Hrl Laboratories, LLC

The Boeing Company

Adam E Sorensen

Andrew Paul Nowak

Adam Franklin Gross

Ashley M Dustin

Alan Jon Jacobsen

Tobias A Schaedler

John J Vajo

William B Carter

Jason A Graetz

Geoffrey P McKnight

Christopher Stephen Roper

Christopher Paul Henry

Chia-Ming Chang

Robert E Doty

Xin Ning Guan

Kevin J Maloney

Jacob Michael Hundley

Hyok Jae Song

Zak C Eckel

Donald Wayne Coffland

Sophia Shu Yang

Sloan Patrick Smith

David W Shahan

Richard E Sharp

Casey J Sennott

Jie Jiang

Geoffrey P Mcknight

Panagiotis Emanuel George

Adam Robert Weston

Hardik Dalal

Joshua M Montgomery

Jenny Jiang

A deployable structure includes a hydride material to be converted into hydrogen gas; and a sheet material encapsulating the hydride material; wherein the sheet material is to be plastically deformed by the hydrogen gas to have an expanded structure. A method of manufacturing a deployable structure includes: forming a sheet material comprising an outer shell structure and a hollow interior; placing a hydride material capable of being converted into hydrogen gas into the hollow interior; sealing the outer shell structure; and converting and releasing the hydrogen gas to expand and plastically deform the sheet material.

Method of manufacturing and/or operating deployable structures using hydride material

Some variations provide an oligomer composition comprising: polarizable first thermotropic liquid-crystal oligomer molecules (preferably urethanes or ureas) containing first triggerable reactive end groups, wherein the first triggerable reactive end groups are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, isocyanate, blocked isocyanate, acrylate, epoxide, amine, vinyl, ester, thiol, conjugated diene, substituted alkene, furan, maleimide, anthracene, and combinations thereof, and wherein the polarizable first thermotropic liquid-crystal oligomer molecules are characterized by a weight-average molecular weight from about 200 g/mol to about 10,000 g/mol; optionally, a plurality of polarizable second thermotropic liquid-crystal oligomer molecules containing second triggerable reactive end groups, wherein the second triggerable reactive end groups are capable of reacting with the first triggerable reactive end groups; and optionally, a reactive coupling agent capable of reacting with the first triggerable reactive end groups. Methods are described for converting the oligomer composition into an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer. Many commercial uses are disclosed.

Anisotropic thermally conductive polymers with dynamic molecular weight, and methods of making the same

Some variations provide an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer composition comprising a plurality of polarizable, thermotropic main-chain liquid-crystal polymer molecules with crystalline domains. The liquid-crystal polymer molecules are in a nematic phase or a smectic phase, and at least 80% of the crystalline domains are aligned along a crystal axis. A method of making an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer composition comprises: synthesizing or obtaining a polymer containing polarizable domains; heating the polymer to form a polymer melt; cooling the polymer melt to form a thermotropic liquid-crystal polymer; exposing the thermotropic liquid-crystal polymer to an electrical field, thereby aligning the polarizable domains along a crystal axis; and recovering the thermotropic liquid-crystal polymer as an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer composition. The polymer composition may be formed into an object characterized by thermal conductivity along the minimum dimension that is at least three times greater than thermal conductivity along the maximum dimension.

Anisotropic thermally conductive polymers and methods of making and using the same

Hydride forming of sheet materials

A hydride flow reactor includes a tank configured to receive a hydride fuel. The reactor also includes a tubular member coupled to the tank and configured to receive the hydride fuel from the tank. The reactor also includes a transporter positioned at least partially within the tubular member and configured to transport the hydride fuel through the tubular member. The reactor also includes a heater positioned at least partially around the tubular member and the transporter. The heater is configured to heat the hydride fuel in the tubular member to convert the hydride fuel into hydrogen gas and a reacted byproduct.

Solid hydride flow reactor

A system may include a fastener having a trench formed in a side of a head of the fastener. The system may further include a magneto-elastic component spanning the trench and attached to the head of the fastener on both sides of the trench. The system may also include a coil wrapped around the magneto-elastic component between both sides of the trench. The system may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit, where the coil may be electrically connected to the RFID circuit resulting in a resonance response frequency that is a function of a strain level applied to the magneto-elastic component.

Radio-frequency-identification-based smart fastener

A conductive composite includes a first layer of elastomeric polymer, a layer of electrically conductive paste on the first layer of elastomeric polymer, and a second layer of elastomeric polymer on the layer of electrically conductive paste. A reinforcement mesh is in contact with the layer of electrically conductive paste.

Conductive composite and method for manufacturing a conductive composite

A conductive composite includes a first layer of elastomeric polymer, a layer of conductive fluorofluid on the first layer of elastomeric polymer, and a second layer of elastomeric polymer on the layer of conductive fluorofluid.

A multi-axis isolator configured to isolate a payload from unwanted vibrations and shocks includes a housing, at least one pair of radial isolators in the housing, and an axial isolator in the housing. Each radial isolator includes an elastomer dome, a chamber at least partially defined by the elastomer dome, and a fluid in the chamber. The multi-axis isolator also includes a fluid track placing the chambers of the radial isolators in fluid communication with each other. The axial isolator includes an elastomer dome, a backpressure membrane, a primary chamber, a backpressure chamber, a fluid in the primary and backpressure chambers, a conduit placing the primary chamber in fluid communication with the backpressure chamber. The multi-axis isolator also includes a shaft configured to be connected to the payload. The pair of radial isolators and the axial isolator are coupled to the shaft.

Multi-degree of freedom vibration isolator

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for recovering fibers from fiber reinforced polymers wherein the fiber reinforced polymer is contacted with a Lewis base for a time sufficient to allow at least partial depolymerization of the polymer.

Lewis base-mediated recovery of fibers from fiber reinforced polymers

An ordered, 3-dimensional, micro-scale, open-cellular truss structure including interconnected hollow polymer tubes. The hollow micro-truss structure separates two fluid volumes which can be independently pressurized or depressurized to control flow, or materials properties, or both. Applications for this invention include deployable structures, inflatable structures, flow control, and vented padding.

Hollow polymer micro-truss structures containing pressurized fluids

A system includes a canister and a fuel cell. The canister defines an internal volume configured to have a hydride bed positioned therein. The canister includes at least 1.0 kWH/kg of energy based on a heating value of 120 kJ/g of hydrogen present. The hydride bed includes lithium aluminum hydride, aluminum hydride, or a combination thereof. The hydride bed is configured to release hydrogen gas when heated to a predetermined temperature. The fuel cell is configured to receive the hydrogen gas from the canister and to use the hydrogen gas as fuel to produce power for a load.

System and method for storing hydrogen

Example methods, panels, and systems are disclosed for providing noise insulation. Noise insulation may be provided by an anti-resonant panel that includes a base panel including a base panel core material and two base panel face sheets, where each of the two base panel face sheets is adjacent to an opposite side of the base panel core material. The anti-resonant panel further includes at least one stiffener-member positioned along the base panel in a defined area of the base panel, where the defined area is less than a full area of the base panel. The stiffener-member includes a stiffener-member core material and two stiffener-member face sheets the stiffener-member face sheets adjacent to an opposite side of the stiffener-member core material.

Growing community of inventors

Moorpark, CA, United States of America

Adam E Sorensen