Abstract: A turbine viscometer for measuring the viscosity of fluid flowing through a conduit, such as a pipe or manifold. The viscometer has a viscosity turbine positionable in the pipe or manifold. The viscosity turbine has a central portion and a plurality of blades extending therefrom such that fluid flow does not induce any rotational movement of the viscosity turbine. The viscometer also has a drive device for rotating the viscosity turbine so that fluid drag on the viscosity turbine can be measured to determine the viscosity of the fluid. In one embodiment, the drive device creates a rotational magnetic field around the viscosity turbine so that it is rotated. In a second embodiment, the drive device is a drive turbine connected to the viscosity turbine and rotated by fluid flowing through the pipe or conduit.

Abstract: A system for mixing flows from a compressor is provided. The system comprises an ejector that combines a first flow and a second flow, from the compressor, into a third flow. A bypass flow is connected between the first flow and the third flow. A mixer combines the bypass flow and the third flow into a fourth flow. The fourth flow has a pressure and temperature intermediate the respective pressures and temperatures of the bypass flow and the third flow.

Abstract: A prophylactic system that reduces or eliminates damage to resources on the side of a structure opposite the side on which a dynamic force is imposed. The system comprises an elastic membrane or sheet, with reinforcement of a toughness tailored to a user's requirements incorporated in the membrane and an adhesive for installation. In one embodiment, the reinforcement is comprised of bundles of fibers aligned in a scrim comprising warp fiber bundles and weft fiber bundles arranged so that fiber bundles are non-parallel to each axes defining the length and the width of the membrane. The fiber bundles are aligned to create spacing between each fiber bundle and an adjacent parallel fiber bundle. An adhesive is used to affix the reinforced membrane to the side of the structure away from the expected force. No protective gear specific to application or use of the adhesive is required to install the system.

Abstract: A turbine viscometer for measuring the viscosity of fluid flowing through a conduit, such as a pipe or manifold. The viscometer has a viscosity turbine positionable in the pipe or manifold. The viscosity turbine has a central portion and a plurality of blades extending therefrom such that fluid flow does not induce any rotational movement of the viscosity turbine. The viscometer also has a drive device for rotating the viscosity turbine so that fluid drag on the viscosity turbine can be measured to determine the viscosity of the fluid. In one embodiment, the drive device creates a rotational magnetic field around the viscosity turbine so that it is rotated. In a second embodiment, the drive device is a drive turbine connected to the viscosity turbine and rotated by fluid flowing through the pipe or conduit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus seamlessly blends multiple images. The multiple images are generated by independent processors, each processor producing a portion of the field of view from a defined viewpoint. Object polygons are introduced along the edges of each image that adjoin another of the images. Each of the polygons is assigned an opacity gradient which modulates the transparency of the polygon from fully transparent nearest the image center to fully opaque nearest the image edge. The images are projected with the polygons overlapping so that the images blend seamlessly together. A calibration apparatus is provided to minimize visual artifacts where the images overlap. Test patterns are projected and viewed with a video camera. The camera output is digitized and analyzed to adjust the polygon widths and opacity gradients until the overlap cannot be visually observed.

Abstract: A barrel fan for the heavy duty circulation of air at the floor level consisting of a cylindrical tubular housing having a guarded rotating propeller blade therein. The blade is driven by a belt connected to an electric motor located on the lower exterior portion of the housing preferably shielded by a skirt in ventilating communication with the housing interior for motor cooling purposes. The motor is pivotally mounted and a spring interposed between the motor and housing maintains the tension within the belt.

Abstract: A barrel fan for the heavy duty circulation of air at the floor level consisting of a cylindrical tubular housing having a guarded rotating propeller blade therein. The blade is driven by a belt connected to an electric motor located on the lower exterior portion of the housing preferably shielded by a skirt in ventilating communication with the housing interior for motor cooling purposes. The motor is pivotally mounted and a spring interposed between the motor and housing maintains the tension within the belt.

