Abstract: A method for configuring a new field device in an industrial plant includes detecting the new device, obtaining driver information including configuration parameters of the new device; determining the previously used field device, determining whether the driver information for the new device matches that for the previously used device. In case of a match, provisioning the new device with the previously used configuration parameters, and in case of no match, provisioning the new device with new configuration parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for configuring a field device for use in an industrial plant includes creating, from device description information of the field device, and/or from a template configuration, T, stored in association with the field device and/or in association with a type of the field device, an instance of a configuration for the field device; setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to default values given by the device description information, and/or to values given by the template T; determining semantic meanings of configuration parameters in the instance; obtaining, from a data store, values of configuration parameters stored in association with the field device and semantic meanings; writing each value obtained from the data store to a configuration parameter in the instance whose semantic meaning matches the semantic meaning of the value; and provisioning the field device with the instance of the configuration.

Abstract: A visual-tactile sensing device includes a visual-tactile sensing pad useful to capture image data related to a work piece during contact with the pad and as it approaches the pad. The sensing device can be used as part of a robotic gripper or other device. One or more lights can be used to illuminate the work piece and/or project light through the pad. The pad includes a rigid base, an elastic layer structured to deform upon contact with the work piece, and a diffraction layer structured to diffract light at different colors depending on the angle of the incoming light rays and camera placement.

Abstract: A feedback control system for use with ultrasonic welding. A weld energy set point and/or a reference power curve are used by a controller to provide a power supply voltage set point and a power supply frequency set point for the power that is to be drawn by an ultrasonic weld generator. Information regarding the actual voltage and/or frequency of the drawn electrical power, and/or the frequency and magnitude of an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the generator to an applicator tool used to weld an object can be utilized by an estimator to estimate the weld energy dissipated at the weld site and/or generate a power curve for the welding operation. Using information from the estimator, the controller can determine adjustments for variables for the current and/or future welding operations. Further, welding may not commence until a clamping force exerted on the object satisfies a clamping force set point.

Abstract: A circuit breaker that may be plugged onto an electrical panel. The circuit breaker is preferably a low voltage circuit breaker in the range of 120-240 volts. The circuit breaker includes an electrical clip with a curved inner surface that contacts a curved outer surface of an electrical connector on the electrical panel. The circuit breaker includes a protrusion that prevents the circuit breaker from being installed in electrical panels without an electrical connector for the electrical clip to engage.

Abstract: Technologies for producing efficient investigation routes for identifying gas leak locations include a mobile compute device. The mobile compute device includes circuitry configured to obtain route data indicative of a route to be traveled along to identify a location of a gas leak. The circuitry is also configured to present the route data to a user to guide the user along the route.

Abstract: A heatsink assembly, a method of producing a heat sink assembly and an electrical device. The heatsink assembly including a heatsink having a surface for receiving a heat source, a copper insert and a layer of low density pyrolytic graphite. The copper insert and the layer of low density pyrolytic graphite are arranged on the surface of the heatsink in layers to form a heat transferring assembly, and the heat transferring assembly is adapted to receive a heat source for transferring the heat from the heat source to the heatsink.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a tooling plate for conveying a plurality of work parts to be assembled on an assembly line, the tooling plate including a platform, a supporting element fixed on and protruding from a surface of the platform, and one or more interfacing elements configured to be attached in a removable way to the supporting element, and configured to support at least a portion of a work part from the plurality of work parts when the one or more interfacing elements is attached to the supporting element. A shape of the interfacing element matches a portion of a shape of the portion of the work part, so that the tooling plate can be configured to convey, successively, different sets of work parts by only changing interfacing elements on the supporting element, from one set to another set, without changing the platform.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes: an infrared camera for acquiring at least one infrared image of the switchgear; a processing unit for determining a pixel in the at least one infrared image associated with a hottest temperature, determining e pixels in the at least one infrared image associated with a temperature that is within a threshold temperature of the hottest temperature, and determining that a hot spot exists in the switchgear as a determination, the determination being a utilization of the determined pixels in the at least one infrared image; and an output unit for outputting an indication of a fault in the switchgear based on the determined hot spot.

Abstract: An apparatus for closing a ventilation opening in a housing of a switch gear in the event of a sudden increase in pressure caused by electric arcing. The apparatus includes a frame which is adapted to be coupled to the housing of the switch gear adjacent the opening, a flap pivotally mounted at the frame, the flap being adapted to be moved from an open position in which the flap overlaps the ventilation opening keeping a gap which allows an airflow through the opening, into a closed position, in which the flap fully covers the opening and blocks the air flow, spring elastic means which urge the flap into the open position, and a retaining element which is adapted to mechanically lock the flap in the closed position after pivoting the flap from the open position into the closed position.

