Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling a characteristic of a cement slurry at a cementing unit, including regulating a characteristic of the cement slurry employing a closed loop feedback arrangement in the cementing unit, and adjusting a gain of the closed loop feedback arrangement in response to sampling an error of the characteristic.

Abstract: An ingot puller apparatus for producing a doped single crystal silicon ingot includes a housing defining a chamber, a crucible disposed within the chamber, and a dopant injector extending into the housing. The dopant injector includes a delivery module attached to and extending through the housing into the chamber. The delivery module includes a dopant injection tube positioned within the chamber and a vaporization cup positioned within the dopant injection tube and the chamber. The second valve selectively channels the liquid dopant into the vaporization cup and the vaporization cup vaporizes the liquid dopant into a vaporized dopant.

Abstract: This application relates to an enclosure for a portable electronic device. The enclosure includes an aluminum alloy substrate and an anodized layer overlaying and formed from the aluminum alloy substrate. The anodized layer includes pores, where the pores include (i) dye particles that impart the anodized layer with a color, and (ii) divalent metal cations.

Abstract: A building board having an integral vapor-permeable water-resistant barrier (WRB) sheet, and a process for making same, and a two-material layered laminate useful for making said building board, wherein the building board comprises in order, a WRB sheet, a polymer tie layer, and a board substrate bonded together in a face-to-face relationship, the polymer tie layer comprising of a thermally or high frequency activated fibrous web and having voids through the thickness of said layer such that the polymer tie layer has a moisture vapor transmission rate through said layer of at least equal to or greater than that of the WRB sheet, the polymer of the polymer tie layer having an elastic modulus (G?) greater than 1×106 Pa at 20° C. and a softening temperature of greater than 122° F. (50 C), the softening temperature being the temperature at which the polymer elastic modulus (G?) drops below 30 percent of the elastic modulus (G?) of the polymer at 20° C.

Abstract: A pouch cell includes a copper foil forming a pouch, an active material layer adjacent to the copper foil inside the pouch forming a cathode with the copper, and a lithium-based anode inside the pouch. The cell includes a separator interposing the one active material layer and the lithium-based anode, and an electrolyte. In other embodiments, the active material forms an anode with the copper and the cathode is a lithium-based cathode.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques for performing a process can include performing, by a plurality of subjects, a first repetitive movement with a specified stress or strain per cycle; analyzing for soft tissue disorganization or partially torn soft tissue in each of the plurality of subjects; generating an association relating stress or strain to a number of cycles that cause a transition to subrupture damaged tissue or to incomplete tear damaged tissue; measuring a stress or strain per cycle for a second repetitive movement that makes up the process; determining a limit on a number of cycles of the second repetitive movement intended to avoid at least one of: a transition to subrupture damaged soft tissue or to incomplete tear damage tissue; and performing the second repetitive movement as part of the process while ensuring that no individual subject exceeds the limit on the number of cycles of the second repetitive movement.

Abstract: A bolt stop actuator is disclosed. The actuator may include a lift arm, a first leg extending from a point proximate to an end of the lift bar and generally perpendicular therefrom, a second leg extending in the same direction from the lift bar as the first leg, and a projection extending from the lift bar and configured to contact a follower of an empty magazine when the bolt stop actuator is assembled into a firearm. Neither the first leg, nor the second leg, include apertures positioned distal to the lift arm.

Abstract: A modular smoker includes a base portion having a through bore extending from a first end of the base portion to a second end of the base portion, wherein the through bore is configured to define a shelf between the first end and the second end, a top portion configured to be removably coupled with the base portion, wherein the top portion has a through bore extending from a first end of the top portion to an opposite second end of the top portion in a first direction, and a screen configured to be held on the shelf of the through bore between the first end and the second end of the base portion.

Abstract: A bolt stop actuator is disclosed. The actuator may include a lift arm, a first leg extending from a point proximate to an end of the lift bar and generally perpendicular therefrom, a second leg extending in the same direction from the lift bar as the first leg, and a projection extending from the lift bar and configured to contact a follower of an empty magazine when the bolt stop actuator is assembled into a firearm. Neither the first leg, nor the second leg, include apertures positioned distal to the lift arm.

