Abstract: A silicon on insulator (SOI) photonic device having a waveguide is provided that includes a mode overlap portion with a topology optimized structure situated below an electrode of the capacitance structure. The device can significantly change a refractive index in a volume of mode overlap depending upon the applied potential to the capacitor and allows for a ? phase shift in a modest mode overlap volume. The topology optimized structure has a waveguide and substrate that are partitioned in three dimensions using an extruded projection design. The electrode is a transition metal di-chalcogenide monolayer sheet (2D TMD). The enhanced mode overlay from the topology optimized waveguide portion allows a large reduction in the length of the waveguide with the mode overlap to achieve the needed phase shift for a photonic device.

Abstract: One or more multi-zoned microreactor flow field configurations that facilitate optimized reaction-fluid performance, and one or more methods of designing such multi-zoned microreactor flow fields.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to inhibited waxy starches and methods for using them. One aspect of the disclosure is an inhibited waxy starch based on maize, wheat, or tapioca having an amylopectin content in the range of 90-100%; and a sedimentation volume in the range of 10-50 mL/g; in which the amylopectin fraction of the inhibited waxy starch based on maize, wheat, or tapioca has no more than 48.5% medium-length branches having a chain length from 13-24 (measured by a valley-to-valley method as described herein), and the starch is not pregelatinized. Methods of using the starch materials in food products are also described.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell; a cathode configured to receive a positive charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; an anode disposed apart from the cathode and configured to receive a negative charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; a manifold enclosing the anode and the cathode; coolant disposed within the manifold and surrounding the cathode and the anode; and a seal disposed between the cathode and the anode so as to prevent the coolant from leaking into the first fuel cell, wherein the cathode includes a seal portion disposed adjacent to the seal and a remaining portion separated from the seal by the seal portion, and wherein the remaining portion of the cathode is configured to be non-parallel with the anode so as to reduce shunt current at the seal portion.

Abstract: A fuel cell (FC) assembly having a stack that includes a bipolar plate and a gas diffusion layer (GDL) composed of a microporous metal foam having embedded therein a plurality of discrete microchannels or a plurality of discrete microstructures.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method fluid flow measurements which include a pressure transducer and a flexible tube. The pressure transducer is tuned to measure flow speeds having a Reynolds number less than 100 and include an inlet. The flexible tube has a first end fluidly coupled to the inlet and a second end positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets of a microchannel flow structure. Each of the plurality of fluid outlets has a cross section defining an outlet area. The second end has a cross section defining a flexible tube area that is larger than the outlet area.

Abstract: A double-sided cold plate includes a manifold comprising openings extending from a first surface of the manifold through the manifold to a second surface of the manifold forming recesses within the manifold and an inlet channel and an outlet channel fluidly coupled to the recesses within the manifold, a plurality of first heat sinks coupled to the first surface of the manifold enclosing the openings on the first surface, and a plurality of second heat sinks positioned adjacent each other along a length of the manifold and coupled to the second surface of the manifold, enclosing the openings on the second surface, a width of the plurality of second heat sinks is greater than a width of the manifold thereby forming an overhanging portion on each lengthwise side of the manifold, the overhanging portion configured to mechanically support a plurality of electrical components positioned around a perimeter of the manifold.

Abstract: A bipolar plate-gas diffusion layer (GDL) assembly for a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell includes a flat metallic bipolar plate and a porous metal GDL adjacent to and in direct contact with the flat metallic bipolar plate. The porous metal GDL includes flow channels defined by flow channels walls with flow channel surfaces. The flow channel walls and flow channel surfaces have an average porosity generally equal to an average porosity of an interior of the porous metal GDL.

Abstract: Embodiments of a thermally modulated photonic switch are presented herein. One embodiment comprises a topology-optimized structure that includes dispersed silicon and silicon dioxide. This topology-optimized structure includes an input waveguide, a first output waveguide, and a second output waveguide. The topology-optimized structure routes a light beam from the input waveguide to the first output waveguide, when the topology-optimized structure is at a first predetermined temperature that causes a refractive index of the silicon in the topology-optimized structure to assume a first predetermined value, and the topology-optimized structure routes a light beam from the input waveguide to the second output waveguide, when the topology-optimized structure is at a second predetermined temperature that causes the refractive index of the silicon in the topology-optimized structure to assume a second predetermined value that is distinct from the first predetermined value.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method fluid flow measurements which include a pressure transducer and a flexible tube. The pressure transducer is tuned to measure flow speeds having a Reynolds number less than 100 and include an inlet. The flexible tube has a first end fluidly coupled to the inlet and a second end positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets of a microchannel flow structure. Each of the plurality of fluid outlets has a cross section defining an outlet area. The second end has a cross section defining a flexible tube area that is larger than the outlet area.

Abstract: A model management system performs error analysis on results predicted by a machine learning model. The model management system identifies an incorrectly classified image outputted from a machine learning model and identifies using the Neural Template Matching (NTM) algorithm, an additional image correlated to the selected image. The system outputs correlated images based on a given image and a selection by a user through a user interface of a region of interest (ROI) of the given image. The region is defined by a bounding polygon input and the correlated images include features correlated to the features within the ROI. The system prompts a task associated with the additional image. The system receives a response that includes an indication that the additional image is incorrectly labeled and including a replacement label and instruct that the machine learning model be retrained using an updated training dataset that includes the replacement label.

