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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Significant effort and resources are being expended to develop ceramic-matrix composite (CMC), metal-matrix composite (MMC), and polymer-matrix composite (PMC) materials for...
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Pulse shepherding is a nonlinear signal-propagation phenomenon that can occur when several pulses of light at different wavelengths are launched simultaneously or nearly simultaneously along the same...
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Briefs: Imaging
Software for Scheduling Use of Shared Resources
The Quick Utility for Intelligence Planning and Scheduling (QUIPS) computer program automates the scheduling of resources that must be shared among multiple tasks or groups. Designed to aid coordination of military intelligence operations at the division and brigade levels, QUIPS might also prove...
Briefs: Motion Control
Permanent-magnet rotary bearings with ferrofluid stabilization in the axial degree of freedom are undergoing development. These bearings are totally passive, yet stable in all degrees of...
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Briefs: Motion Control
The latest missile guidance and tracking guidance systems deliver unprecedented performance, in terms of range, precision, and the ability to function in very unfavorable atmospheric conditions....
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) serves as a building block for a digital system that effects maximum-likelihood decoding of a Viterbi code (a binary...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Microbridges that constitute the superconducting-transition sensory elements of electron-diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometers can now be fabricated in increased yield and quality....
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Briefs: Software
Software for Processing SAR Images of the Polar Oceans
The RADARSAT/ERS-1,2 Geophysical Processor System (RGPS) is an automated system of hardware and software that processes synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) images of ice and open water in polar oceans to generate higher-level geophysical-data products. Information in such products includes the age...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A method of automated diagnosis of helicopter gearboxes involves processing of selected features of digitized outputs of vibration sensors via structure-based connectionist networks...
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Briefs: Manned Systems
Software for Development of Spacecraft-Simulation Programs
DARTS Shell (Dshell) is a multimission spacecraft simulator for the development, integration, and test of flight software and hardware. Dshell reduces the time and cost of developing simulation programs by enabling the development of the software in modular, reusable form and by providing...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A device for measuring the distribution of masses in an atmosphere or plasma exploits the electrostatic deflection of ions in a rotating magnetic field. A magnetic field is not required. The device is...
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Program for Analysis of a Complex Optomechanical System
The IMOS computer program contains subprograms that, collectively, provide a unique capability for multidisciplinary analysis of a system represented by a combination of mathematical models of structural (mechanical), control, thermal, and optical characteristics. One example of such a system...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An algorithm estimates the Doppler frequency shift in a received radio signal with square-wave-pulse binary differential-phase-shift-keyed (DPSK) modulation. [With little modification,...
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Briefs: Software
Software for Tracking the Performance of Other Software
The Flight Software Memory Tracker (FMT) computer program is a collection of utility subprograms developed for use on the ground to track images of the flight software (FSW) in the computers aboard the Cassini spacecraft. [As used here, "images" signifies both (1) the memory load and updatable...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Production of Tar in Pyrolysis of Large Biomass Particles
A paper presents a study of the production of tar in the pyrolysis of spherical biomass particles, with computational simulations performed by using the macroparticle portion of the model described in "Generalized Mathematical Model of Pyrolysis of Plant Biomass" (NPO-20068) elsewhere in...
Briefs: Materials
Phospha-s-Triazines and Other Compounds for Use as Additives
A report describes research on selected compounds as additives to perfluoroalkyether (PFPAE) fluids that are used as synthetic lubricants for metal parts. Additives are needed to inhibit both thermo-oxidative degradation of, and corrosion of metals by, the PFPAE fluids in the presence of...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Thermal Lens Spectrometer Yields High Sensitivity
Thermal lens spectrometry is a highly sensitive method for detecting very small quantities of material by the absorption of light from a laser source. It takes advantage of the thermal lens effect to measure the absorption spectrum of a sample. This invention utilizes an optical parametric...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
The figure illustrates an apparatus for measuring heat-transfer and pressure-drop characteristics of porous plug specimens in oscillating flows. The apparatus is built around an...
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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Adjacent-Pair Imaging Shearography Using Bacteriorhodopsin
In a developmental technique of real-time adjacent-pair imaging shearography, a thin film of bacteriorhodopsin is used to record shearograms in argon-laser light for immediate readout in helium/neon-laser light. Unlike conventional silver-halide-based photographic film, bacteriorhodopsin...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
The figure illustrates a solar thermal energy system for boiling water or another liquid. The system can be used for a variety of purposes that can include drying aqueous hazardous...
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Briefs: Medical
A method of measuring the concentration of a selected organic compound (analyte) in a sample of water involves (1) producing hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct of enzyme-catalyzed...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
As the highest resolution seismic system available, the automated seafloor classification system (ASCS) can remotely and accurately map sediment properties for many seafloor applications. The...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Compact analog/digital electronic data processors of a novel type are based on the concept of the optimization cellular neural network (OCNN) and are implemented in very-large-scale...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Electrochromic devices change color and light transmissivity upon application of an electric charge. As such they should prove valuable as "smart" windows that can reduce air-conditioning costs...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A proposed focal-plane array (FPA) of quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) would exhibit peak response at two wavelengths. Heretofore, single-focal-plane arrays of photodetectors optimized for...
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Briefs: Materials
Characterization of Woven-Carbon/Copper-Matrix Composites
Designing metal-matrix composites into actual components requires both experimental and analytical characterization of the behavior of these composites. This report describes mathematical modeling and experimental characterization of the elastoplastic behaviors of composite materials made...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Rapid Prototyping of Cast Metal/Fiber Composites
A rapid prototyping process enables the incorporation of continuous fiber reinforcement into a cast metal-matrix composite. In one older process, cast metal-matrix composites are made by introducing fibers or particles into molten or partially solidified metals, then casting the resulting slurries...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
There has been some success in continuing efforts to increase the service lifetimes of the guide rolls in hot-roll-slitter machines in the steel industry. In these machines, hardened knives are used...
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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Kinetic rate data are needed to design all chemical processes. Specifically, they are needed to determine such things as ignition delay times, combustion times, and explosion limits...
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