Abstract: Improved blade designs for turbomachinery, such as blade designs for propellers, that have non-constant airfoil distributions and/or coefficient of lift distributions across the blade span are described herein. An improved blade may include the following three blade sections between a blade root and a blade tip: a first blade section, or span, extending from the blade root to a transition start point; a transition section, or span, extending from the transition start point to a transition end point; and a second blade section, or span, extending from the transition end point to the blade tip. The transition section may define or be a linear or non-linear transition span. Further, an improved blade may be define or be configured as at least two different airfoils along the blade span and/or may be configured to have at least two different coefficients of lift along the blade span.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a surface includes a housing and a probe. The housing includes a light source to direct light along a longitudinal axis and a shutter to selectively allow light to pass through to the probe. The probe includes a body portion and a head portion. The head portion of the probe includes a collector to detect photoelectrons emitted from the surface in response to light from the light source impinging on the surface. A proximal portion of the head portion moves relative to a distal portion of the head portion to allow for variations in angle relative to the surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a surface includes a housing and a probe. The housing includes a light source to direct light along a longitudinal axis and a shutter to selectively allow light to pass through to the probe. The probe includes a body portion and a head portion. The head portion of the probe includes a collector to detect photoelectrons emitted from the surface in response to light from the light source impinging on the surface. A proximal portion of the head portion moves relative to a distal portion of the head portion to allow for variations in angle relative to the surface.

Abstract: The head of a pick and place system for removing IC parts from a tray and inserting them into a burn-in board (BIB) includes one or more sensors which detect light reflected from a part picked up from a tray and outputs a signal which can be analyzed to determine if the part is improperly seated in the head (misprecised) or improperly inserted into the socket of a BIB (misinserted).