Abstract: A thermal conditioning system for a vehicle seat or other surface includes a thermoelectric Peltier device (TED) with a main side and a waste side. A flap adjusts a proportion of an airflow over the main and waste side airflow paths based on one or more operational parameters of the system. The operational parameters can include a power provided to the TED, the flow rate of the airflow, a thermal efficiency between the TED and the airflow, and/or a setpoint temperature of the airflow.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes a seat that is configured to provide an interface between an occupant and a seating surface, an actuator that is configured to adjust a seat positioning that characterizes the interface, at least one microclimate thermal effector that is in thermal communication with the seat at the interface, and a controller that is in communication with the microclimate thermal effector. The controller is configured to regulate the microclimate thermal effector based upon the interface.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes multiple microclimate thermal effectors. Each of the microclimate communication with the microclimate thermal effectors and includes a plurality of first transfer functions. Each of the first transfer functions models a corresponding microclimate thermal effector in the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors. A system transfer function models the microclimate system. Each of the first transfer functions is nested within the system transfer function.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes multiple microclimate thermal effectors. Each of the microclimate thermal effectors has a corresponding thermal effector controller and is configured to at least partially control an occupant thermal comfort. Each of the microclimate thermal effectors includes at least one sensor configured to determine a microclimate parameter corresponding to at least one microclimate thermal effector of the multiple microclimate thermal effectors. A microclimate system controller is in communication with a plurality of thermal effector controllers. An optimizer is configured to apply a corresponding weighting value from a plurality of weighting values to each thermal effector controller in the plurality microclimate thermal effectors.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are BioElectrochemical Systems (BESs) and methods using them for removing ionic compounds from water, treating organics in wastewater, and for energy recovery from the conversion of CO2 to CH4 in an anaerobic setting, for example, for biogas upgrading, or the production of H2 from water electrolysis. In alternative embodiments, provided are products of manufacture that are anoxic BioElectrochemical Systems (BES) for ion removal, energy recovery by the conversion of CO2 to CH4, or by the production of H2 from water electrolysis wastewater treatment and/or biogas upgrading of CO2 to CH4. In alternative embodiments, a bioanode is inoculated with an engineered microbial community of natural occurring bacteria in the site wastewater. In alternative embodiments, the biocathode is inoculated with a methanogenic community or engineered microbes for chemical reduction and/or plastic degradation.

Abstract: A cordless appliance includes a blender having a base unit with a housing and an upwardly opening upper cavity. A drive connection is positioned within the upwardly opening upper cavity. The housing further includes a battery-receiving cavity that is configured to receive a removable battery. A motor is disposed within the housing of the base unit it is contemplated to be powered by the removable battery. A blender jar includes an upper collar in an interior cavity. A first lid assembly is configured to be coupled to the upper collar of the blender jar and includes a blade assembly and a drive connecting member. A second lid assembly includes a cap member removably received on an open aperture of the second lid assembly. The first and second lid assemblies are configured for limited rotation with respect to the blender jar for engagement of the same.

Abstract: Methods of producing an optical surface atop an exterior of a substrate that includes smoothing the exterior using an ALD process to sequentially deposit ALD layers to produce one or more ALD films that fill spaces between spaced-apart asperities existing on the exterior, and thereafter depositing a reflective material on the smoothed exterior of the substrate to produce the optical surface. The smoothing resulting from depositing the ALD film on the exterior of the substrate causes the grain size of the reflective material to be reduced in comparison to the grain size that would exists without having deposited the ALD film on the exterior of the substrate. The smoothing is sufficient to cause a reduction in grain size that results in a reduction in plasmon absorption in the optical surface in comparison to the plasmon absorption that would otherwise exist without having reduced the grain size of the reflective material.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for a multi-tenant mode of a serverless code execution system. For instance, a method may include maintaining a set of execution environments, wherein each execution environment is associated with a serverless function, wherein the serverless function is associated with a software as a service (SaaS) provider that is a tenant of a cloud services provider, wherein the SaaS provider provides services to sub-tenants, wherein the set of execution environments are partitioned based on sub-tenants of the SaaS provider; receiving a call to execute a serverless function, wherein the call includes a serverless function identifier and a sub-tenant identifier; identifying a sub-tenant-specific execution environment of the set of execution environments that is associated with the sub-tenant; and in response to identifying the tenant-specific execution environment, invoking the serverless function on the sub-tenant-specific execution environment.

Abstract: A method of providing thermal conditioning for a vehicle occupant according to an example of the present disclosure includes determining a respective target temperature for each of a plurality of discrete OPZs. Each OPZ is associated with a different occupant body area. The determining is based on a difference between a first OTS indicative of a target heat flux for the occupant and a second OTS indicative of an estimated heat flux experienced by the occupant, wherein the respective target temperatures differ between the OPZs. The method includes providing thermal conditioning in each OPZ based on the target temperature for the OPZ, which includes utilizing at least one thermal effector in the OPZ. The method also includes receiving a temperature offset value for a particular one of the OPZs from the occupant, and adjusting the target temperature for the particular one of the OPZs based on the temperature offset value.

