Abstract: A composite material comprising braided composite yarns that can be embedded within or at the surface of the material. The braided composite yarns can incorporate one or more multicomponent fiber bundles. The braided composite yarns can be the axial yarns in a triaxial braided fabric that has structural yarns as the bias yarns. The composite material can comprise a carbon fiber prepreg. The thickness of each braided composite yarn can be approximately the thickness of a single composite ply. At least one conductive wire can be wrapped around an axial yarn of the braided composite yarn at a location desirable for electrical contact to be made to at least one conductor in the axial yarn. At least some of the conductive wire is preferably soldered to at least one of the conductors. The conductive wire can be twisted with a structural yarn and is stitched across the braided composite yarn. A conductive pad can be soldered to the one conductive wire.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tethering a fiber optic cable to an apparatus such as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) or remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The cable is a bare or tight-buffered optical fiber surrounded by a braided sheath, and is constructed so that loads experienced by the cable are not transferred from the sheath to the optical fiber. This construction enables the cable to have good tensile strength but be sufficiently lightweight so that a commercial fishing reel or any similarly scaled lightweight/portable winch system can be used, instead of large specialized deployment equipment. A tube is inserted between the sheath and the optical fiber a certain distance from the end of the cable, and then the cable and tube are inserted into a housing which attaches to the apparatus and potted using an epoxy resin.

Abstract: Braided composite yarns including one or more functional components such as conductors and one or more structural components such as para-aramid fibers, and methods of manufacture therefor. Bundles of at least one functional component and at least one structural component undergo simultaneous parallel winding under tension onto a single bobbin prior to braiding, thus reducing the mechanical loading forces on the functional components in the final yarn. The yarns can be engineered with application-specific electrical, electronic, electromagnetic, or physical properties that enable their use as electronic components or sensors, and attached to or incorporated into active textiles and composite substrates. The yarns can be directly soldered to without prior removal of insulation or other yarn components. Some yarns, such as those for use as inductors, can include a core with desired electrical properties.

Abstract: The closed loop embodiment includes a pulsed laser controller to selectively operate a pulsed laser in a lower-power probe mode or a higher power operational mode. In lower-power probe mode, values of eT (total radiation energy flooding ICs on a silicon wafer), er (fraction of eT specularly reflected), es (fraction of eT scattered) and es (fraction of eT transmitted through wafer) are obtained. A value for ea (fraction of eT absorbed wafer) is calculated i.e. ea=eT−(er+es+et), and ea used by pulsed laser controller with pulsed laser in higher power operational mode to adjust pulsed laser fluence over the duration of a pulse to provide flooding radiation energy sufficient to melt an amorphized silicon surface layer beneath radiation-absorbent material, yet insufficient to melt crystalline silicon or ablate radiation-absorbent material. Open loop embodiment substitutes a separate low-power probe laser for operation in lower-power probe mode.

Abstract: A console assembly, suitable for example, for an aircraft cockpit, including a fixed structure, having a display area (1) permanently presented to, for example, a crew member, a movable panel (2) having a flat face region (3) and a flat edge region (4), both of rectangular form, the edge region being of substantially less area than the face region, a recess (5) in the fixed structure with a mouth (6) formed in the permanently presented display area (1), mounting means (7, 10) mounting the movable panel (2) on the fixed structure (1) for movement between a stowed position in which the movable panel (2) lies within the recess (5) with its edge region (4) presented to the crew member at said recess mouth (6), and a display position in which its face region (3) is presented to the crew member in front of the permanently presented display (1).