US Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Benjamin C Masters

Rebekah C Wilson

Martin A Page

Andrew J Nelson

Disclosed are methods that, by not physically touching a material being measured, can measure the material's differential response quite accurately. A collimated light shines on the material under test is reflected off it, and is then captured by a device that records the position where the reflected light is captured. This process is done both before and after the material is processed in some way (e.g., by applying a coat of paint). The change in position where the reflected light is captured is used in calculating the deflection of the material as induced by the process. This measured induced deflection is then used to accurately determinate the stress introduced into the material by the process. Other characteristics of the material under test, such as aspects of the material composition of a bi-metallic strip, for example, may also be determined from a deflection measurement.

Measuring deflection to determine a characteristic of a layered-material strip

Disclosed are methods that, by not physically touching a material being measured, can measure the material's differential response quite accurately. A collimated light shines on the material under test, is reflected off it, and is then captured by a device that records the position where the reflected light is captured. This process is done both before and after the material is processed in some way (e.g., by applying a coat of paint). The change in position where the reflected light is captured is used in calculating the deflection of the material as induced by the process. This measured induced deflection is then used to accurately determinate the stress introduced into the material by the process. Other characteristics of the material under test, such as aspects of the material composition of a bi-metallic strip, for example, may also be determined from a deflection measurement.

Measuring deflection to determine a characteristic of a cantilever

Disclosed are methods that, by not physically touching the material being measured, can measure the material's differential, response quite accurately. A collimated light shines on the material under test, is reflected off it, and is then captured by a recording device. The position where the reflected light is captured is used to calculate the deflection of the material. Dynamic characteristics of the material under test may be determined from the deflection measurement. The vibration frequency or vibration amplitude of a cantilever can be determined by repeated deflection measurements, all without physically touching the cantilever during the measurement process.

Measuring deflection to determine a dynamic characteristic of a cantilever

The present invention is a self-regenerating biofilter. The biofilter tank receives untreated water through an intake inlet, filters it through a filtration mass and expels purified water through an output outlet. The filtration mass includes gravel and activated carbon layers separated by a mesh screen. A compressed air line is located below the mesh screen. Periodically, the biofilter self-cleans by opening a flush valve that expels a flush water stream carrying debris. The biofilter self-regenerates by periodically stopping filtration for a time, allowing biological matter left on the activated carbon to degrade into biomass. Periodically, the biofilter removes and flushes out biomass by application of water or a combination of air and water.

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Urbana, IL, United States of America

Benjamin C Masters