes a slider body, a head stack portion attached to a rear portion of the slider body, and a transducer contained within the head stack having a pole tip for communicating with a disc. A distance separates a plane containing the bottom surface of the pole tip and a plane containing the bottom surface of the slider body. The head stack portion includes a material that is semi-permanently deformable, and a deformation of the material changes the distance. A method for adjusting a pole tip position in an air bearing slider includes providing an air bearing slider having a material within a head stack portion. A distance separates a plane containing the bottom surface of the pole tip and a plane containing the bottom surface of the slider body. The method includes semi-permanently deforming the material to change the distance.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider having an air bearing surface is used for reading and writing data from a magnetic medium. The magnetic head includes a substrate having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading face, a trailing face, and first and second sided edges. The slider includes an end layer positioned upon the trailing face of the substrate wherein the basecoat has a disc opposing face and is comprised of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate. An air bearing pad is formed solely on the disc opposing face of the end layer. A transducing head is formed in the air bearing pad and exposed at an air bearing surface.