The University of Texas System

Other

Astec Industries, Inc.

Board of Regents

General Electric Company

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Spencer Wright Industries, Inc.

Parker Kinetic Designs, Inc.

William F Weldon

John H Gully

Raymond C Zowarka

Herbert H Woodson

Mircea D Driga

Siddharth B Pratap

Steven P Nichols

James M Weldon

Ronald D Matthews

Robert L Sledge

Joseph H Beno

Ben M Rech

Glen C Long

Mark A Pichot

Damon A Weeks

Mark M Koeroghlian

Dennis Roger Peterson

Sulekh C Jain

Jimmie D Scott

Jim L Upshaw

Brian L Harden

Don A Bresie

Mike L Spann

Michael W Harville

James L Bacon

Robert J Polizzi

John R Uglum, Jr

Theodore A Aanstoos

Richard W Faidley

Robert G Lannon

Darwin G Davis

Andreas M Guenin

Kurth P Bousman

William A Walls

The present invention provides a method for depositing powder particles on a substrate. The method comprises forming a planar plasma armature, accelerating the plasma armature, accelerating a column of gas with the plasma armature; and accelerating the powder particles with the column of gas. The present invention provides for a railgun, comprising first and second conducting rails, and first and second insulating rails. The insulating and conducting rails form a bore of the railgun. The first and second conducting rails are separated by the insulating rails. At least one of the rails has a port in the wall thereof, the port is adapted to introducing powder particles into the bore.

Method and apparatus for electromagnetic powder deposition

The method and apparatus of the present invention provide constant force suspension and near constant force Suspension and associated control algorithms, all of which may be utilized in vehicle suspension systems. By using the apparatus of the present invention, a vehicle may be isolated from the motion of a wheel as it follows rough terrain, thereby improving ride quality.

Constant force suspension, near constant force suspension, and

The present invention provides a method and apparatus to control and verify weld-quality in a homopolar pulsed weld by measuring in-process parameters. Methods are disclosed for real-time weld-quality control in a weld-quality control system for homopolar pulsed welding, including measuring at least one in-process parameters that correlates to a resulting weld-quality of a weld. Further, methods are disclosed for post-process weld-quality verification for homopolar pulsed welding, including identifying at least one in-process parameter that may be used as a post-process weld-quality verification parameter and utilizing such a post-process weld-quality verification parameter to verify the weld-quality after a homopolar pulsed welding process.

Method and apparatus for real-time weld-quality control and post-process

An improved homopolar machine in which a solid sliding current collector, or brush, is provided for contact with a flat, annular contact surface of a rotor. The flat plane of the contact surface is orthogonal to the rotor's axis of rotation. A plurality of such contact surfaces with corresponding brushes may be employed. Also, several means for actuating the brush into contact with the rotor contact surface are provided.

Homopolar machine

An apparatus and method is provided for controlling the temperature of dies and workpiece throughout a deformation process. Dies are capable of receiving external current to resistively heat the workpiece and dies during the deformation operation, the external current being modulated by feedback temperature readings taken from the workpiece. External current may be provided from a homopolar generator capable of producing pulsed dc current at controllable intervals and magnitudes simultaneously through the dies and workpiece.

Apparatus and method for deforming a workpiece

The railplug is a plasma ignitor capable of injecting a high energy plasma jet into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine or continuous combustion system. An improved railplug is provided which has dual coaxial chambers (either internal or external to the center electrode) that provide for forced convective cooling of the electrodes using the normal pressure changes occurring in an internal combustion engine. This convective cooling reduces the temperature of the hot spot associated with the plasma initiation point, particularly in coaxial railplug configurations, and extends the useful life of the railplug. The convective cooling technique may also be employed in a railplug having parallel dual rails using dual, coaxial chambers.

Cooled railplug

A satellite thruster system capable of creating a high velocity plasma jet is disclosed. The plasma accelerator, or 'railthruster,' features a high energy current pulse source and a geometrically configured coaxial or parallel dual-rail ignitor system for higher velocity, and thus more fuel efficient, satellite attitude control. A ratio of a length of the railthruster to a spacing between the rails is at least 3:1.

