Abstract:
There is provided a water jet propulsion device 10 for a water vehicle, comprising a main duct 12 having a main inlet 14 that is arranged to be submerged in use and a main outlet 16; a pump disposed between the main inlet 14 and the main outlet 16; and a plurality of injection nozzles 40, 50, 60, 70 each arranged to selectively eject a jet of fluid into a different region A, B, C, D susceptible to cavitation, so as to re-energise the fluid flow in that region.
Abstract:
A strain sensor apparatus for a rotatable shaft including an emitter/receiver, a vibration element attached to the shaft and arranged for receiving and reflecting signals to and from the emitter/receiver wherein the vibration element includes asymmetric stiffness properties between a radial and axial and/or circumferential directions relative to a rotational axis of the shaft.
Abstract:
An arrangement for controlling flow of fluid to a component of a gas turbine engine, the arrangement comprising: a conduit, coupled to a supply of fluid, for providing fluid to the component of the gas turbine engine; a magnetic valve for at least partially restricting the conduit and having a valve member with at least a first configuration in which the conduit is at least partially restricted and a second configuration in which the conduit is relatively open, wherein the configuration of the valve member is controlled by magnetic flux in a magnetic circuit which includes at least one member comprising ferromagnetic material, whereby the configuration is responsive to the temperature of the ferromagnetic material.
Abstract:
The stress wave activity produced in a surface by a writing instrument during the generation of a given piece of handwriting is detected by a transducer and is electrically processed. The stress wave activity is compared with a stress wave activity, produced during at least one previous generation of the given piece of handwriting, held in a store, by a processing unit in order to determine whether the detected and stored handwriting pieces have a common author. If the detected and stored handwriting pieces are determined to have a common author a weighted average of the stored stress wave activity and the detected stress wave activity is produced. The weighted average includes a weighted average of the amplitudes and a weighted average of times of events. This weighted average stress wave activity then replaces the stored stress wave activity in the store. This allows natural variations in the way an individual writes a given piece of handwriting to be accommodated without false indications of inauthenticity.
Abstract:
A strain sensor apparatus for a rotatable shaft including a radiation emitter/receiver, a vibration element attached to the shaft and a reflector that is positioned to reflect radiation onto the vibration element.
Abstract:
A blade having a root portion and an aerofoil portion, wherein the aerofoil portion has a tip remote from the root portion, and a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein the tip of the aerofoil portion has a set-back portion extending from the leading edge or the trailing edge of the aerofoil portion part way towards the respective other edge and set back from the remainder of the tip of the aerofoil portion towards the root portion.
Abstract:
A shape memory material inductive heating arrangement comprising an array of coils capable of carrying an alternating electrical current and generating a magnetic field, a shape memory element having a first modulus and a second modulus, the second modulus greater than the first, characterised in that the array of coils and shape memory element are in effective range so that when an alternating current is passed through the coils the shape memory element is subject to the magnetic field and heated thereby, the induced heat sufficient to change the modulus of the shape memory material from the first to the second modulus.
Abstract:
A portable container and display stand particularly useful for music educational purposes comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels made from a single sheet of rigid, lightweight material having a plurality of transverse fold lines. One of the panels is fixed in a folded position and attached to the base panel. Light weight borders form an enclosed container area when the various panels are folded, thereby providing a relatively small, lightweight and portable container for transporting and storing papers or other written materials, such as books, magazines or sheet music. Unfolding the various panels to place the device in a display stand mode is a simple process involving easy manipulation of the top two panels. When unfolded, the device forms a display stand for displaying written material in an easily viewable position.
Abstract:
An apparatus for pre-stressing a component, the apparatus includes means to direct a beam of radiation in a path through a medium adjacent to the component between a pair of electrodes to produce ionisation in the path through the medium and means to produce an electrical discharge between the pair of electrodes in the path through the medium to produce a pressure pulse in the medium adjacent to the component without the electrical discharge directly contacting the component, the pressure pulse impacting a surface of the component to produce a region of compressive residual stress within the component.
Abstract:
A variable geometry (2) structure comprising: an flexural element (4); a tensioning element (6) connected to the flexural element (8); and an actuator (12) for adjusting the tensioning element (6) to change the load placed on the flexural element (4), thereby changing the geometry of the structure (2).