Abstract: Embodiments of a thermally modulated photonic switch are presented herein. One embodiment comprises a topology-optimized structure that includes dispersed silicon and silicon dioxide. This topology-optimized structure includes an input waveguide, a first output waveguide, and a second output waveguide. The topology-optimized structure routes a light beam from the input waveguide to the first output waveguide, when the topology-optimized structure is at a first predetermined temperature that causes a refractive index of the silicon in the topology-optimized structure to assume a first predetermined value, and the topology-optimized structure routes a light beam from the input waveguide to the second output waveguide, when the topology-optimized structure is at a second predetermined temperature that causes the refractive index of the silicon in the topology-optimized structure to assume a second predetermined value that is distinct from the first predetermined value.

Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, a fuel cell, and a method of designing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell having a hybrid flow field structure that includes a plurality of parallel feed flow channels fluidically connected to an inlet bipolar plate region, a plurality of parallel exit flow channels fluidically connected to an outlet bipolar plate region, and an interwoven pattern formed by a plurality of simplified periodic array flow field structure generated based on flow patterns generated by homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization. The flow field structure enhances fuel cell performance by facilitating lower pressure drop via minimized fluid flow resistance, and removal of accumulated water in the oxygen channel and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the ribs of the bipolar plate.

Abstract: One or more methods of designing an FC bipolar plate that enhance the operational performance of FC. A first image analysis is conducted of image data of a fluid flow field structure having one or more dehomogenized microstructures to identify channels having a fluid flow blockage at a channel wall dead-end. The channel wall dead-end of each identified channel is selectively removed in a manner that fluidically connects each identified channel to an adjacent channel. Then, a second image analysis of the image data is conducted in response to selectively removing the channel wall dead-ends to measure a length of each channel wall. Channels walls having a length greater than a threshold channel wall length value are selectively cut, thereby providing reduced fluid flow resistance throughout the FC.

Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, a fuel cell, and a method of designing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell having a flow field structure that includes a plurality of Representative Elementary Volumes (REVs) generated based on flow patterns generated by homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization. The flow field structure enhances fuel cell performance by facilitating lower pressure drop via minimized fluid flow resistance, and removal of accumulated water in the oxygen channel and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the ribs of the bipolar plate.

Abstract: One or more methods of designing microchannel fluid flow networks in a fuel cell bipolar plate includes executing one or more programs on one or more computing devices having one or more processors to optimize the spatially varying orientations of homogenized anisotropic porous media by iteratively executing a gradient-based algorithm that incorporates objective functions of reaction uniformity and flow resistance, and then generate, in response to the homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization, one or more microchannel fluid flow networks by dehomogenizing the optimized anisotropic porous media.

Abstract: A fuel cell that includes one or more fuel cell bipolar plates having a bipolar plate body with an inlet region, an outlet region, a reaction region arranged between and fluidically connected to the inlet region and the outlet region, and one or more microchannel fluid flow networks extending from the inlet region to the outlet region. The microchannel fluid flow networks include a plurality of primary flow microchannels having one or more secondary flow microchannels branching therefrom to facilitate reaction uniformity and fluid flow resistance through the fuel cell.

Abstract: A double-sided cold plate includes a manifold comprising openings extending from a first surface of the manifold through the manifold to a second surface of the manifold forming recesses within the manifold and an inlet channel and an outlet channel fluidly coupled to the recesses within the manifold, a plurality of first heat sinks coupled to the first surface of the manifold enclosing the openings on the first surface, and a plurality of second heat sinks positioned adjacent each other along a length of the manifold and coupled to the second surface of the manifold, enclosing the openings on the second surface, a width of the plurality of second heat sinks is greater than a width of the manifold thereby forming an overhanging portion on each lengthwise side of the manifold, the overhanging portion configured to mechanically support a plurality of electrical components positioned around a perimeter of the manifold.

Abstract: Methods are provided for designing a structure with developable surfaces using a surface developability constraint. The surface developability constraint is developed based on the discovery of a sufficient condition for surface piecewise developability, namely surface normal directions lie on a small, finite number of planes. Automated methods and algorithms may include providing a design domain and a characteristic function of a material in the design domain to be optimized. The methods include defining a nodal density of the material, and determining surface normal directions of a plurality of planes. A density gradient that describes the surface normal directions is then determined. The methods include performing a topology optimization process on the design domain using a surface developability constraint that is based, at least in part, on the characteristic function. A geometric domain is then created for the structure using results from the topology optimization.

Abstract: A silicon on insulator (SOI) photonic device having a waveguide is provided that includes a mode overlap portion with a topology optimized structure situated below an electrode of the capacitance structure. The device can significantly change a refractive index in a volume of mode overlap depending upon the applied potential to the capacitor and allows for a ? phase shift in a modest mode overlap volume. The topology optimized structure has a waveguide and substrate that are partitioned in three dimensions using an extruded projection design. The electrode is a transition metal di-chalcogenide monolayer sheet (2D TMD). The enhanced mode overlay from the topology optimized waveguide portion allows a large reduction in the length of the waveguide with the mode overlap to achieve the needed phase shift for a photonic device.