US Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Other

University of Delaware

Daniel J O'Brien

Eric Dean Wetzel

Keith Wayne Goossen

Daniel Murphy Baechle

Daniel J Tracy

Chih-Ming Wu

John P Palmer

Oleg B Yurchak

Shridrar Yarlagadda

J T O'Brien

A structural capacitor having a plurality of planar dielectric layers and a plurality of positive and negative electrodes with the positive and negative electrodes alternating between each dielectric layer and methods for making structural capacitors are provided. First and second spaced apart holes are provided through each dielectric layer as well as the electrodes so that the first holes in the electrodes register with the first holes in the dielectric layer and likewise for the second holes. The capacitor is formed by stacking the dielectric layers and electrodes on two spaced apart alignment pins with a positive alignment pin extending through the first holes and a negative alignment pin extending through the second holes in the dielectric layers and electrodes. These alignment pins maintain layer alignment during subsequent thermal and pressure processing to bond together the dielectric and electrode layers into an integral structural material. After processing, the alignment pins are removed and replaced with electrode pins, where the positive electrode pin is in electrical contact only with the positive electrodes and the negative electrode pin is in electrical contact only with the negative electrodes. The electrode pins are used for subsequent electrical and mechanical connectorization to the structural capacitor.

Method for making a structural capacitor

A structural capacitor includes at least one pair of electrodes comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, with a body of dielectric material disposed therebetween. The combination of the electrodes and dielectric has a stiffness which can be between 10 1000 GPa, and in some instances between 50 MPa-100 GPa. Failure strength of the combination can be between 1 MPa-10 GPa, and in specific instances between 10 MPa-1 GPa. The capacitor may include a plurality of electrode pairs. The dielectric may include a reinforcing material therein, and the capacitors may be configured in a variety of shapes so as to function as structural elements for articles of construction.

Structural capacitors and components thereof

An apparatus and process for operating connectorless, free-space data porting optical structural composites with integrated optical or electrical busses are disclosed. Optical transceivers and fiber optic/coaxial cable are embedded into a foam-core composite sandwich structure which is infiltrated with vinyl ester resin. The embedded busses are composed of a signal source producing an optical free space signal, which is shone onto an optical/electrical bus containing a transceiver for converting this signal into another electrical or optical signal which then is imprinted upon a coaxial or fiber optic cable buried in the composite structure. The signal traverses the composite structure, then a transceiver converts the electrical/optical signal into a free space optical signal which shines out of the composite structure to an outside free space optical receiver. The optical free space signal is oriented to be received and transmitted at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the composite material.

Composites for wireless optical communication

Lawn trim

Landscape trim

A torsion screwdriver includes a positioning sleeve, a locking tube, a plurality of locking cylinder rods, a curved spring strip, a rotary member, a coupling sleeve, and a bit-driving shaft. The locking tube is disposed in the positioning sleeve, and is formed with rod-retaining slots for receiving the locking cylinder rods. The curved spring strip has one end connected to the locking tube, and the other end abutting against a projection at a front end of the positioning sleeve. The coupling sleeve is disposed in a sleeve-receiving hole of the locking tube, which is communicated with the rod-receiving slots, such that rotation of the positioning sleeve in a first direction results in co-rotation of the coupling sleeve with the positioning sleeve, whereas rotation of the positioning sleeve in a second direction results in idle rotation of the positioning sleeve relative to the coupling sleeve. The rotary member is coupled to the locking tube for co-rotation therewith, and the coupling sleeve is retained rotatably on the rotary member. The bit-driving shaft extends into the coupling sleeve, and is formed with keys for engaging keyways in the coupling sleeve to allow removable and non-rotatable coupling of the bit-driving shaft with the coupling sleeve.

Torsion screwdriver

A mobile rotator jet sewer cleaner vehicle for cleaning a sewer line by fluid pressure, the vehicle having a fluid supply for delivering the fluid under pressure to a hose wound on a reel assembly which can be selectively wound or unwound in a vertical direction, wherein a bearing assembly movable in a horizontal direction is secured on a platform and a reel assembly is mounted on and movable with the bearing assembly. A control for selectively actuating winding and unwinding the hose on the reel assembly is provided, and this control, which may also include other instruments and controls for operating the sewer cleaner, is movable with the bearing and reel assembly. In another embodiment of the invention, the platform telescopes into and away from a recess in the vehicle chassis, so that the reel and bearing assemblies are extended from the vehicle when in use, but may be retracted into the recess when desired, and in such event the retracted jet sewer cleaner may be enclosed within the vehicle.

Mobile rotator jet sewer cleaner

A recoverable remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) having: a deflectable canard/elevator placed very close to the nose tip; a constant (cross) section fuselage; wings mounted low and well aft on the fuselage; elevons; a centrally positioned weapons/payload bay, with doors, located internal of the upper portion of the fuselage; and, inflatable landing skids. The weapon/payload is dropped from the RVP, while the RVP is in flight in an inverted position.

Growing community of inventors

Forest Hill, MD, United States of America

Daniel J O'Brien