Other

United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Better Products, Inc.

David A Stewart

Daniel B Leiser

Howard E Goldstein

Robert A Frosch

James M Beggs

Gordon T Brown

Marnell Smith

Victor W Katvala

Carlos A Estrella

Robert R DiFiore

A thermal protection system that reduces a mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients CTE between a first material layer (CTE1) and a second material layer (CTE2) at a first layer-second layer interface. A portion of aluminum borosilicate (abs) or another suitable additive (add), whose CTE value, CTE(add), satisfies (CTE(add)&#x2212;CTE1)(CTE(add)&#x2212;CTE2)&#x3c;0, is distributed with variable additive density, &#x3c1;(z;add), in the first material layer and/or in the second material layer, with &#x3c1;(z;add) near the materials interface being relatively high (alternatively, relatively low) and &#x3c1;(z;add) in a region spaced apart from the interface being relatively low (alternatively, relatively high).

Thermal protection supplement for reducing interface thermal mismatch

Tantalum-based ceramics are suitable for use in thermal protection systems. These composite structures have high efficiency surfaces (low catalytic efficiency and high emittance), thereby reducing heat flux to a spacecraft during planetary re-entry. These ceramics contain tantalum disilicide, molybdenum disilicide and borosilicate glass. The components are milled, along with a processing aid, then applied to a surface of a porous substrate, such as a fibrous silica or carbon substrate. Following application, the coating is then sintered on the substrate. The composite structure is substantially impervious to hot gas penetration and capable of surviving high heat fluxes at temperatures approaching 3000&#xb0; F. and above.

High efficiency tantalum-based ceramic composite structures

A composite thermal protection structure, for applications such as atmospheric re-entry vehicles, that can withstand temperatures as high as 3600&#xb0; F. The structure includes an exposed surface cap having a specially formulated coating, an insulator base adjacent to the cap with another specially formulated coating, and one or more pins that extend from the cap through the insulator base to tie the cap and base together, through ceramic bonding and mechanical attachment. The cap and insulator base have corresponding depressions and projections that mate and allow for differences in thermal expansion of the cap and base.

Toughened uni-piece, fibrous, reinforced, oxidization-resistant composite

A composite thermal protection structure, for applications such as atmospheric re-entry vehicles, that can withstand temperatures as high as 3600&#xb0; F. The structure includes an exposed surface cap having a specially formulated coating, an insulator base adjacent to the cap with another specially formulated coating, and one or more pins that extend from the cap through the insulator base to tie the cap and base together, through ceramic bonding and mechanical attachment. The cap and insulator base have corresponding depressions and projections that mate and allow for differences in thermal expansion of the cap and base. A thin coating of a reaction cured glass formulation is optionally provided on the structure to allow reduce oxidization and/or to reduce catalytic efficiency.

A universal type add on air bag inflator (2) configured in an elongated cylindrical form that is adapted to accommodate a wide range of vehicles, where inflator (2) is preferably but not limited to installation in a vehicle on the external surface of the interior facing of a vehicle forward support pillar (52) where the long axis of the inflator is mounted parallel to the long axis of the pillar. The inflator (2) includes an ignitor (14) and a pyrotechnic exploder (24) in assembly within an accommodating combustion chamber (26). Chamber (26) including the pyrotechnic assembly is accommodated within an accommodating baffle (30) where there is adapted in an uninflated state a folded air bag (36). These components in combination are accommodated within an accommodating yieldable outer shell (4). A pair of end caps (10,10) close respective open ends of the outer shell (4). Air bag (36) is adapted to be automatically inflated and developed between the occupant and interior vehicle surfaces upon activation in response to the impact of a vehicular collision. The appearance of the inflator (2) is optionally and superficially adaptable using accessory cover casing (64) or cover sleeve (70) with cap screws (72,72).

Universal type add on air bag inflator

A heat shield for thermally insulating the leading edge of a wing of a spacecraft during ascent and reentry includes a plurality of rigid tiles. Each tile is formed with a pie-shaped element which interlocks with the complementarily-formed element of another tile. The combination of structure afforded by the pie-shaped elements substantially impedes hypersonic flow of any gases that might enter the gaps between tiles.