Abstract: A power supply assembly including a primary source connection, a secondary source connection, a load connection, a primary current supply route, a supply switch system, and a converter system. The supply switch system is electrically located in the primary current supply route, and adapted for disconnecting the primary source connection from the load connection, the supply switch system including a plurality of supply switch units connected in parallel, each of the supply switch units including a controllable semiconductor switch. The power supply assembly includes a series impedance system having at least one series impedance member, and adapted to provide a balancing voltage drop for each of the parallel connected supply switch units of the supply switch system, wherein the balancing voltage drop is in series with a corresponding supply switch unit.

Abstract: A method of operating a Fault Current Limiter Circuit Breaker including a plurality of FLCB modules connected in series, including at least a first module and a second module. Each module has a plurality of parallel component legs including a mechanical switch leg having a mechanical switch, a semiconductor switch leg having a semiconductor switch, and a Metal Oxide Varistor leg having a MOV. The method includes, when the FLCB is in an open configuration, obtaining an indication that the FLCB should be closed; in response to the obtained indication, closing the semiconductor switch of each of the modules; and, after the closing of the semiconductor switches and while the mechanical switch of the second module remains open, closing the mechanical switch of the first module.

Abstract: A control module is adapted to control technical equipment by processing batch-run data from the technical equipment. The control module operates according to parameters that are obtained by a parameter module. The module receives a reference plurality of multi-variate reference time series with data values from sources that are related to the equipment. There are time series with measurement values and time series with data that describes particular manufacturing operations during a batch-run time interval. The module splits the time interval into phases by determining transitions between the particular manufacturing operations, and divides the time series into particular phase-specific partial series. For each phase separately, and for the phase-specific partial series in combination, the module differentiates phase-specific time series into relevant partial time series or non-relevant partial time series and set the parameters accordingly.

Abstract: Technologies for rapid equilibration for water isotope analysis are disclosed. In at least one illustrative embodiment, a vaporizer may include an injection block that defines a chamber and a septum positioned over an inlet of the chamber to seal the chamber. The chamber may be configured to be fluidly coupled to a pump to develop a vacuum within the chamber, and the septum may be configured to receive a needle that is inserted into the chamber. A thermally conductive wool may be positioned within the chamber and may be configured to receive a tip of the needle.

Abstract: A method of providing a control software configuration for a module of a modular plant, the method including, in a module engineering phase: receiving a user definition for the module; and automatically generating the control software configuration for the module based on the user definition, the automatically generating including: specifying parameters for the module that are not specific to any target system; and providing the control software configuration as a controller-agnostic configuration file for subsequent binding of controller software instantiated according to the controller-agnostic configuration file to a hardware controller of the module when the module is integrated into a target system during a plant engineering phase.

Abstract: A method of inspection and repair of a robotic operation is provided. The robotic operation preferably includes dispensing material onto a surface of a component. A camera is used to capture an image of the robotic operation and identify defects in the robotic operation in the captured image. The locations of the defects are then transformed from the image coordinate system to the robot coordinate system. The robot may then be moved to the defect locations in the robot coordinate system to repair the defects, e.g., by dispensing additional material at the defect.

Abstract: A system and method for connecting a process controller to one or more peer devices includes providing a process controller interface for bidirectional communication; using a peer device interface for bidirectional OPC UA communication with the peer devices; and providing a logic unit that determines one or more to-be-performed actions from the one or more inputs according to a predetermined logic; determines, according to the predetermined logic, one or more outputs which, when supplied to the process controller, and/or to the peer devices, cause the to-be-performed actions to be performed; and supply these outputs to the process controller, and/or to the one or more peer devices.

Abstract: An electrical panel board includes an enclosure defining a first and second chamber, a power distribution module disposed in one of the first chamber and the second chamber and adapted to electrically connect a main power source to receive power thereof with one or more loads. A neutral assembly is positioned in the remaining of the first chamber and the second chamber and securable to the rear wall of the enclosure. The neutral assembly includes a neutral circuit and a ground fault protection unit electrically coupled to each other. The neutral assembly having the neutral circuit and the ground fault protection unit extends from the rear wall to an imaginary plane which is off set rearwardly from an imaginary plane along which the power distribution module extends from the rear wall.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a mitigated peak power exchange value for power exchange between a supplier and a facility includes receiving a timeseries comprising power exchange values for power exchange between the supplier and the facility over a predetermined time period; executing an optimization algorithm configured to determine a mitigated maximum power exchange value in the timeseries using data defining one or more peak shaving capabilities at the facility as variables; and outputting the determined mitigated maximum power exchange value.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for estimating a flux of fugitive gas emissions. The method is performed using a gas analyzer coupled to a sampling wand, where gas enters the inlet tip of the sampling wand prior to being sampled by the gas analyzer. The sampling wand is fixed to a mobile device that includes an inertial measurement unit. Location information from the inertial measurement unit is used to compile a high resolution geo-spatial map of gas concentration levels across a cross-sectional area of a gas plume. A near-field Gaussian plume inversion calculation is then performed to estimate the flux based on the gas concentration data and the location information.