USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Other

Applied Remote Technology, Inc.

Aerie Partners, Inc.

Kenneth D Collins

Gerald R Mackelburg

Jimmy L Held

Foster D Collins

Bradley J Deghuee

Arturo Arriola

Julius M Stegman

Ronald A Walrod

Michael W Cooke

A solar tracking system for mounting on a roof having one or more rooftop planar surfaces includes an array of solar tracking assemblies for at least one of the one or more rooftop planar surfaces, each array of solar tracking assemblies mountable at substantially the same orientation on the rooftop planar surface, each solar tracking assembly including a mounting structure, a steering mechanism, and one or more energy converting units that convert solar energy into electrical energy, the steering mechanism supported at least in part by the mounting structure and the one or more energy converting units steered by the steering mechanism; a drive mechanism that drives multiple steering mechanisms of the array of solar tracking assemblies; and a control processor that controls the drive mechanism so that the one or more energy converting units follow the sun.

Solar roof tracker

A process and apparatus for comminuting cryogenic feedstock particles, the process comprising the steps of embrittling the particles with a cryogenic medium, positioning the cryogenically embrittled particles in a comminutor having a cavity, the comminutor having means for generating a high-voltage electrical discharge in the cavity, comminuting the particles in the cavity with forces created by the high-voltage electrical discharge pulse, and transferring the comminuted particles from the comminutor and wherein the positioning includes continuously transporting the particles through the comminutor. Transporting of the particles may be accomplished by entraining the particles in the cryogenic medium. The means for generating the forces for comminuting the particles includes generating the high-voltage electrical dischargeacross at least two electrodes. In a second embodiment, the process may include utilization of a cavity which has an axis and at least one focal point on the axis, and wherein the positioning includes positioning the embrittled particles at approximately the focal point. In a third embodiment the cavity is separated into first and second sub-cavities by a diaphragm, the first sub-cavity for receiving the means for generating a high-voltage electrical discharge and the second sub-cavity for receiving the embrittled particles, and wherein the positioning includes positioning the embrittled particles in the second sub-cavity.

Comminution by cryogenic electrohydraulics

Electric cord retaining guard

Method for launching and recovering a water borne vehicle from a surface ship in water having a turbulent surface while the surface ship is drifting or underway. The water borne vehicle is stored in a portable standard container van which is generally stored on land when not in use and attached to the deck of the surface ship when the vehicle is to be deployed. The container van has a bottom surface supporting a plurality of rollers which allow the vehicle to be translated therealong from a stowed position to a launch position wherein the nose of the vehicle rests on the rollers and the rear of the vehicle rests on a roller assembly which is pivotly attached to the stern of the surface ship, an overhead gantry crane with its lifting cable attached to the nose of the vehicle, rotates the vehicle about the pivotal attachment to the surface ship to emerge the rear of the vehicle into the water for stability, translates the vehicle rearwardly with the nose remaining in the air and the rear portion in the water to a launch position with the nose now positioned over the water and spaced from the stern of the surface ship and then lowers the nose of the vehicle into the water to complete the launch. The recovery of the vehicle is accomplished by reversing the launch procedure. The vehicle after launch can be tethered to the cable or released therefrom. If the vehicle is detached from the cable for launch then it must be reattached to the cable prior to the recovery procedure.

Method and apparatus for deploying and recovering water borne vehicles

This invention improves on explosively actuated cable cutters in that it orporates a remote capability of activating the cutter. The improved apparatus comprises an acoustical transducer for receiving a remote coded signal, an electric circuit designed to detect the specific coded signal, a motor and gear mechanism which is initiated upon detection of the remote coded signal to activate the explosively actuated cable cutter. The electronics and motor compartment are hydrostatically sealed and pitted with a pressure switch and a water intrusion fail-safe circuit. The pressure switch is designed to inactivate the apparatus beyond a preset ocean depth, and the water intrusion fail-safe circuit is designed to detect any seawater seepage into the sealed electronics compartment. Upon the detection of such seepage the intrusion fail-safe circuit disconnects the system from the battery thereby removing danger of premature triggering of the cable cutter.

Remotely activated cable cutter

A hydroacoustic transducer provides an improved hemispherical radiation pern throughout a wide range of operating depths. A can-shaped transducer is nestled in the inside of a hat-shaped array of hollow spheres. Resiliently mounting the spheres with respect to each other and a hat-shaped shell holds the array away from the surface of the transducer and layering the hollow spheres assures the hemispherical pattern. Fashioning the spheres from hemispherical shells of aluminum and bonding them together makes the array insensitive to greater or lesser hydrostatic pressures and potting the array in polyurethane presents a more rugged structure capable of withstanding the routine abuses of the ocean environment.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Kenneth D Collins