Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing power generation and distribution with on-site energy storage and power input controlled by a utility or a third party manager. The system allows a utility manager to decide and direct how energy is delivered to a customer on both sides of the power meter, while the customer directs and controls when and how much energy is needed. In the disclosed embodiments, the utility controls the supply (either transmitted or stored) and makes power decisions on a system that acts as a virtual power plant, while the end-user retains control of the on-site aggregated power consumption assets. The disclosed systems act to broker the needs of the utility and end-user by creating, managing and controlling the interface between these two entities.

Abstract: Disclosed are aqueous chemical leak detection cables that provide protection to sensor wires by using a conductive polymer coating that is resistant to corrosion by aqueous chemicals. In addition, non-conductive, liquid pervious layers may surround one or more of the sensor wires to assist in preventing false detection of an aqueous chemical leak as a result of various non-liquid contaminants. The non-conductive, liquid pervious layer may comprise spirally wrapped or braided, non-hydroscopic, non-conductive monofilament fibers, or a continuous, non-conductive pervious coating.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating a chosen gas from a mixture of gases having no moving parts and utilizing no chemical processing is described. The separation of particulates from fluid carriers thereof has been observed using ultrasound. In a similar manner, molecular species may be separated from carrier species. It is also known that light-induced drift may separate light-absorbing species from carrier species. Therefore, the combination of temporally pulsed absorption of light with ultrasonic concentration is expected to significantly increase the efficiency of separation by ultrasonic concentration alone. Additionally, breaking the spatial symmetry of a cylindrical acoustic concentrator decreases the spatial distribution of the concentrated particles, and increases the concentration efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed is a closed-loop feedback system for controlling the soft error rate (SER) due to radiation strikes on electronic circuitry. A variable sensitivity soft error rate detector provides and output corresponding to the soft error rate. This output is supplied to a voltage control. The output of the voltage control is fed back to the sensitivity control of the sensor—thus forming a feedback loop. The output of the voltage control may be the power supply of the soft error rate sensor. The output of the soft error rate sensor may also be used to enable and disable fault tolerant schemes or alert a user.

Abstract: A multipurpose fluid distribution system including a network of fluid distribution heads associated with a landscape. Also included is a water supply feeding the network of fluid distribution heads. The fluid distribution heads may be typical irrigation or sprinkler heads or specialized heads useful for reaching portions of the outside of a structure or landscape which are not typically irrigated such as the roofs of buildings. Also included in the multipurpose fluid distribution system is a series of distribution valves operatively disposed between the water supply and the network of fluid distribution heads. The system can be controlled with a control unit associated with the distribution valves which is configured to automatically open select distribution valves or open select distribution valves according to manual input.

Abstract: Disclosed is an internal cable system that communicates signals in an electronic device. The system uses a printed circuit board with active circuits that is connected to a standard communication cable. The printed circuit board is exposed to air flow from the cooling system of the electronic device for proper operation of the active components of the active circuits on the printed circuit board. The standard cable may include a SCSI internal cable or other similar signal communication cables. Signal integrity is enhanced using the active circuits that are mounted on the printed circuit board. Power is supplied to the printed circuit board through inactive conductors in the cable or conductors that would otherwise be used for grounding.

Abstract: A syndrome calculator receives an input codeword and calculates a first set of syndromes. A syndrome transform receives the first set of syndromes having and determines a second set of syndromes. The second set of syndromes is based on the first set of syndromes. The second set of syndromes has number of syndromes that is less than the number of syndromes in the first set of syndromes. A key equation solver receives the second set of syndromes and produces an indication of zero or more error locations and an indication of zero or more error values.

Abstract: Disclosed is a self-locking hitch pin for joining a hitch device to a receiver hitch in a quick and easy manner using a single, self-contained mechanism. The hitch pin is comprised of shaft with a locking member on one end and a handle and weight on the other end and a spring and retainers to keep the hitch pin in place. The self-locking hitch pin allows for single-handed installation and securing of a hitch device to a receiver hitch with no pin or locking mechanism to be lost or dropped. The self-locking hitch pin can be inserted into the hitch orifice, have pressure applied to the spring, rotate the hitch pin allowing gravity to engage the locking member and then release pressure on the spring coupling both devices together.