Abstract: A fuel cell (30) has an internal fuel source (35) that is in a matrix around a membrane electrode assembly (29). The membrane electrode assembly is constructed to be generally formed in the shape of a solid cylinder. The fuel cell has a porous central core (22) of reticulated vitreous metal that is formed in the shape of a solid cylinder. The porous central core serves to distribute oxidant throughout the fuel cell. A cathode (23) is situated coaxially around the porous central core, and has a catalytic layer on the outer side. A solid polymer electrolyte (25) is situated coaxially around the cathode and in intimate contact with the catalytic layer. An anode (27) is situated coaxially around the electrolyte, and a second layer of catalytic material is situated between the electrolyte and the anode. A housing (31) contains the internal fuel supply and holds the membrane electrode assemblies in place.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor having two porous organic membrane electrodes is made from microporous polymer substrates (10). The surface of the polymer substrate and the walls of the micropores (30) are coated with metal oxides. Both sides of the substrate can be coated with the conductive materials. The film can be a carboxylic ion-exchange material dispersed in a microporous copolymer matrix, and the film can be supported on a woven nylon substrate. The two electrodes (82, 84) are situated substantially parallel to each other, with the coated surface of one electrode facing the coated surface of the other electrode. An ionic electrolyte solution (89) fills the gap (86) between the electrodes.

Abstract: Ferrite films are formed by reactively sputtering elemental iron in an oxygen-containing plasma to deposit a layer of iron oxide (14) on a ceramic substrate (12). A dopant layer (16) of a transition metal-oxide is reactively sputtered onto the iron oxide layer from a target of a transition metal, such as nickel or zinc, using an oxygen-containing plasma. The substrate, the layer of iron oxide and the dopant layer are all heated under conditions sufficient to diffuse the dopant layer into the layer of iron oxide, thereby forming a doped ferrite thin film (20). The resulting doped ferrite film can be FeFe.sub.2 O.sub.4, NiFe.sub.2 O.sub.4, (NiZn)Fe.sub.2 O.sub.4, or ZnFe.sub.2 O.sub.4.

Abstract: A method of forming electrode patterns on a substrate. A substrate (30) is patterned with a photoresist layer (14) on the front side so that portions (18) of the substrate are revealed. A metal oxide layer (32) is deposited on the patterned photoresist layer and the revealed portions of the substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is then flood exposed to actinic radiation (19). The photoresist pattern (20) is removed, carrying with it those portions of the metal oxide layer deposited on the photoresist layer, forming an electrode pattern (22) by a lift-off technique.

Abstract: An electrical energy storage device (10). An electrode (12) consisting of a thin film of metal or metal oxide is deposited on a substrate (24), preferably by sputtering. Spherical plastic spacers (16) are uniformly dispersed on the electrode at a maximum density of about 1000 spacers per square millimeter of the electrode area. A second substrate also has an electrode (14) formed of a thin film of metal or metal oxide deposited on it, similar to the first substrate. The first and second substrates are arranged so that the electrodes face each other and are separated by the spherical plastic spacers to form a gap (18) of about 20 microns between the electrodes. An electrolyte (20) is filled in the gap, and the edges of the gap are optionally sealed (22) to form the electrical energy storage device. The device may also be formed by using metal foils, and eliminating one or more of the substrates. In both cases, the use of an electrolyte is optional.

Abstract: A method of forming electrode patterns on a substrate. A transparent substrate (10) is patterned with a photoresist layer (14) on the front side so that portions (18) of the substrate are revealed. A metal oxide layer (12) is deposited on the patterned photoresist layer and the revealed portions of the substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is then exposed to actinic radiation (19) through the back side (25) of the transparent substrate. The photoresist pattern (20) is removed, carrying with it those portions of the metal oxide layer deposited on the photoresist layer, forming an electrode pattern (22) by a lift-off technique.