Abstract: A pouch cell includes a copper foil forming a pouch, an active material layer adjacent to the copper foil inside the pouch forming a cathode with the copper, and a lithium-based anode inside the pouch. The cell includes a separator interposing the one active material layer and the lithium-based anode, and an electrolyte.

Abstract: A laminate comprises a wicking fabric and a polymeric film adhered to both sides of the wicking fabric, wherein the wicking fabric comprises a plurality of holes, the polymeric films on both sides of the wicking fabric are fused together at each hole, and the laminate functions as an air barrier when measured in accordance with ASTM E2178-13, and allows the passage of liquid water as per ASTM E2273-18.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein provide systems and methods that can facilitate increased detector sensitivity and reliability in a scanning laser device. Specifically, the systems and methods utilize detectors with multiple sensors that are configured to receive reflections of laser light pulses from objects within a scan field. These multiple sensors are configured to receive these reflections through the same optical assembly used to scan the laser light pulses out to the scan field. Furthermore, the multiple sensors are configured to at least partially cancel the effects of back reflections from within the optical assembly itself. The cancellation of the effects of back reflections from within the optical assembly can improve the sensitivity of the detector, particularly for the detection of low energy reflections of laser pulses from within the scan field.

Abstract: An ingot puller apparatus for producing a doped single crystal silicon ingot includes a housing defining a chamber, a crucible disposed within the chamber, and a dopant injector extending into the housing. The dopant injector includes a delivery module attached to and extending through the housing into the chamber. The delivery module includes a dopant injection tube positioned within the chamber and a vaporization cup positioned within the dopant injection tube and the chamber. The second valve selectively channels the liquid dopant into the vaporization cup and the vaporization cup vaporizes the liquid dopant into a vaporized dopant.

Abstract: A method for doping a single crystal silicon ingot pulled includes heating a vaporization cup. The method also includes maintaining a pressure of an interior of the housing at a first pressure. The method further includes injecting liquid dopant into the dopant injection tube and the vaporization cup. A pressure of the liquid dopant is maintained at a second pressure greater than the first pressure prior to injection into the dopant injection tube and the vaporization cup. The method also includes vaporizing the liquid dopant into vaporized dopant within the housing. The liquid dopant is vaporized by flash evaporation by heating the liquid dopant with the vaporization cup and reducing the pressure of the liquid dopant from the second pressure to the first pressure by injecting the liquid dopant into the housing. The method further includes channeling the vaporized dopant into the housing using the dopant injection tube.

Abstract: This application relates to a method for forming an enclosure for a portable electronic device, the enclosure including a metal substrate that is overlaid by an anodized layer. The method includes dyeing the anodized layer by exposing pores of the anodized layer to a dye. The method further includes sealing the dye within the pores by exposing the anodized layer to a zinc-based sealing solution, where an external surface of the anodized layer having the pores that are sealed includes an amount of zinc between about 3 wt % to about 6 wt %.

Abstract: A method of forming a battery electrode includes spraying a suspension of nanoparticle sized metal oxide to create an active layer.

Abstract: A crossed golf tee that assists with the alignment of a golf shot when using the golf tee.

Abstract: A method of detecting defects on a semiconductor wafer includes directing diffuse light to the semiconductor wafer and reflecting the diffuse light off of the semiconductor wafer. The method further includes detecting the diffuse light with a camera to generate an image of the semiconductor wafer and analyzing the image to detect defects on the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer imaging system for imaging a semiconductor wafer includes shroud panels defining a black box, a camera positioned in the black box for imaging the semiconductor wafer, and an illumination panel for directing diffuse light to the semiconductor wafer. A portion of the diffuse light is reflected off the semiconductor wafer and the camera images the semiconductor wafer by detecting the reflected diffuse light.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing system for processing a semiconductor wafer includes a semiconductor wafer processing station for processing the semiconductor wafer and a semiconductor wafer imaging system that images the semiconductor wafer after the semiconductor wafer processing station processes the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer imaging system includes shroud panels defining a black box, a camera positioned in the black box for imaging the semiconductor wafer, and an illumination panel for directing diffuse light to the semiconductor wafer. A portion of the diffuse light is reflected off the semiconductor wafer and the camera images the semiconductor wafer by detecting the reflected diffuse light.