Abstract: An isolation valve includes a shield that surrounds and protects the valve closure actuator components from exposure to corrosive fluids that flow through the valve when the valve is open.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and method for delivering oxygen from an oxygen supply to a person in a convenient, sanitary and organized manner. The oxygen delivery system includes a rail attached to a surface of the room and a sliding trolley attached to the rail. An oxygen supply tube is attached to the oxygen supply and the trolley for transferring oxygen from the oxygen supply to the trolley. The system enables the person to move to various locations in the room while receiving oxygen from the oxygen supply through the oxygen supply tube, the trolley, a drop tube and a nasal cannula, or other breathing device connected to the trolley. The person may guide the trolley around the room by pulling the drop tube in the desired direction of travel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and mechanism for virtualizing the resources of multiple physical storage controller cards/HBAs available to a host computer system into a single virtual controller. An Advanced Storage Driver (ASD) may be inserted in a layer above the base device drivers of the storage controllers/HBAs and act as a single virtual controller for access to the end target devices connected to the multiple physical storage controllers/HBAs so that at any point in time the resources of each of the controllers/HBAs may be dynamically allocated to the various requested operations. The ASD may have bi-directional communication with each controller/HBA firmware directly and/or with the base device driver associated with each controller/HBA in order to permit both direct and base device driver controlled communication with each of the physical controllers/HBAs.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of issuing volume level alerts to provide a warning that indicates overutilization of storage resources in a computer system. Volume level checking is performed without the necessity of checking all the volumes, but only upon the occurrence of certain changes so that the only the most problematic volumes are checked. Hence, only a small number of volumes must be checked and only in response to certain identified changes. The method is applicable to any criterion for overutilization of storage resources which satisfies basic persistency rules. The method is also applicable to assessing risk for the use of other resources, such as communication bandwidth, that are supplied by resource providers, or pools of providers, to users of bandwidth. The principles disclosed can be utilized to check resources on an asset by asset basis, using the free space ratio definition provided to assess risk of overutilization of resources.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for hanging textiles such as quilts having a rod pocket attached to the back surface thereof are described. In one embodiment, the hanger includes a center tube, two rods which adjustably fit into the center tube, a permanent magnet disposed inside the center tube at its center, and a bracket effective for mounting on a wall or other surface fabricated from magnetic material, for magnetically holding the center tube. In this embodiment of the invention, the hanging apparatus is hidden from view, is self leveling and requires only one mounting location.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and device for a refrigerant-based thermal energy storage and cooling system with multiple condensing units utilizing a common evaporator coil. The disclosed embodiments provide a refrigerant-based ice storage system with increased reliability, lower cost components, and reduced power consumption and ease of installation.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for non-contact (stand-off) ultrasonic determination of certain characteristics of fluids in containers or pipes are described. A combination of swept frequency acoustic interferometry (SFAI), wide-bandwidth, air-coupled acoustic transducers, narrowband frequency data acquisition, and data conversion from the frequency domain to the time domain, if required, permits meaningful information to be extracted from such fluids.

Abstract: A fixed length Reed-Solomon encoder is configured to produce a first fixed number of redundant symbols. The fixed length Reed-Solomon encoder is configured with an encoding polynomial that is fixed. A symbol preprocessor maps each input data symbol to a transformed input data symbol. A symbol postprocessor maps a second fixed number of redundant symbols output from the fixed length Reed-Solomon encoder to a set of redundant symbols. The second fixed number of redundant symbols is less than the first fixed number of redundant symbols.

Abstract: A fast-acting, pneumatic diaphragm valve includes a diaphragm valve closure member, a pneumatic piston that provides a closure force on the closure member, and a solenoid pilot valve that controls pressurized air to the piston to cause the piston to move in a reciprocal manner so that the closure member opens and closes the valve. The valve seat seal can be elastomer for enhancing speed, and the solenoid pilot valve can be positioned and configured with air flow longitudinally through or past the solenoid armature to enhance speed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for simulating wind interaction with wind turbines. A turbine blade is divided into radial sections. The effect that each of these radial sections has on the velocities in Eulerian computational cells they overlap is determined. The effect is determined using Lagrangian techniques such that the calculations need not include wind components in the radial direction. A force on each radial section of turbine blade is determined. This force depends on the axial and azimuthal components of the fluid flow in the computational cell and the geometric properties of the turbine blade. The force on the turbine blade is fed back to effect the fluid flow in the computational cell for the next time step.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and a SAS controller device that abstract access from one or more virtual machines operating on a host system to SAS physical devices connected to the SAS controller without a routing table for port-to-port messaging on the SAS controller. An embodiment may create a virtual expander for each physical port of the SAS controller and further create virtual ports within the virtual expanders to provide abstracted access to SAS physical devices for the virtual machines. The SAS physical devices may be replicated/cloned within the virtual ports. Each replicated/cloned SAS physical device may be assigned a unique SAS address for the SAS controller (i.e., unique for the SAS controller such that other replicates/clones on other virtual ports have a different SAS address).