Abstract: A system and method for increasing the specific output of a combined cycle power plant and providing flexibility in the power plant rating, both without a commensurate increase in the plant heat rate, is disclosed. The present invention demonstrates that the process of upgrading thermal efficiencies of combined cycles can often be accomplished through the strategic use of additional fuel and/or heat input. In particular, gas turbines that exhaust into HRSGs can be supplemental fired to obtain much higher steam turbine outputs and greater overall plant ratings, but without a penalty on efficiency. This system and method by in large defines a high efficiency combined cycle power plant that is predominantly a Rankine (bottoming) cycle. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a load (1304) driven by a topping cycle engine (TCE) (1302), powered by a topping cycle fluid (TCF) (1301) that exhausts (1305) into a heat recovery device (HRD) (1306).

Abstract: A coherent laser beam is split into an illumination beam and a reference beam. A portion of the illumination beam is passed through, or reflected off of, a subject to create a subject distribution, and a portion of the reference beam is passed through a pinhole, or reflected off a point-like reflector, to produce a reference distribution. An imaging system is used to form an aerial image of the subject distribution and the reference distribution. The resulting aerial image of the subject distribution exhibits improved resolution, depth of field and field size.

Abstract: A circuit to printed circuit board stored energy connector. The connector precisely aligns and interconnects conductors of “flexible circuits” (including conductive ink circuits (CIC), flexible printed circuits (FPC), and/or flat flexible cables (FFC)) directly to mating contacts on printed circuit boards. The connector is a zero insertion force (ZIF) type, and is a high density surface mount. The connector comprises mainly an actuator with an activation ridge, a deflectable flat spring contact in a spring support module, and circuit alignment features that use the flexible circuit's existing features—the outline and conductors—to accurately align the conductors of the flexible circuit to their corresponding mating spring contacts. The connector also includes circuit locators, a circuit compression flap and conductor alignment notches which work cooperatively to align and interconnect a flexible circuit to its spring contact.