Abstract: A vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft includes a pair of ducted lift/thrust fans that are rotatably movable between a first vertical lift position and a second horizontal thrust position. The lift/thrust fans cantilever from a fuselage of the aircraft, forward of the aircraft's wings. A downwardly exhausting, ducted lift fan is disposed within the aircraft's fuselage, aft of the aircraft's pitch axis. A power plant, disposed within the fuselage, is coupled with the lift/thrust fans and the lift fan by a transmission system. The lift/thrust fans and lift fan are positioned with respect to one another to be triangulated about the aircraft's center of gravity and the aircraft's center of lift.

Abstract: A vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft includes a pair of ducted lift/thrust fans that are rotatably movable between a first vertical lift position and a second horizontal thrust position. The lift/thrust fans cantilever from a fuselage of the aircraft, forward of the aircraft's wings. A downwardly exhausting, ducted lift fan is disposed within the aircraft's fuselage, aft of the aircraft's pitch axis. A power plant, disposed within the fuselage, is coupled with the lift/thrust fans and the lift fan by a transmission system. The lift/thrust fans and lift fan are positioned with respect to one another to be triangulated about the aircraft's center of gravity and the aircraft's center of lift.

Abstract: Methods for monitoring scale deposition in a water-containing industrial process are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the water-containing industrial process is an aqueous cooling system. In certain embodiments, the methods incorporate fluorometric monitoring and control techniques along with a piezoelectric microbalance sensor. A particular embodiment of a piezoelectric microbalance sensor is additionally disclosed, along with at least one method for using the particular embodiment that is independent of whether fluorometric monitoring and control techniques are utilized.

Abstract: Methods for monitoring scale deposition in a water-containing industrial process are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the water-containing industrial process is an aqueous cooling system. In certain embodiments, the methods incorporate fluorometric monitoring and control techniques along with a piezoelectric microbalance sensor. A particular embodiment of a piezoelectric microbalance sensor is additionally disclosed, along with at least one method for using the particular embodiment that is independent of whether fluorometric monitoring and control techniques are utilized.

Abstract: A thrust-vectoring nozzle is disclosed that includes a cylindrical case and a flow director. The flow director includes a cylindrical ring having a dimension to fit within the cylindrical case. The cylindrical ring has an inner wall and an outer wall and a plurality of fixed vanes are coupled to the inner wall of the ring. The flow director is configured to rotate about first and second mutually perpendicular axes.

Abstract: Methods for monitoring scale deposition in a water-containing industrial process are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the water-containing industrial process is an aqueous cooling system. In certain embodiments, the methods incorporate fluorometric monitoring and control techniques along with a piezoelectric microbalance sensor. A particular embodiment of a piezoelectric microbalance sensor is additionally disclosed, along with at least one method for using the particular embodiment that is independent of whether fluorometric monitoring and control techniques are utilized.

Abstract: Methods for monitoring scale deposition in a water-containing industrial process are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the water-containing industrial process is an aqueous cooling system. In certain embodiments, the methods incorporate fluorometric monitoring and control techniques along with a piezoelectric microbalance sensor. A particular embodiment of a piezoelectric microbalance sensor is additionally disclosed, along with at least one method for using the particular embodiment that is independent of whether fluorometric monitoring and control techniques are utilized.

Abstract: A thrust-vectoring nozzle is disclosed that includes a cylindrical case and a flow director. The flow director includes a cylindrical ring having a dimension to fit within the cylindrical case. The cylindrical ring has an inner wall and an outer wall and a plurality of fixed vanes are coupled to the inner wall of the ring. The flow director is configured to rotate about first and second mutually perpendicular axes.

Abstract: A hole is drilled through from the outside atmosphere into the between-panes vault, and into the hole is inserted a normally-open valve assembly. The valve Is arranged to close responsively to the presence of a pressure differential in such direction that air would tends to enter the vault.

Abstract: A switch node used for connecting a keyboard video mouse combination (KVM) and a server in an array of servers, some of which may be attached (directly) to the switch node, and others of which may be attached to another switch node in a network of interconnected switch nodes switch node includes at least one keyboard video monitor combination (KVM) port for attaching a KVM; a plurality of server ports for attaching a plurality of servers; a plurality of expansion ports connecting to other switch nodes in the network of switch nodes; a cross connect, for providing an inter-connection between each KVM and one of the server ports or one of the expansion ports; and a node operating system, for providing to a user, using one of the KVMs, an indication of each server in the array of servers, for determining a path to use for a connection between the KVM and a server, for configuring the cross connect to provide the path based on information provided by the node operating systems of other switch nodes in the network

Abstract: An apparatus and method for installing a plurality of rotary actuator segments in a device includes a unitary hinge fitting. The unitary hinge fitting includes a first side couplable to a control surface, and a plurality of bays. Each bay is configured to receive at least one of the rotary actuator segments. The unitary hinge fitting reduces the number of components required to install rotary actuators by eliminating the shims, the shear clips, and some of the fasteners required to attach the shims and the shear clips to the hinge fittings. The resulting assembly is typically much simpler and lower in cost and weight than conventional rotary actuator installations.

Abstract: Ports including at least input and output signal lines are collected into port groups. For each port group three separate clock synchronized time division switches are connected respectively to the input signal lines, bus highways and the output signal lines. All time division switches of the system are synchronized by a system clock and each one is controlled by its own storage of selected addresses in time slot order. A plurality of bus highways is provided and the input time division switch connects signals to a specific bus highway of the system. A second time division switch selects the bus highway for connection to the output section of the port group. A third time division switch selects the output port to which the selected bus highway is connected. In one embodiment the bus highways directly connect the port groups. In another, a central inter-connect matrix is provided to make the connection between the first and second time division switches.