Litton Systems, Inc.

The Bendix Corporation

Carleton Life Support Systems Inc.

Other

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Russell F Hart

Victor P Crome

Tuan Q Cao

Scott R Sehlin

Charles Bradley Hager

Bernard J Schebler

Gary Neal Byrd

Timothy Raleigh

Courtney Joseph Monzyk

Lyle Berkenbosch

Gerald A Brumm

Vincent L Sprenkle

Donald Paul Muhs

Paul W Moseman, Jr

Craig L Schledewitz

Richard Kent Frantz

Mike E Friestad

Joan M Gluth

Adrienne M Jinks

William David Molis

Adrienne Jinks

Tuan Cao

Victor Crome

Craig Schledewitz

Gary Byrd

Scott Sehlin

A hitch receiver includes a shorter and perpendicular secondary hitch receiver disposed upon the top of the hitch receiver. The secondary hitch receiver is configured to enable a user to rotate the hitch receiver into a profile parallel to a vehicle body upon which it is installed as opposed to being perpendicular.

Hitch receiver

An electronic controller () controls the operation of an electrochemical oxygen generating system () producing a desired gas. The product gas is fed to a storage unit () or a regulator () and pulsing valve () controlling the gas flow to a user. A two-stage system () combines a low pressureand a high pressure () gas generating subsystems. The low pressure subsystem () uses IMAT's () to pump oxygen from ambient air to generate a low-pressure. The high pressure subsystem () uses IMAT's () to pump oxygen to high-pressure oxygen storage devices ().

Oxygen generator with storage and conservation modes

A gas generating system (S) has a plurality of product gas generating modules () each of which comprises a plurality of molecular sieve beds (bed, bed) generating a product gas acting in a repetitive cycle with each cycle having a period of the cycle with peak product gas flow (). A manifold () combines the product gas from the plurality of modules (). The processor () generates a control signal that is communicated to the gas generating modules () such that the peak product gas flow period () of the repetitive cycle of the modules () is adjusted in response to the control signal. The processor () causes the peak period () for the modules () to be timed across the repetitive cycles in a controlled distribution.

Method for operating gas generators in tandem

An attachment system ( ) for maintaining a passageway ( ) of a tube ( ) in axial alignment with a passageway ( ) through a housing ( ) includes a spring ( ) having an exterior edge ( ) and an interior area ( ) passing the tube ( ). The housing ( ) has an exterior mating surface ( ) around the passageway ( ). A mating end ( ) of the tube ( ) abuts against the mating surface ( ). A spring retainer ( ) apart from mating surface ( ) restrains the movement of the spring ( ) away from the mating surface ( ). A tubular coupler ( ) in proximity to the mating end ( ) restricts the movement of the mating end ( ) toward the interior area ( ) of the spring ( ).

System and method for attaching tubing

A controller system for a molecular sieve device controls a product gas generated by n molecular sieve beds for separating a gas from an input gas supply. A valve assembly with n states has an input receiving the input gas and n outlets. Each valve state in a first position creates an open passageway from the input of the slide valve to an outlet. Transitioning a valve from the first to a second position creates a variable amount of restriction in the flow of gas between the input and a selected outlet.

Variable inlet air restriction for composition control of product gas

An anti-G system is used to combat the push-pull effect experienced by airmen during and after a transition from a period of low or negative G force levels to high G force levels. The anti-G system includes an anti-G controller configured to receive signals indicative of airman acceleration and anti-G garment pressure. The anti-G controller is coupled to a valve controller controlling fill and vent valves controlling the pressure level in the anti-G garment. As the anti-G controller receives acceleration signals indicating G force levels over time, the controller calculates whether the anti-G garment pressure should be increased or decreased and transmits signals to the valve controller to increase or decrease anti-G garment pressure. Increasing the anti-G garment pressure compensates for the airman's loss of tolerance to high G levels immediately after exposure to a period of low or negative G levels.

Apparatus for and method of combating the gravity push-pull effect experienced by an airman wearing a flight suit

The invention relates generally to ceramic oxygen generating modules, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a duty cycle for each of a plurality of ceramic oxygen generating modules in a modular ceramic oxygen generating system.

Method of controlling a modular ceramic oxygen generating system

This invention relates to devices for separating oxygen from more complex gasses such as air which contains oxygen, and delivering the separated-oxygen at an elevated pressure for use immediately, or for storage and use later. More particularly, the invention relates to solid state electrochemical devices for separating oxygen from more complex gasses to produce the desired oxygen and delivering the oxygen at elevated pressures up to and exceeding 2000 psig.

