Abstract:
Systems and methods for monitoring an animal include receiving a plurality of biological parameters of the animal from a plurality of biological sensors, receiving location parameters of the animal from at least one location sensor, receiving weather parameters corresponding to ambient weather conditions proximate the animal from at least one ambient weather sensor, and comparing at least one of the parameters generated by the sensors with data representing at least one signature corresponding to the animal to determine if there is an irregular parameter. In response to an irregular reading/parameter being identified, then determining if the identified irregular parameter is related to a health condition of the animal and if the identified irregular parameter is not related to the health condition of the animal, then determining if the identified irregular parameter is related to an illegal activity.
Abstract:
A multi-junction solar cell includes a plurality of photovoltaic cell layers that are electrically connected and stacked to define upper and lower subcells having at least one step difference therebetween that exposes portions of the lower subcell such that, responsive to incident illumination, a current density of the exposed portions of the lower subcell is greater than that of portions thereof having the upper subcell thereon. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.
Abstract:
A method for separating undesired components from gas mixtures comprises the following steps of providing a gas mixture containing at least two gaseous components, wherein one component is an undesired component, feeding water to the gas mixture, forming a hydrate of the undesired component and a remaining gas mixture, wherein the hydrate is formed by spraying a combination comprising the water and the gas mixture, and separating the hydrate from the remaining gas mixture.
Abstract:
The application discloses a compact, multiport converter for interfacing photovoltaic (PV) panels to an energy storage system of a CubeSat. The multiport converter includes a series of connected half-bridge modules, fed by PV panels, that supplies the energy storage system. Further, a control strategy allows the multiport converter to extract a maximum amount of solar power from PV panels under varying irradiation conditions. One example multiport converter includes a multiple-input multiple-output converter that achieves a smaller footprint by utilizing a single inductor for transferring energy. Some aspects also enhance a fault-tolerance capability of CubeSats using a new EPS architecture, for example, by providing independent converters for maximum power point tracking of PV panels. The fault-tolerance capabilities are further enhanced by a new power-down mode for generation and load-side converters. Additionally, certain aspects include an ability to provide a power-reset of the CubeSat from a ground station.
Abstract:
In general, embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method of sulfur polymerization including preparing a monomer solution. The monomer solution includes sulfur, at least one monomer selected from a vinyl-monomer group including styrene, n-butyl methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, and mixtures thereof, one or more surfactants. The method includes preparing a reaction solution. The reaction solution includes water, combining the monomer solution with the reaction solution, agitating the reaction solution and the monomer solution, adding a free radical initiator, and increasing a reaction temperature.
Abstract:
This invention relates to methods and systems for determining whether a reference point in a location system has changed used measurement residuals determined from an exchange of messages between reference points. In one embodiment a method of determining whether the location of a first one of a plurality of reference points used in a location system has changed is provided. The reference points each have a known initial position and the method includes the steps of: sending a wireless message between a second reference point and the first reference point and recording the times of sending and receipt of the wireless message; estimating from the recorded times, an estimated distance between the first reference point and the second reference point; comparing the estimated distance to the actual distance between the known initial positions of the first and second reference points to determine a measurement residual; and determining, using the measurement residual, whether the location of the first reference point has changed.
Abstract:
Methods and systems are disclosed to determine a permeability value and a permeability image of a rock. The process can include determining labeling of a 3D segment of a rock. The labeled segments can be determined using, for example, computer vision and machine learning and can be used to determine a grain size of a 3D rock segments. The grain size value can be used to determine a permeability value for the 3D rock segment. The permeability value of the 3D rock segment can be used to determine the heterogeneous permeability of the rock.
Abstract:
A system (200) including a proportional -integral-derivative (PID) controller (201), a modified relay feedback test (MRFT) block (202), a memory block (211), a biasing block (213), a dq0-to-abc transformation block (210), a switch (207) configured to selectively couple output signal of the biasing block or the PID controller output signal to the input of the dq0-to-abc transformation block (210), a three phase digital pulse width modulator (208), electronic switches (203), a voltage sensor (206) configured to measure the output of each voltage of the three phases on the load and produce voltage data signals (Voa, Vob, Voc), and an abc-to-dq0 transformation block (209) having an input being a representative of the phase voltages on the load, and producing an output being a representative of these voltages in the dq0 format.
Abstract:
A method of automatically tuning a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller (102) controlling a DC-DC converter (100) includes substituting the PID controller (102) with a modified relay feedback test (MRFT) (104) controller having a threshold parameter (β) and a magnitude parameter (h), iteratively determining a current error signal (e[k]) by measuring an output voltage (Vo[k]) of the DC-DC converter (100) and comparing it to a desired reference output voltage (Vo-ref), input the error signal (e[k]) to the MRFT (104), determining an output value (u[k]) of the MRFT, update the duty cycle (D) based on the output value (u[k]), operating the DC-DC converter (100) using the updated duty cycle (D), exciting oscillations in the loop containing the MRFT (104) and the DC-DC converter (100), measuring a frequency (Ω0) and amplitude (α0) of the output voltage (Vo[k]), updating PID controller parameters based on the frequency (Ω0) and amplitude (α0), and substituting the MRFT (104) with the PID controller (102).
Abstract:
The present disclosure features a Janus composite having a hydrophobic nanoparticulate component and a 2- or 3-dimensional hydrophilic framework, and materials, systems, methods of making the Janus composite and methods of using the Janus composite for separating oil from an oil-in-water emulsion. For example, Janus composites with MoS2 nanospheres on/in a hydrophilic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) or cellulose acetate framework are provided.