The inventions of NASA Case Nos. NPO-13342, NPO-13402 and NPO-13464 all require pure water and a consequent water tank. The inherent problems of maintaining a water tank in an automobile, such as finding sources of pure water and preventing freezing of the water, can be obviated with this invention which is a means for generating a soot-free hydrogen-rich gas from liquid hydrocarbon fuel. In this invention, the hydrocarbon fuel is vaporized and is then mixed with preheated air. Thereafter, the mixture is ignited and partial oxidation is permitted. Finally, the products of the combustion chamber in the hydrogen reactor are passed through a nickel catalyst bed where flameless partial oxidation of the fuel takes place on the surface of the catalyst to produce a hydrogen-rich gas. METHOD OF FLUXLESS BRAZING AND DIFFUSION BONDING OF ALUMINUM CONTAINING COMPONENTS Aluminum and its alloys are extremely attractive for fabrication into certain components. Among these is the fabrication of radiator panels for use in orbiting satellites. This invention discloses a new welding technique for aluminum alloys namely diffusion bonding or brazing. The salient step of the invention is the use of a polymeric sealer which is applied to clean the surface and which leaves no residue when thermally removed. AIR CUSHION LIFT PAD NASA Case No. MFS-14685 Canada Address inquiries to: Huntsville, AL 35812 [Corresponding to U. S. Patent No. 3,534,826] An air cushion lift pad has been developed which utilizes an air cushion of pressurized air to support a device above a surface. The pad includes an upper wall which slopes upwardly from a center portion. Should the pad tend to tilt, the vertical lift force component acting on the inner wall will tend to decrease on the high side and increase on the low side, thereby producing a torque tending to stabilize the pad along the horizontal. A plurality of pads may be used and the design achieves a very stable device with no flutter, vibration, heaving or pitching. The lift pad may be employed to support an object, vehicle, etc. above a surface. Although the surface may be rough or unprepared, stability is achieved. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING DIAMONDS NASA Case No. MFS-20698 Canada, France, Address inquiries to: Attn: Patent Counsel Mail Code: CC01 Huntsville, AL 35812 [Corresponding to U.S. Patent No. 3,632,242] Diamonds of industrial grade may be fabricated from graphite by this simple but effective apparatus. An exponential horn is vertically positioned with its small end in a graphite receiving pocket. A magnetic hammer above the horn, generates a shock wave in the exponential horn and due to the horn geometry, the velocity of the shock wave is amplified and the shock wave energy concentrated so that all of the energy arrives simultaneously at the small end of the horn. This energy is transferred to the graphite in the anvil pocket and results in pressure and temperature levels that causes the graphite to be transformed, in part, to diamonds. GRAPHITE-REINFORCED ALUMINUM COMPOSITE NASA Case No. MFS-21077 Canada, France, Great Britain, Address inquiries to: Marshall Space Flight Center Attn: Patent Counsel Mail Code: CC01 Huntsville, AL 35812 [Corresponding to U.S. Patent No. 3,894,677) Graphite-reinforced aluminum composite material is prepared by coating high strength, high modulus, and low density graphite fiber with nickel, aligning the coated fibers between and in contact with aluminum sheets in a stacked array, and bonding the array into an integral body by application of heat and pressure. The resulting diffusion-bonded composite shows favorable mechanical properties, the graphite fibers remaining intact during the preparation process. Damaging reactions at the graphite surface are prevented by the protective nickel coating. The graphite-reinforced material prepared by the above method can be subjected to shaping or forming operations without breaking the fibers. 12 10. -13 |