Electrochemical oxygen generating system

A ceramic element is provided which can be injection molded from an electrolyte and a binder. The ceramic element includes a tube support portion and a plurality of tubes extending from the tube support portion. The plurality of tubes are arranged in rows and columns. A plurality of vias extend from one surface of the tube support portion to an opposite surface of the tube support portion. The ceramic element is coated with an electrically conductive coating and a current collector coating. The vias are coated with the electrically conductive coating and plugged. After the coatings are removed in selected areas of the ceramic element, the tubes of the ceramic element form a series-parallel array because tubes in the same column are connected in parallel electrically and tubes in adjacent rows are connected in series electrically. Two ceramic elements are sealed together to form a modular electrochemical device. The electrochemical device can be either an oxygen generator or a fuel cell. Oxygen generating capacity can be increased by manifolding together two or more modular oxygen generators.

Modular ceramic electrochemical apparatus and method of manufacture therefore

Modular ceramic electrochemical apparatus and method of manufacture

A method of controlling an oxygen concentrator having a first sieve bed operated over successive control periods according to a duty cycle for alternately pressurizing and flushing the first sieve bed and a second sieve bed operated over the successive control periods according to a reciprocal of the duty cycle is disclosed. The duty cycle and the reciprocal duty cycle are adjusted during every second one of the successive control periods to change the pressurizing relative to the flushing of the first sieve bed and to change the flushing relative to the pressurizing of the second sieve bed, for reducing concentration of oxygen produced. The duty cycle and the reciprocal duty cycle are adjusted during remaining control periods to change the flushing relative to the pressurizing of the first sieve bed and to change the pressurizing relative to the flushing of the second sieve bed, such that water vapor is purged from the first and second sieve beds after pressurizing thereof. A pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) subsystem performance check is disclosed. This test is performed as part of a maintenance BIT (Built-In-Test) function. After verifying that the oxygen sensor accuracy is acceptable using prior art techniques, a set of bleed valves are opened to load the oxygen concentrator at a specific flow. The oxygen concentration is then checked via the sensor to determine whether the PSA subsystem is operating to within a predetermined concentration level.

Oxygen concentrator with beds' duty cycle control and self-test

Apparatus for monitoring gaseous oxygen concentration that includes an oxygen sensor for providing an electrical sensor signal that varies as a function of oxygen concentration at the sensor. Processor circuitry compares oxygen concentration indicated by the sensor signal to at least one threshold level, and indicates when such oxygen concentration at the sensor departs from such threshold concentration level. The apparatus is calibrated by exposing the sensor to a calibration gas having an oxygen concentration equal to the desired threshold concentration level, and storing in the processor circuitry electrical indicia indicative of operating characteristics of the sensor at such threshold oxygen concentration level. When the apparatus is thereafter employed for monitoring a gas of undetermined oxygen concentration, the operating characteristics of the sensor reflected by the sensor output signal are compared to the prestored indicia for determining when oxygen concentration at the sensor crosses the threshold concentration level.

Monitoring gaseous oxygen concentration

An oxygen partial pressure controller regulates the oxygen partial pressure (PPO.sub.2) of the product gas of a pressure swing adsorption oxygen enriching system by means of a bleed valve which increases gas flow through the adsorptive system thereby decreasing the PPO.sub.2 of the product gas. The controller includes a solenoid valve which permits the bleed valve to function when the adsorption system pressure and PPO.sub.2 is high.

Oxygen partial pressure controller for a pressure swing adsorption system

An oxygen partial pressure controller regulates the oxygen partial pressure (PPO.sub.2) of the product gas of a pressure swing adsorption oxygen enriching system by means of a bleed valve which increases gas flow through the adsorptive system thereby decreasing the PPO.sub.2 of the product gas. The controller includes a solenoid valve which permits the bleed valve to function when the adsorption system pressure and PPO.sub.2 is high. An aneroid controls the product gas flow as a function of altitude when the bleed valve is permitted to function.

An A.C. motor is connected into a transistor bridge which includes a small current sensing resistor. The bridge is operated to supply alternating half cycles of current to the motor and resistor. The voltage drop across the resistor is compared in a comparator with a reference voltage which is equal to a fixed voltage minus a percentage of the bridge D.C. supply voltage. When the voltage drop across the resistor exceeds the reference voltage a gate means is closed to render the bridge transistors non-conductive.

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Blue Grass, IA, United States of America

Russell F Hart