Abstract: A soft thermally-conductive wick is provided to be connected between the metallic components on a transducer and onto a thermal sink. Beryllia ceramic is provided to improve heat flux within the transducer while maintaining electrical insulation. The wick provides adequate heat flux and such that the mass and stiffness of the wick do not adversely affect the vibroacoustic properties of the transducer in the frequency band of interest. The mass of the wick attachment is considered in the transducer design with the location and direction of the wick attachment designed so as to not introduce rocking modes or other adverse affects in the frequency band of interest. The wick may be strung, coiled, folded or configured in many ways between the transducer and the thermal sink to ensure that no acoustic or vibrational energy is transmitted down the length of the wick.

Abstract: A pneumatic launcher has a plenum chamber section, an intermediate chamber section and a launch tube section connected together in a generally linear arrangement. The plenum chamber section defines a plenum chamber that has a closed end and an open end. The intermediate chamber section has aft and forward rupture disks consecutively arranged to define an intermediate chamber. The plenum chamber is pressurized with a pressurized gas to a design plenum pressure and the intermediate chamber is pressurized with a pressurized gas to pressure that is about one-half the design plenum pressure. The intermediate chamber is then depressurizing to produce a pressure imbalance between the plenum and intermediate chambers that causes said aft and forward rupture disks to rupture. As a result, pressure equilibrium occurs between the plenum chamber and launch tube thereby discharging the fluid and projectile from the interior of the launch tube.

Abstract: An acoustic sensor used in underwater applications. The sensor includes a reflective material adhered to a structure, such as an outer submarine hull or any marine vessel hull. A laser interferometer is placed on the side of the structure with the reflective material. The laser interferometer sends a plurality of laser beams, in sequence or all at one time, to a plurality of points across the retro-reflective material. The laser beams reflect back to the interferometer, which captures the reflected beams using receiving optics. The phase modulation of the reflected laser beams is compared to a reference laser beam within the interferometer to obtain the vibration velocity characteristics of the hull surface structure. Since the reflective material is adhered to the structure, the structure vibration is the same as the vibration of the reflective material. From this vibration, the acoustic pressure associated with the structure may be calculated.

Abstract: An inflatable buoy launch and retrieval system comprises an underwater platform, a launch/retrieval tube within the underwater platform, and a mechanism for ejecting and retrieving an inflatable buoy from the launch/retrieval tube. The ejection mechanism comprises a reel within the tube for unwinding a length of a tether attached to the buoy and a mechanism for introducing a high pressure gas into the tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fiber optic rotation sensing device. The sensing device includes a stationary base, a rotatable member, and an optical fiber configured in at least one loop about the rotatable member. The optical fiber is secured to an exterior portion of the rotatable member and to the base. Rotation of the rotatable member causes a distortion of the at least one loop and a change in the intensity of the light passing through the optical fiber. The change in light intensity is measured to provide an indication of the degree of twist of the rotatable member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fiber optic rotation sensing device. The sensing device includes a stationary base, a rotatable member, and an optical fiber configured in at least one loop about the rotatable member. The optical fiber is secured to an exterior portion of the rotatable member and to the base. Rotation of the rotatable member causes a distortion of the at least one loop and a change in the intensity of the light passing through the optical fiber. The change in light intensity is measured to provide an indication of the degree of twist of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A submarine hull has integrally defined fuel tankage tubes surrounding an ner skin, and a structural foam core in the interstitial annular space not occupied by the tubing. An outer skin completes the structure, both inner and outer skins are of composite construction.

Abstract: An articulated control surface is provided for hydrodynamic control utilig a moldable control surface. The central surface is shaped by contracting and elongating wire bundles fabricated with shape-memory alloys located in an adjacent cooling chamber. The shape-memory alloys contract when heated via an applied electric current and elongate when cooled, i.e., the electric current is removed. A pair of wire bundles is anchored inside the cooling chamber. Each bundle is routed over several pulleys in such a manner that a lateral movement is produced at the actuator end of the wire. A pair of bundles act in opposition to maintain dynamic tension at the actuator end. Cooling flow to opposing wire bundles is controlled independently to enhance response time and reduce power requirements. The actuator is a post extending from the cooling chamber to the trailing edge structure of the control surface.