A method for increasing the compressive modulus of aerogels comprising: providing aerogel substrate comprising a bubble matrix in a chamber; providing monomer to the chamber, the monomer comprising vapor phase monomer which polymerizes substantially free of polymerization byproducts; depositing monomer from the vapor phase onto the surface of the aerogel substrate under deposition conditions effective to produce a vapor pressure sufficient to cause the vapor phase monomer to penetrate into the b...

A personal portable environmental control system, which includes a thermoelectric device, two heat sinks, an exhaust fan for blowing ambient air across one heat sink and a blower for blowing ambient air across the other heat sink such that the blown air is conditioned (either heated or cooled). The thermoelectric device is disposed between the two heat sinks.

An improved system and method for using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a processing fluid additive for safely and effectively treating water-wet hogout propellant as well as any other water-wet propellants, explosives and hazardous wastes (solids and liquids) to make them compatible with the MSO process. The method includes the step of applying liquid PEG to the hazardous waste to create a slurry or feedstock that when fed directly into the MSO reactor vessel prevents the occurrence of smelt-water...

A method of beam forming an array, by computer processing a cross covariance, of the reference sub array seismic signal data signal, by having an unknown shape comprising receiving acoustic signals, via the array, and computing the data and segmenting the array into an initial segment of a known shape and at least a second segment, and beam forming the initial segment to provide a beam formed output, and using the beam formed output to obtain weights, for the second segment of the array.

A lightweight thermal heat transfer apparatus, including a core section and a laminate composite section. The core section is substantially similar to a diamond shape. The laminate composite section has a plurality of thermally conductive fibers, which are disposed around the core section and oriented at a configuration similar to the core section.

A methodology for engineering or re-engineering workflow management strategy, in furtherance of business excellence, is especially suitable for an organization whose business operations involve machinery. The methodology includes the identification of internal and/or external core functions, the preparation of individual written reports each pertaining to a different core function, the assimilation of such reports into a manual for use by the entire organization, the formation of such organizati...

Analysis of electromagnetic (or acoustic) multipath propagation inventively focuses upon the transmitter-to-target propagation (transmitted propagation reaching target via both direct pathway and forward scattered pathway) and the target-to-receiver propagation (re-transmitted propagation reaching receiver via both direct pathway and forward scattered pathway). Transmitter-to-target propagation is calculated using conventional multipath modeling technique. The target's overall scattered field is...

A vibration absorber jack including a tripod type base, a jack, an absorber positioning mechanism, and a vibration absorber holder. The jack is attached to the base, the absorber positioning mechanism disposed on top of the jack; and, the vibration absorber holder attached to the absorber positioning mechanism such that the vibration absorber holder can be positioned and moved by the absorber positioning mechanism.

A valve uniquely integrates ball valve and throttling valve principals, thus affording quieter stop-and-start operation. A ball held by two seat rings is rotatable ninety degrees and has a diametric bore adjustable between fully closed (0.degree.) and fully open (90.degree.) positions. Oppositely disposed, relative to both the ball and the valve's longitudinal axis, are two plate assemblies each describing a tortuous fluid path. Each ring has conduits communicating with an assembly's tortuous pa...

Many military land vehicles are not designed to withstand extreme forces concomitant exploding mines. A vehicle's capacity to protect its occupants is inventively enhanced by structurally augmenting the vehicle, in lower structural portions closely related to the vehicle's cabin, with both elastomeric and rigid (non-elastomeric) materials. An elastomeric layer and a rigid layer (typically embodied as a metal or composite sheet or plate) are added to the vehicle in each of seven locations, viz., ...