Leading edge heat shield for wings of spacecraft

A removably attachable vehicle seat mechanism is provided, having a seat support connected to the vehicle seat, a base connected to the floorboard, and a base plate connected to the floorboard and base. The support is removably attachable to the base, providing for easy installation and removal of the vehicle seat from the vehicle. The vehicle seat rests substantially upright on the seat support prior to installation. The seat and seat support need be tilted at an angle of less than 20.degree. to removably attach the support to the base. A cantilever mechanism located on the support exerts a cantilever force upon the base. A rod located on the support engages slots adjacent to rear portion of the base. Hooks located on the support engage a bar on the based, further positively locking the support to the base.

Quick release pedestal seat

A uni-brace mechanism is provided which allows a vehicle seat to be attached to the vehicle seat slide adjusters made by various manufacturers. A front bracket and a rear bracket are spaced apart and attached to the underside of a vehicle seat. Each bracket includes two pairs of receiving holes, with each receiving hole having at least one corresponding engagement hole spaced apart from the receiving hole. The various engagement holes combined to form various generally rectangular patterns, spaced at distances to correspond to the bolt patterns found on vehicle seat slide adjusters. A pal nut is inserted into a receiving hole and into engagement with the proper corresponding engagement hole. Pal nut includes a hub with an internal thread which is positioned within the engagement hole. The bolt on the vehicle seat slide adjuster are threaded through the engagement hole and into the hub, attaching the vehicle seat slide adjuster to the bracket.

Uni-brace

Gantry robot construction and drive mechanism

A paddle-wheel-type flow measuring device comprises a housing having inlet and outlet passages therein, a paddle-wheel rotatably mounted in the housing, and a sensor for sensing the rate of rotation of the paddle-wheel in the housing. The inlet passage of the housing is positioned so that when a fluid flowing in substantially perpendicular relation to the axis of the paddle-wheel passes through the inlet passage, it impinges directly on only one end portion of the paddle-wheel and the outlet passage is positioned so that it can only directly receive fluid from the axially opposite end portion of the paddle-wheel. Hence, a fluid passing through the housing must circulate internally with the paddle-wheel before it can pass out the outlet passage so that a proportionally greater rotational force is applied to the paddle-wheel by the fluid. As a result, the device can be effectively utilized for measuring relatively low fluid flow rates, even in relatively small diameter pipe sections.

Flow measuring device

A high temperature stable and solar radiation stable thermal control coating either useful as such, applied directly to a member to be protected, or applied as a coating on a re-usable surface insulation (RSI) has a base coat layer and an overlay glass layer. The base coat layer has a high emittance, and the overlay layer is formed from discrete, but sintered together glass particles to give the overlay layer a high scattering coefficient. The resulting two-layer space and thermal control coating has an absorptivity-to-emissivity ratio of less than or equal to 0.4 at room temperature, with an emittance of 0.8 at 1200.degree. F. It is capable of exposure to either solar radiation or temperatures as high as 2000.degree. F. without significant degradation. When used as a coating on a silica substrate to give an RSI structure, the coatings of this invention show significantly less reduction in emittance after long term convective heating and less residual strain than prior art coatings for RSI structures.

High temperature glass thermal control structure and coating

A flexible, adjustable refractory filler (1) is disclosed for filling gaps between ceramic tiles (10, 11) forming the heat shield of a space shuttle vehicle, to protect its aluminum skin (20) during atmospheric re-entry. The easily installed and replaced filler (1) consists essentially of a strip of ceramic cloth (3) coated, at least along both its longitudinal edges (4, 5), with a room temperature vulcanizable silicone rubber compound with a high emittance colored pigment. The filler may have one or more layers (2, 3), as the gap width requires. Preferred materials are basket-weave aluminoborosilicate cloth, and a rubber compounded with silicon tetraboride as the emittance agent and finely divided borosilicate glass containing about 7.5% B.sub.2 O.sub.3 as high temperature binder. The filler cloth strip or tape is cut to proper width and length, inserted into the gap, and fastened with previously applied drops of silicone rubber adhesive.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America

David A Stewart