A filtering apparatus formed by a plurality of channel systems. Each of the channel systems include an inlet port formed on an inlet side of the plate; no more than one outlet port formed on an outlet side of the plate; and a channel formed in the plate, the channel coupled to the inlet port and to the outlet port, wherein the ratio of the product of the capture area of the inlet ports of a channel system with the first transmissivity associated with the inlet ports to the product of the capture area of the outlet ports of a channel system with the second transmissivity associated with the outlet ports is greater than one. The channel system is configured to interact with objects of interest on a scale which is smaller than a value several orders of magnitude larger than the mean free path of an object of interest. Some plate embodiments are configured to interact with particles, such as air molecules, water molecules, or aerosols. Other plate embodiments are configured to interact with waves or wavelike particles, such as electrons, photons, phonons or acoustic waves.

Methods of powering a heat engine with a remote lasers are disclosed, where the ambient air surrounding the engine is used as the working fluid. All methods include inputting the ambient air into the engine, absorbing laser optical radiation, turning it into heat, supplying the heat to the air, harvesting mechanical work from expanding air and releasing the air back into surrounding atmosphere.

A variable block shaft has a radially enlarged disc formed at a first end. A shaft portion extends from the disc to a second end. An inner bearing race surface is defined intermediate the first and second end and has an outer peripheral surface. An axial length of the inner bearing race surface is defined between inner facing surfaces of lands at each axial side. The axial distance is measured along the center axis of the body and an outer diameter to the inner bearing race surface being defined as a first distance. The axial length of the inner bearing race surface is defined as a second distance and a ratio of the first distance to the second distance being between 3.75 and 3.90. An integrated drive generator and a method are also disclosed.

A launch vehicle having one or more rocket engines, an electric turbopump, and a plurality of batter units. Subsets of the battery units are jettisonable from the launch vehicle using battery jettison mechanisms. The launch vehicle may also include a controller that may determine that a remaining battery capacity of a first proper subset of the battery units is no longer needed for the remaining duration of a flight of the launch vehicle and may then, responsive to such a determination, cause the first proper subset of the battery units to be jettisoned.

A launch vehicle having one or more rocket engines, an electric turbopump, and a plurality of batter units. Subsets of the battery units are jettisonable from the launch vehicle using battery jettison mechanisms. The launch vehicle may also include a controller that may determine that a remaining battery capacity of a first proper subset of the battery units is no longer needed for the remaining duration of a flight of the launch vehicle and may then, responsive to such a determination, cause the first proper subset of the battery units to be jettisoned.

An aerospace turbofan engine that injects oxygen-enriched gas from an inlet includes an oxygen-enriched gas injection component, a body structure, an afterburner middle portion and a first afterburner outer ring. An aerospace turbofan engine that injects oxygen-enriched gas from an inlet and an afterburner individually or simultaneously includes an oxygen-enriched gas injection component, a body structure, an afterburner middle portion and a second afterburner outer ring. The aerospace turbofan engines which fully utilize oxygen in the atmosphere for combustion and work in various flight altitude ranges adopt regenerative cooling-type afterburners with acoustic cavity and baffle plates, so that an aircraft can fly to an altitude of 20-50 km and reach a speed of Mach 2-5. Variants of the aerospace turbofan engines are disclosed.

A satellite has thrusters that are integral parts of its frame. The frame defines cavities therein where thrusters are located. The thrusters may include an electrically-operated propellant and electrodes to activate combustion in the electrically-operated propellant. The frame may be additively manufactured, and the propellant and/or the electrodes may also be additively manufactured, with the frame and the propellant and/or the electrodes also being manufactured in a single process. In addition the thrusters may have nozzle portions through which combustion gases exit the thrusters. The thrusters may be located at corners and/or along edges of the frame, and may be used to accomplish any of a variety of maneuvers for the satellite. The satellite may be a small satellite, such as a CubeSat satellite, for instance having a volume of about 1 liter, and a mass of no more than about 1.33 kg.

A satellite has thrusters that are integral parts of its frame. The frame defines cavities therein where thrusters are located. The thrusters may include an electrically-operated propellant and electrodes to activate combustion in the electrically-operated propellant. The frame may be additively manufactured, and the propellant and/or the electrodes may also be additively manufactured, with the frame and the propellant and/or the electrodes also being manufactured in a single process. In addition the thrusters may have nozzle portions through which combustion gases exit the thrusters. The thrusters may be located at corners and/or along edges of the frame, and may be used to accomplish any of a variety of maneuvers for the satellite. The satellite may be a small satellite, such as a CubeSat satellite, for instance having a volume of about 1 liter, and a mass of no more than about 1.33 kg.

A machine (10) with lifting system (18) includes a method for generating a resultant force (424) from circulating toroidal flow field (410) and poloidal flow field (420) within nearly confined toroid volume (413). The machine (10) architecture has designs for adaptability at assembly level to achieve modularity for ease of fabrication, maintenance, and operations.

A gas turbine engine includes a first shaft coupled to a first turbine and a first compressor, a second shaft coupled to a second turbine and a second compressor, and a third shaft coupled to a third turbine and a fan assembly. The turbine engine includes a heat rejection heat exchanger configured to reject heat from a closed loop system with air passed from the fan assembly, and a combustor positioned to receive compressed air from the second compressor as a core stream. The closed-loop system includes the first, second, and third turbines and the first compressor and receives energy input from the combustor.