Abstract: An example method of providing thermal conditioning includes providing a HAL having a plurality of input drivers that obtain input data from temperature sensors, and a plurality of output drivers that control a discrete thermal effectors in discrete OPZs in a vehicle cabin. An EVAL obtains input data from the HAL and estimates a heat flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile. An OAL determines a first parameter based on a target heat flux for the occupant across all of the OPZs, determines a second parameter based on the estimated heat flux of the occupant from the EVAL, and determines respective temperature setpoints for each of the plurality of OPZs to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters. The thermal effectors are controlled based on the temperature setpoints.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes multiple microclimate thermal effectors. Each of the microclimate thermal effectors at least partially controls a climate in at least one of multiple occupant zones. Each of the microclimate thermal effectors includes a sensor configured to determine microclimate temperature data corresponding to the zone. A controller includes an input configured to receive vehicle temperature data including cabin temperature and outside air temperature from a vehicle data bus. The controller fuses the microclimate temperature data with the vehicle temperature data and determines an estimated local equivalent temperature for each of the microclimate thermal effectors. The controller further provides a temperature command to each of the microclimate thermal effectors based upon the estimated local equivalent temperature corresponding to the microclimate thermal effector.

Abstract: A method of controlling a microclimate system includes identifying a set of multiple microclimate thermal effectors configured to provide multiple occupant zones and determining a differential temperature between a local temperature at one of the microclimate thermal effectors and a preset temperature for the microclimate thermal effectors. The differential temperature is determined for each of the microclimate thermal effectors. A fuzzy set is generated for each of the microclimate thermal effectors based upon the respective differential temperature. A respective temperature set point for each of the microclimate thermal effectors is defined based upon the fuzzy set for the corresponding microclimate thermal effectors. Each microclimate thermal effector is commanded to the corresponding respective temperature set point.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reducing cold starts code within a serverless code execution system by providing a set of environments reserved for the code. A frontend distribute calls for execution among a set of manager devices that manage environments in the system, distributed in a manner that groups calls together and attempts to distribute calls of the same group to a stable subset of the manager devices. In the case that a user reduces or eliminates the number of environments reserved for the code, a frontend continues to distribute calls for execution of the code to those environments while they continue to be used. This reduces cold starts that might otherwise occur during reduction or elimination of reserved environments.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reducing cold starts code within a serverless code execution system by providing a set of environments reserved for the code. A frontend distribute calls for execution among a set of manager devices that manage environments in the system, distributed in a manner that groups calls together and attempts to distribute calls of the same group to a stable subset of the manager devices. In the case that a user reduces or eliminates the number of environments reserved for the code, a frontend continues to distribute calls for execution of the code to those environments while they continue to be used. This reduces cold starts that might otherwise occur during reduction or elimination of reserved environments.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reducing cold starts code within a serverless code execution system by providing a set of environments reserved for the code. A frontend utilizes a consistent hash ring to distribute calls for execution among a set of manager devices that manage environments in the system, distributed in a manner that groups calls together and attempts to distribute calls of the same group to a stable subset of the manager devices. Each group is assigned an arc, representing a subset of manager devices. When a call is received to execute a set of code that has environments reserved, the frontend distributes the call to a manager device of a reserved arc. When a call is received to execute a set of code that does not have environment reserved, the frontend distributes the call to an arc associated with an arc for unreserved executions.

Abstract: A high pressure obturator for a breech loaded, tube-launched projectile includes a generally annular ring having a central longitudinal axis and a radially inward portion. A flange portion is disposed radially outward of and partially contiguous with the radially inward portion. The flange portion extends axially forward and aft beyond the radially inward portion. The outer diameter of the flange portion decreases linearly from an aft most outer diameter to a forward most outer diameter. The obturator may be formed of a plastic material and include circumferential wraps of a high-strength fiber completely embedded in grooves in the obturator.

Abstract: A method of determining fluid pressure on a gun-launched projectile relies on deformation of a thin layer of a metallic material that comprises the outer layer of a segment of the projectile body. The axial segment of the projectile body that is selected for pressure measurement is altered or replaced with another axial segment. The altered segment has a thin-walled, structural, metallic sleeve that is concentric with an underlying hollow, metallic cylindrical body. The radially outermost surface of the body underlying the sleeve has a plurality of indentations formed thereon. Measurements of the deformations of the thin-walled sleeve into the indentations in the underlying body are correlated with known deformation and pressure data to determine pressure that was applied to the projectile during its ballistic cycle.

Abstract: A round for simulating an 155 mm Excalibur ammunition for testing purposes. The round can effectively simulate the flight patterns of a real Excalibur round for testing purposes though made of far less expensive reusable parts. The round is generally fired into a water trough in a long soft catch recovery device so the tested round can later be studied, or generally fired ballistically, to test obturator devices.