Abstract: A damped spring assembly includes a helical spring. The helical spring is movable along an axis and has a winding direction. A damper is movable along the axis and includes a helical shape. The damper is wound in a direction opposite the winding direction. The damper applies a radial load to the spring for damping movement of the spring along the axis as the spring vibrates. The damper has a very low axial spring rate and it contributes very little to the axial load provided by the spring.

Abstract: A fluid separator device allows for introducing air entrained in a liquid flow to a centrifugal pump in a manner that will not allow the pump to become gas bound. One example device designed according to this invention includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet downstream of the inlet. An air chamber is positioned on an opposite side of the inlet from the outlet. An air flow passage allows air from the air chamber to be introduced near a rotor assembly input of a centrifugal pump such that relatively small air bubbles are introduced to the liquid flow through the rotor assembly in a manner that prevents the air bubbles from recollecting into a larger bubble that would otherwise interfere with the centrifugal pump operation.

Abstract: A body armor assembly includes a plurality of rigid tiles that are supported in a manner to provide movement and flexibility while still providing the protection of rigid armor. In a disclosed example, a tile holder maintains a plurality of tiles in a selected alignment. The tile holder maintains a minimum overlap dimension between adjacent tiles. Some of the tiles are maintained by the tile holder in a manner that allows for the overlap dimension to increase beyond the minimum overlap dimension. In a disclosed example, at least two rigid layers have at least one ballistic material layer between them to provide a rigid armor material composition.

Abstract: A body armor assembly includes a plurality of rigid tiles that are supported in a manner to provide movement and flexibility while still providing the protection of rigid armor. In a disclosed example, a tile holder maintains a plurality of tiles in a selected alignment. The tile holder maintains a minimum overlap dimension between adjacent tiles. Some of the tiles are maintained by the tile holder in a manner that allows for the overlap dimension to increase beyond the minimum overlap dimension. In a disclosed example, at least two rigid layers have at least one ballistic material layer between them to provide a rigid armor material composition.

Abstract: A low flow rotary separator includes a housing that defines a separator chamber and a liquid/gas mixture inlet. A shaft driven by a motor includes a plurality of disks in frictional contact with the mixture to drive the liquid outward against an inner wall of the separator and displace gas to a central region about the shaft. The liquid exits through a liquid outlet valve into a high-pressure storage container. The pressure of the liquid is increased to allow flow into the high-pressure storage container by a pump driven by the shaft. A level control valve closes in response to a predetermined pressure differential between liquid in the feed line and liquid within the separator chamber to allow liquid flow through an outlet check valve.

Abstract: A rotating shaft seal assembly for a shaft supported for rotation within a housing includes a traction drive rotating a seal ring about the shaft at a speed different from the shaft. The seal ring supports a plurality of seal elements rotated at the speed different from the shaft. The reduced speed of the sealing elements and reduced pressure at each seal reduces the PV level allowing the use of known sealing materials in applications otherwise not within applicable PV levels.

Abstract: A rotary phase separator includes an accumulator and a liquid outlet valve to separate the phases of a liquid/gas mixture. The separator includes a housing defining a radial accumulator chamber and supporting a shaft, and a motor to drive the shaft for rotation about a longitudinal axis. A plurality of disks and cylinders are attached to the shaft to create frictional contact with the mixture to drive the liquid outward against an inner wall of the separator, thereby displacing the gas to a central region about the shaft. A liquid outlet on the inner wall includes a valve seal held closed by a control springs until a predetermined differential pressure is reached. The gas exits through an opening in the hollow shaft to a gas outlet tube. A valve member actuated by a solenoid seals the gas outlet tube until sufficient gas has accumulated to allow separation.

Abstract: A rotary phase separator includes an accumulator and a liquid outlet valve to separate the phases of a liquid/gas mixture. The separator includes a housing defining a radial accumulator chamber and supporting a shaft, and a motor to drive the shaft for rotation about a longitudinal axis. A plurality of disks and cylinders are attached to the shaft to create frictional contact with the mixture to drive the liquid outward against an inner wall of the separator, thereby displacing the gas to a central region about the shaft. A liquid outlet on the inner wall includes a valve seal held closed by a control springs until a predetermined differential pressure is reached. The gas exits through an opening in the hollow shaft to a gas outlet tube. A valve member actuated by a solenoid seals the gas outlet tube until sufficient gas has accumulated to allow separation.

Abstract: Leakage problems in a cooling system for use by medical personnel during surgery are avoided in a vest that includes a sealed, coolant receiving space through which coolant may pass. A source of liquid coolant at ambient pressure is connected to the space and a suction producing device is connected to an outlet for the space for drawing coolant from the source through the space at sub-atmospheric pressure. As a consequence, coolant will not leak from the vest in the event a leak develops. The vest may be formed of two flexible membranes sealed to each other to define the space and is provided with a coolant permeable spacer within the coolant space within the vest to prevent the membranes from collapsing upon each other.

Abstract: A closure system for an astronaut space suit comprises a frame member provided within a hard, upper torso section of an astronaut space suit, and a hatch or door closure provided within a rear portion of the hard, upper torso section of the space suit such that the closure system comprises a rear-entry type closure. The closure member is provided with an outwardly projecting peripheral flange portion and a seal member operatively associated therewith, while the frame member is provided with a complementary, matable inwardly projecting peripheral flange portion and a seal member operatively associated whereby the closure system is of the pressure-assist closed type. Pressurization of the space suit increases the sealing of the system and the closure cannot be opened without depressurization of the suit.

