Abstract: Examples of a pressure wave generator configured to generate high energy pressure waves in a medium are disclosed. The pressure wave generator can include a sabot carrying a piston. The sabot can further comprise a locking means to lock the piston in a fixed position when the locking means are activated. When the locking means are in a deactivated position, the piston can be released and can move at least partially away from the sabot. The sabot carrying the piston can be disposed within an inner bore of a housing of the pressure wave generator and can move within the inner bore of the housing from its first end toward its second end along a longitudinal axis of the bore. A transducer can be accommodated in the second end of the housing. The transducer can be coupled to the medium and can convert a portion of the kinetic energy of the piston into a pressure wave in the medium upon impact of the piston with the transducer.

Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.

Abstract: Examples of a plasma acceleration and compression device are described. The device includes a plasma accelerator with a high compression funnel section extending from an inlet of the accelerator and an elongated section connected to the high compression funnel section that can extend from the end of the funnel section to an accelerator's outlet. The funnel section can be a cone with a steep tapering while the elongated section can have a mild, gentle, tapering along its length toward the outlet. The device further includes a power source for providing a current pulse to the accelerator to generate a pushing flux to accelerate and compress a plasma torus throughout the accelerator.

Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.

Abstract: Examples of a pressure wave generator configured to generate high energy pressure waves in a medium are disclosed. The pressure wave generator can include a sabot carrying a piston. The sabot can further comprise a locking means to lock the piston in a fixed position when the locking means are activated. When the locking means are in a deactivated position, the piston can be released and can move at least partially away from the sabot. The sabot carrying the piston can be disposed within an inner bore of a housing of the pressure wave generator and can move within the inner bore of the housing from its first end toward its second end along a longitudinal axis of the bore. A transducer can be accommodated in the second end of the housing. The transducer can be coupled to the medium and can convert a portion of the kinetic energy of the piston into a pressure wave in the medium upon impact of the piston with the transducer.

Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.

Abstract: Examples of a pressure wave generator configured to generate high energy pressure waves in a medium are disclosed. The pressure wave generator can include a sabot carrying a piston. The sabot can further comprise a locking means to lock the piston in a fixed position when the locking means are activated. When the locking means are in a deactivated position, the piston can be released and can move at least partially away from the sabot. The sabot carrying the piston can be disposed within an inner bore of a housing of the pressure wave generator and can move within the inner bore of the housing from its first end toward its second end along a longitudinal axis of the bore. A transducer can be accommodated in the second end of the housing. The transducer can be coupled to the medium and can convert a portion of the kinetic energy of the piston into a pressure wave in the medium upon impact of the piston with the transducer.

Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.

Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.

Abstract: Examples of a pressure wave generator configured to generate high energy pressure waves in a medium are disclosed. The pressure wave generator can include a sabot carrying a piston. The sabot can further comprise a locking means to lock the piston in a fixed position when the locking means are activated. When the locking means are in a deactivated position, the piston can be released and can move at least partially away from the sabot. The sabot carrying the piston can be disposed within an inner bore of a housing of the pressure wave generator and can move within the inner bore of the housing from its first end toward its second end along a longitudinal axis of the bore. A transducer can be accommodated in the second end of the housing. The transducer can be coupled to the medium and can convert a portion of the kinetic energy of the piston into a pressure wave in the medium upon impact of the piston with the transducer.

Abstract: Examples of a plasma acceleration and compression device are described. The device includes a plasma accelerator with a high compression funnel section extending from an inlet of the accelerator and an elongated section connected to the high compression funnel section that can extend from the end of the funnel section to an accelerator's outlet. The funnel section can be a cone with a steep tapering while the elongated section can have a mild, gentle, tapering along its length toward the outlet. The device further includes a power source for providing a current pulse to the accelerator to generate a pushing flux to accelerate and compress a plasma torus throughout the accelerator.

Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a fault tolerant recording system using a pair of laser diode arrays is disclosed. Two monolithic laser diode arrays made of individually addressable diodes are used to record parallel tracks on a recording surface. A pair diodes, (one diode from each array) are assigned to each track, but only one diode (the primary diode) is activated. In the case where the primary diode fails, the secondary diode is activated. Digital delays are employed to synchronize the data from the two diode arrays in order to align the written marks on the recording surface.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for directing a light beam onto a moving article. The apparatus comprises first and second mirrors for directing the light beam in an adjustable direction, first and second motors connected to the first and second mirrors to move those mirrors, and a tracking system connected to the first and second motors to operate those motors to move the first and second mirrors to maintain the light beam directed at the article as the article moves. Preferable, the tracking system includes coarse and fine tracking subsystems. The coarse tracking subsystem is used to operate the motors to move the mirrors to direct the light beam approximately onto the article, and the fine tracking subsystem is used to operate the motors to operate the mirrors to direct the light beam substantially directly onto the article.

Abstract: A coordinate measuring system consists of multiple optical transceivers (transmitter-receivers) mounted onto a stable reference frame such as the walls of a room. The object to be measured is touched with a hand-held measuring probe. To measure, the probe triggers the transceivers to read the distance to two retroreflectors mounted on the probe. The location of the probe tip relative to the reference frame is computed from at least six transceiver readings (three for each retroreflector). The accurate determination of the distance between the transceivers and retroreflectors is done by measuring the phase shift of a high frequency modulation superimposed on light beams. To avoid ambiguity two high frequencies are used, one for coarse and one for fine resolution. The initial location of the transceivers can be found out by measuring an accurately known object and computing the transceiver locations. The transceivers include a beam steering device to track the position of the probe.