Abstract: A rechargeable electrical energy storage device (20). The cell has two electrodes (28, 36) constructed from a similar organometallic compound (30), and the electrodes are electrically connected by an ion carrying electrolyte (32). The electrodes are also physically separated from each other by a barrier (34) that will pass ions but not electrons. In one embodiment of the invention, the electrodes are ferrocene, and the electrolyte is sulfuric acid.

Abstract: A metallized aluminum nitride substrate (40) has a first layer (42) of deposited metal, comprising chromium, chromium oxide, and an aluminum nitride/chromium oxide complex represented by the formulaAl.sub.a N.sub.b O.sub.c Cr.sub.dwhere a, b, c and d are numbers representing relative combining ratios. The first layer is formed by sputtering about 10-500 .ANG.ngstroms of chromium onto the substrate under vacuum, and then heating the substrate in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at conditions of time and temperature sufficient to convert at least portions of the deposited chromium to chromium oxide, in order to form an adherent metal system. A second layer (44) of metal such as chromium covers the first layer. A third layer (46) of metal is deposited on the second layer in a manner sufficient to prevent oxidation of the second layer.

Abstract: An electrode for a rechargeable electrical energy storage device has a substrate and an electrochemically active material deposited on the substrate. The electrochemically active material provides electron transfer between itself and an electrolyte. The electrochemically active material is a mixed-valence complex containing at least two metal atoms and at least one ligand attached to the metal atoms, and has metal-to-metal bonds where the metals exist in multiple oxidation states such that electron transfer between the metal atoms in the complex or between discrete complexes occurs. A rechargeable electrical energy storage device (20) has two electrodes (28, 36) constructed from a mixed-valence complex (30), and the electrodes are electrically connected by an ion carrying electrolyte (32). The electrodes are also physically separated from each other by a barrier (34) that will pass ions but not electrons.

Abstract: A shielded, erasable-programmable-read-only-memory (EPROM) package is provided. A circuit carrying substrate (10), contains an area for mounting an EPROM chip (16), having conductive interconnecting patterns (12) adjacent to the chip mounting area. The EPROM chip is mounted on the circuit carrying substrate, and the pad electrodes on the EPROM chip are connected to pads on the conductive patterns of the substrate by wire bonds (17) or other means. An ultraviolet (UV) light transmitting resin (18) is transfer molded onto the circuit carrying substrate, covering the EPROM chip (16) and the wire bonds (17) so as to provide an optical path through the material to the top surface of the EPROM chip, and sealing the EPROM chip from the exterior of the package. An adherent metal coating (19) is sputtered over the transfer molded resin, and the metal coating is coated with a protective organic resin (15). Both the metal coating and the organic resin are at least partially transparent to ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A system for sensing the passage of a member past a predetermined location along a tubing disposed in an oil or gas well comprises: a magnet connected to the member, the magnet having a soft body so that the magnet can be drilled out by a drill bit lowered into the well after the member has passed the predetermined location; and a sensor, connected to the outside of the tubing at the predetermined location, for detecting a magnetic field of the magnet as the member with the magnet connected thereto passes the sensor.

Abstract: Photoreactive polymers are treated by exposure to microwave energy. A film of a photoreactive polymer (12), such as a photoresist, is applied to a substrate (10) and selectively exposed to ultraviolet light. The latent image produced is further cured or polymerized by treating the photoresist with microwave energy. Combinations of microwave and thermal energies are also used. The treated photoresist is then developed, producing a sidewall (17) that is vertical, and is improved by reduction of anomolies such as scum or a foot (16) at the base of the resist.

Abstract: Thermally conductive particles (14) for use in a polymeric resin are provided. The particles (10) are aluminum nitride coated with copper (12). The thermally conductive particles (14) are incorporated into a polymer (38) in order to provide, for example, a thermally conductive adhesive (36). The thermally conductive adhesive is used to bond an electronic component (32) to a circuit carrying substrate (34) in order to dissipate heat from the electronic component.