Abstract:
The combustion chamber and associated fuel injection and ignition equipment of a turbine engine is removed and replaced with a particle bed reactor. The reactor has central fuel elements removed to receive a shaft therein. The shaft is connected between a turbo compressor and drive turbine. Air compressed by the compressor turbine is heated by the reactor and the heated gas passes across rotor vanes of the drive turbine, the latter powering the interconnecting shaft. Exhaust gases from the drive turbine furnish resultant thrust.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to the production of gases, and more particularly to the production of tritium gas in a reliable long operating lifetime systems that employs solid lithium to overcome the heretofore known problems of material compatibility and corrosion, etc., with liquid metals. The solid lithium is irradiated by neutrons inside low activity means containing a positive (+) pressure gas stream for removing and separating the tritium from the solid lithium, and these means are contained in a low activity shell containing a thermal insulator and a neutron moderator.
Abstract:
A platinum resistance thermometer has an outer housing with a bore that receives a temperature sensor assembly including a mandrel having a sensing section with a platinum wire wound thereon and supported in the bore with a non-cohesive powder material that will distribute stresses caused by differential thermal expansion between the housing and the temperature sensor assembly. A second portion of the mandrel is supported in the bore with a rigid epoxy to mechanically support the sensor assembly with the sensing section cantilevered from the rigid epoxy.
Abstract:
A particle accelerator (12) generates an input particle beam having an initial energy level above a threshold for generating secondary nuclear particles. A thin target (14) is rotated in the path of the input beam for undergoing nuclear reactions to generate the secondary particles and correspondingly decrease energy of the input beam to about the threshold. The target (14) produces low energy secondary particles and is effectively cooled by radiation and conduction. A neutron scatterer (44) and a neutron filter (42) are also used for preferentially degrading the secondary particles into a lower energy range if desired.
Abstract:
A process for electrochemically gasifying coal by establishing a flowing stream of coal particulate slurry, electrolyte and electrode members through a transverse magnetic field that has sufficient strength to polarize the electrode members, thereby causing them to operate in combination with the electrolyte to electrochemically reduce the coal particulate in the slurry. Such electrochemical reduction of the coal produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide at opposite ends of the polarized electrode members. Gas collection means are operated in conjunction with the process to collect the evolved gases as they rise from the slurry and electrolyte solution.
Abstract:
A magnetically focused liquid drop radiator for application in rejecting rgy from a spacecraft, characterized by a magnetizable liquid or slurry disposed in operative relationship within the liquid droplet generator and its fluid delivery system, in combination with magnetic means disposed in operative relationship around a liquid droplet collector of the LDR. The magnetic means are effective to focus streams of droplets directed from the generator toward the collector, thereby to assure that essentially all of the droplets are directed into the collector, even though some of the streams may be misdirected as they leave the generator. The magnetic focusing means is also effective to suppress splashing of liquid when the droplets impinge on the collector.
Abstract:
A device for improving waste vitrification in a disposable canister, the process for using the device, and the process for making the device. The disposable canister, also known as a module, has outer and inner containers with thermal insulation therebetween. The device includes an inner container of graphite having a layer of pyrographite on its external wall. The outer container is typically made of stainless steel. The inner container is heated, typically by induction, to melt the frit and waste. The melted mixture is then cooled to form a vitrified product in the module. The fabrication of the pyrographite coating on the inner container involves heating the container to about 1500 degrees centigrade in a methane atmosphere, then cooling the container to ambient temperature.
Abstract:
A process for improving waste vitrification in a disposable canister. In the process, chunks of frit are combined with waste and then added to the disposable canister. The waste and frit are then heated to melt the frit and waste. The melted mixture is then cooled to form a vitrified product in the module.
Abstract:
The maglev guideway is to be constructed on railroad ties of existing rail lines so that the rail lines can be used by both maglev vehicles and conventional trains. A plurality of support bars are mounted on the rail ties, and a plurality of guideway panels mounted on the support bars. Each of the guideway panels has vertical lift and stability windings for providing vertical lift, pitch and roll stability to the maglev vehicle, and preferably also has lateral stability windings and linear synchronous motor windings. A protective cover sheet can be installed on the guideway panel, and the support bars can be pre-assembled by mounting them onto a registration grid. The guideway panel can also have a plurality of slots for accommodating threaded fasteners for mounting the guideway panel to the support bars.
Abstract:
A system 10 and method of detecting an underground pipe 12 injects magnetic marking droplets 16 into the underground pipe 12 which coat the inside of the pipe 12 and may be detected from aboveground by a magnetometer 28. The droplets 16 include a non-adhesive cover 32 which allows free flow thereof through the pipe 12, with the cover 32 being ablatable for the timed-release of a central core 30 containing magnetic particles 30a which adhere to the inside of the pipe 12 and are detectable from aboveground. The rate of ablation of the droplet covers 32 is selectively variable to control a free flowing incubation zone 12a for the droplets 16 and a subsequent deposition zone 12b in which the magnetic particles 30a are released for coating the pipe 12.