Abstract: A yaw brake for a wind turbine includes a brake housing disposed on one or both sides of a brake surface disposed about a yaw axis. The housing defines a bore and a piston is disposed within the bore. The piston is configured for movement within the bore along an axis between first and second positions in which the piston applies different braking forces to the brake surface. At least one portion of the piston and at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing have complementary non-circular shapes. The at least one portion of the piston is configured to be positioned within and least one portion of the bore when the piston is in the first and second positions. A bushing is disposed radially between the at least one portion of the piston and the at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing.

Abstract: A yaw brake for a wind turbine includes a brake housing disposed on one or both sides of a brake surface disposed about a yaw axis. The housing defines a bore and a piston is disposed within the bore. The piston is configured for movement within the bore along an axis between first and second positions in which the piston applies different braking forces to the brake surface. At least one portion of the piston and at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing have complementary non-circular shapes. The at least one portion of the piston is configured to be positioned within and least one portion of the bore when the piston is in the first and second positions. A bushing is disposed radially between the at least one portion of the piston and the at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing.

Abstract: A servicing system (30 or 300) for servicing a brake device (24) of a brake system comprising the brake device (24) and a brake disc (22) is described. The servicing system (30 or 300) includes a frame (32 or 302), and the servicing system (30 or 300) is further configured for mounting the frame (32 or 302) in a fixed position relative to the brake disc (22), supporting the brake device (24) to allow the brake device (24) to be moved on the frame (32 or 302) relative to the brake disc (22) and lifting the brake device (24) to allow the brake device (24) to be raised or lowered relative to the brake disc (22).

Abstract: A servicing system (30 or 300) for servicing a brake device (24) of a brake system comprising the brake device (24) and a brake disc (22) is described. The servicing system (30 or 300) includes a frame (32 or 302), and the servicing system (30 or 300) further comprises: mounting means (34 or 318) for mounting the frame (32 or 302) in a fixed position relative to the brake disc (22), supporting means (48 or 338) which are adapted to allow the brake device (24) to be moved on the frame (32 or 302) relative to the brake disc (22) and lifting means (46 or 304, 306) which are adapted to allow the brake device (24) to be raised or lowered relative to the brake disc (22).

Abstract: A wind turbine comprises wind turbine blades extending substantially radially from a hub on a main shaft having a substantially horizontal axis. The blades together with the hub form a rotor, which can be put into rotation by wind. The main shaft is rotatable mounted in a nacelle on top of a tower, and the nacelle may be rotated around a vertical axis in relation to the tower to adjust the rotor in relation to a prevailing wind direction. The wind turbine further comprises a yaw brake comprising a brake calliper and a brake disc or ring having a first side with a first surface and second side with a second surface, the yaw brake, when activated, acting as a rotation restriction of the nacelle in relation to the tower. The brake disc or ring is provided with one or more grooves formed in the first and/or second surfaces.

Abstract: A non-spinning projectile that is self-guided to a laser designated target and is configured to be fired from a small caliber smooth bore gun barrel has an optical sensor mounted in the nose of the projectile, a counterbalancing mass portion near the fore end of the projectile and a hollow tapered body mounted aft of the counterbalancing mass. Stabilizing strakes are mounted to and extend outward from the tapered body with control fins located at the aft end of the strakes. Guidance and control electronics and electromagnetic actuators for operating the control fins are located within the tapered body section. Output from the optical sensor is processed by the guidance and control electronics to produce command signals for the electromagnetic actuators. A guidance control algorithm incorporating non-proportional, “bang-bang” control is used to steer the projectile to the target.

Abstract: A test method and system for the testing of fiber optic connectors in a fiber optic system while the system is operational without external test equipment. An input signal is applied to one end of a fiber optic path comprising a plurality of connections, which results in an output signal. The input signal has known characteristics (e.g., a training pulse) over the fiber optic path. The output signal, which is generated in response to the input signal, is converted from a time domain expression to a frequency domain expression using, for example, Fourier transform analysis. Then, the frequency domain expression of the output signal is combined with a frequency domain expression of the input signal to provide a waveform from which the location of each connector and its relative level of performance can be determined. Advantageously, the method and system do not require disassembly of the fiber optic path.

Abstract: A cross-channel data link for interconnecting a plurality of computers together in a ring configuration using a single optical fiber between adjacent communication nodes includes wavelength division multiplexing circuitry in a way that improves the fault diagnostic capabilities of the system. By using a particular transmission protocol in which optical data representing signals of two discrete wavelengths are fed through a single optical fiber with one progressing in the clockwise direction and the other in a counterclockwise direction in two recurring time frames, at the conclusion each of the computers is guaranteed to have identical data irrespective of any single point failure in the data link.

Abstract: A synthetic aperture radar system includes a distortion correction device arranged for autofocussing of raw data by contrast maximization. Reference functions are selected on the basis of a range of trial accelerations. The acceleration producing the highest contrast is taken as the current radar platform across-track acceleration. This information is used to generate phase and range corrections for the data.

Abstract: Apparatus for optimizing system performance for use in a transmission and signal distribution system which includes at least one fiber optic link having transmission and receiving means. The apparatus includes apparatus for measuring noise signals in each fiber optic link and apparatus for generating system performance data corresponding to the noise signals measured by the noise measurement apparatus.

Abstract: In a synthetic aperture radar system, information concerning the radar reflectivity of a point on the ground is placed in an image at an azimuthal (cross-range) position which corresponds to the position of zero Doppler frequency shift of the received signal, under the assumption that the antenna has followed a straight line trajectory. In practice, the antenna trajectory will undergo small deviations about this straight line path which are not taken into account in the azimuth processing and which, consequently, cause incorrect azimuthal positioning in the image of the information concerning a point target on the ground.The invention uses the value of the slope of the frequency modulation of the received signal, calculated by means of an autofocus procedure, to determine the intercept of this frequency modulation at successive azimuth positions.

Abstract: A method and kit for determining the presence of a polyvalent ligand in an aqueous fluid. The method involves incubating the fluid with an immobilized antibody to the ligand to form an immobilized ligand-antibody complex, then incubating the immobilized ligand-antibody complex with a solution of a soluble complex of a second antibody (to the ligand) and a labeled binding protein, such as protein A. The labeled binding protein is specifically bound to the Fc portion of the second antibody. The unbound second antibody and labeled binding protein are washed from the immobilized complex, and the presence of bound labeled binding protein is determined as a measure of the concentration of the ligand in the aqueous fluid.

Abstract: Certain 3,5-disubstituted-2,4,6-triiodoanilides of polyhydroxy-monobasic acids are useful as x-ray contrast agents. Representative of this class of compounds is the compound 3-gluconamido-2,4,6-triiodo-N-methyl-5-(N-methyl-acetamido)-benzamide and the compound 3-gluconamido-5-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acetamido]-2,4,6-triiodo-N-methylbenzam ide.

Abstract: A container useful in immunochemical and enzymatical determinations or procedures.

Abstract: A saw guide assembly having a straight edge guide means attached to one of a pair of grip levers connected by a bolt and wing nut which latter, when tightened, assures clamping of a work-piece between the guide means and a pressing means such as a spring mounted on the other grip lever.