Abstract: A dual-bed ventilation air regeneration system is adapted for use in conjunction with a ventilation or respiration air loop of an astronaut space suit wherein the ventilation loop includes inlet and outlet manifolds. A pair of chemical beds, having inlet and outlet manifolds, are provided for alternatively adsorbing carbon dioxide and water vapor deposits from the ventilation or respiration air, and for desorbing such deposits to the hard vacuum of space through spool valve housing vacuum ports. A single spool valve controls the fluidic connections between the ventilation air inlet and outlet manifolds, the chemical bed inlet and outlet manifolds, and the exhaust or vacuum ports. The spool valve also permits equalization of the chemical bed pressures and volumes during transition between chemical bed changeovers between the adsorbing and desorbing phases so as to save one-half the volume of air as compared to that which would otherwise be lost to space if such pressure equalization was not achieved.

Abstract: The invention is an ergonomic canoe paddle. The paddle includes a shaft having a shear side and an opposed drag side, a blade having a shear surface and an opposed drag surface, wherein the blade is secured to a bottom end of the shaft so that the shear surface of the blade is secured to the shear side of the shaft and the drag surface of the blade is secured to the drag side of the shaft, and a handle secured to a top end of the shaft. The handle includes a central grip bar secured to the top end of the shaft, a right grip stem and a left grip stem secured to opposed ends of the grip bar. The right and left grip stems extend away from the shaft in a direction that is both about twenty degrees from a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and that is also away from the drag side of the shaft about sixty-five degrees from a plane roughly parallel to the shear surface of the blade.

Abstract: A spherical section electrochemical cell stack is disclosed for generating a product gas such as oxygen from a supply fluid such as water. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes a spherical section top end plate; a spherical section bottom end plate; one or more spherical section electrochemical cells secured between the top and bottom end plates so that curvature dimensions of the top and bottom end plates and cell are in parallel alignment to thereby minimize any distances between the end plates and cell; and a spherical section pressure header secured to the bottom end plate so that curvature dimensions of the bottom end plate and pressure header are in opposed alignment to thereby define an integral high pressure chamber between the bottom end plate and pressure header. The integral high pressure chamber may be filled with a drying and/or filtering agent so that the product gas may pass through the chamber before leaving the cell.

Abstract: A seal apparatus is disposed between two elements for providing an effective seal there between and for preventing damage to the seal apparatus due to cutting or blowout as the two machined elements move relative to one another. The seal apparatus consists of a circumferential groove in a first element with at least two o-rings substantially occupying the width of the circumferential groove. A seal ring is disposed between the o-rings and the second element occupying substantially the width of the circumferential groove. The seal ring has sides in slidable contact with the walls of the circumferential groove and a sealing surface in contact with the second element. The seal ring has a first and second chamfer connecting the sides of the seal ring with the sealing surface of the seal ring to allow the seal apparatus to be compressed between the elements. The area where the chamfer intersects the sealing surface defines a sealing edge.

Abstract: A center post electrochemical cell stack is disclosed for generating a product gas such as oxygen gas from a supply fluid such as water. The invention could be used to generate oxygen on board a space or aircraft and includes: a frame having a base plate and a wall affixed to the base plate so that the wall and base plate define a cell chamber for housing at least one electrochemical cell; and a T-cap having a top plate and a center post affixed to and projecting away from the top plate, wherein the top plate is secured to the wall of the frame to close the cell chamber and the center post passes through a central throughbore in an electrochemical cell within the chamber and is adjustably secured to the base plate of the frame. Consequently, the T-cap and frame cooperate to contain pressure generated by operation of the electrochemical cell.

Abstract: An improved liquid/gas separator is disclosed for separating liquid and gas from a mixture that is mostly gas, within a zero gravity or variable gravity working environment. The separator includes a main housing that defines a pre-swirl chamber for receiving a liquid/gas mixture and an adjacent cylindrical separator chamber for containing liquid and gas separated from the mixture. A main shaft is rotationally secured along an interior longitudinal axis of the main housing and includes a hub portion defining exhaust slots in fluid communication with an exhaust duct within the hub for passing gas out of the separator chamber. A plurality of apertured coalescing disks are secured to the hub portion of the main shaft within the separator chamber for rotationally impacting liquid droplets and directing any droplets, bubbles or sheets of liquid formed on the disks away from the shaft toward and into a rotating liquid ring formed adjacent an interior circumference of the separator chamber.

Abstract: A retracting ring seal valve is disclosed for adjustably restricting and permitting fluid flow in a two-direction fluid control system. In a particular embodiment the invention comprises a valve body that defines a central passage through which the fluid passes, a side chamber adjacent the central passage, and a sealing shoulder around a circumference of the passage. A gate assembly adjustably moveable between the central passage and the side chamber includes a ring seal surrounding a peripheral edge of a sealing surface of the gate assembly so that a retainer moves the ring seal to seal a flow gap defined between the sealing surface and the sealing shoulder of the valve body to restrict flow of fluid through the central passage. An actuating assembly secured between the gate assembly and the valve body both positions the gate assembly to restrict or permit flow of fluid through the passage and also moves the ring seal into and out of the flow gap.

Abstract: An improved pressure differential regulator is disclosed for controlling pressure differentials within a supply source such as an electrolytic cell stack. The regulator is positioned downstream of the supply source and basically includes a first sensing chamber that receives a first fluid from the source; a second sensing chamber that receives a second fluid from the source; a multi-layered diaphragm secured between the first and second sensing chambers; a first contracted sensing chamber outflow restriction valve secured within the first sensing chamber between the diaphragm and a first fluid outlet; and, a second contracted sensing chamber outflow restriction valve secured within the second sensing chamber between the diaphragm and a second fluid outlet.

Abstract: The use of bioluminescence on a filtration enrichment sample and a light measuring device allows microbial monitoring in liquids without sample incubation. All characteristics of this monitor are zero gravity compatible which makes it particularly suitable for applications such as monitoring microbial counts in water in a zero gravity, closed environment.