Railgun thruster

A non-pyrotechnic reusable cartridge for ejecting countermeasures, such as chaff, flares, or other payloads. The cartridge comprises a gas chamber storing a compressed gas and including an ejection mechanism and a countermeasure storage section storing a countermeasure. In one embodiment, the ejection mechanism is a solenoid valve. When an ejection signal is transmitted by the pilot, the solenoid valve opens to allow the compressed, non-flammable gas to be released from the gas chamber and push the countermeasure out of the cartridge at a high rate of speed. Other embodiments use a rupture disk positioned between the ejection section and the countermeasure storage section. When an eject signal is received, the rupture disk is either punctured or melted to allow the compressed gas into the storage section, thus ejecting the countermeasure. A non-pyrotechnic ejection mechanism allows safer handling, flashless dispensing, reuse of the cartridge, varied ejection force, and economical reloading with a variety of payloads.

Reusable non-pyrotechnic countermeasure dispenser cartridge for aircraft

An augmented electromagnetic accelerator apparatus which imparts an initial elocity to a projectile by use of enhanced inductance gradients and allows for the use of cylindrical projectiles by the use of a round bore, using a parallel gun rail geometry The enhanced inductance gradients are achieved by the use of an extra turn around the gun rails and enclosing the rail and the said augmented turn in laminated iron. The augmented accelerator has crossovers at the two ends (breech and muzzle end) which have minimum influences over the electromagnetics in the bore of the accelerator.

Iron backed, round bore, augmented electromagnetic accelerator as an

A plasma ignitor system capable of injecting a high energy plasma jet into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine or continuous combustion system. The plasma ignitor features a high energy current pulse source and a geometrically configured coaxial, dual-rail or three-rail ignitor system for deeper and more accurate injection of plasma into a combustion chamber of either large or small dimension.

Miniature railgun engine ignitor

A method and apparatus for imparting a spin to a projectile fired from a railgun. A projectile which is rotatable within the barrel of the railgun, and which includes a conductive element, is caused to pass through a magnetic field, causing the projectile to rotate. Preferably, the magnetic field will be established by a solenoidal magnet which is coaxial with the path of the projectile.

Method and apparatus for spinning projectiles fired from a rail gun

An electromagnetic railgun having a layer of low conductivity material along the rails to interface with the armature as the armature is propelled along the rails. The low conductivity material has been found to permit rapid current penetration between the layer and armature, thereby inhibiting undersirable high current density formation along the trailing edge of the armature. Advantageously, inhibiting the high current density formation permits use of a solid armature at velocities exceeding on kilometer per second. Preferably, the layer is composed of graphite or a graphite/copper mixture. A layer of copper or other high conductivity material is preferably laminated to the low conductivity graphite layer to reduce the overall railgun circuit resistance. In the preferred embodiment, the layer of low conductivity material increases in thickness from the breech to the muzzle to decrease railgun circuit resistance.

Method and construction for control of current distribution in railgun

An electromagnetic projectile launcher or railgun capable of withstanding hundreds or thousands of shots. The railgun features a current management system having guard plates which act to reduce peak rail current densities while also maximizing projectile velocity. Guard plates can be used in either square or round bore designs and can be powered by either a single or separate power supply from that of the rails.

Railguns with current guard plates

A plasma ignitor system capable of injection a narrowly focused high energy plasma jet into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine or continuous combustion system. The plasma ignitor features a high energy current pulse source and a geometrically configured coaxial or dual-rail ignitor system for deeper and more accurate injection of plasma into a combustion chamber of either large or small dimension.

The invention provides an explosively actuated switch and a method of using the same. The switch will include primary conductive elements which will remain generally stationary, and one or more movable conductive elements which will be clamped between the stationary elements. Various types of mechanisms may be utilized to exert a clamping force on one or more of the stationary members. An explosive material is provided to move the movable members from engagement with the stationary members upon detonation.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

William F Weldon