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, a light layer 70 structured to emit light at a first wavelength, and a spectrally absorbing layer structured to absorb light at a target wavelength but allow light at other wavelengths to pass. In one form the light layer can be a fluorescent layer. The spectrally absorbing layer can be a dye layer.

Abstract: An emergency lighting luminaire for mounting in a recess in a wall or ceiling of a building, wherein this recess is configured to be covered with a covering plate, the luminaire comprising: a power supply unit that is configured to be mounted in the recess, the power supply unit comprising at least one power source and driver electronics for a plurality of illuminants; an illuminant unit that is configured to be held outside the recess, the illuminant unit comprising a substrate on which a plurality of illuminants are mounted; and a connector that attaches the illuminant unit to the power supply unit, contains electrical connections between the illuminants and the power supply unit, and is configured to traverse the covering plate.

Abstract: A fugitive gas detection system includes an inertial measurement assembly that measures a change in position of the inlet of a gas analyzer and applies a time slip to concentration data detected by an analyzer to generate a time series of the concentration of the gas in three-dimensional space. Applying statistical methods, the relative location of the source of the fugitive gas can be established from the time series. Additionally, in some embodiments, the data may be interpolated to establish a map of a plume of the fugitive gas.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly is provided. The PCB assembly comprises a printed wiring board (PWB) and one or more electrical components mounted thereon. The PWB comprises a plurality of layers including conductive layers and insulative layers, where one or more of the insulative layers is a prepreg layer that is halogen-free; one or more slotted portions on a surface of the PWB, which are indented into the PWB; and one or more pads disposed on the surface of the PWB, which are paired with the one or more slotted portions. Each of the one or more electrical components is mounted on the surface of the PWB through a pair of a slotted portion and a pad.

Abstract: A method of controlling battery energy storage comprises a renewable active power source (PR), a battery energy storage system (BESS), at least one static load (PLoad) and at least one high dynamic load PH.LOAD. Active power demand of the system in the point of common coupling is at quasi-constant level. The method further includes gathering constant active power limit from the external grid (PGRID) and historical data of active power profiles of: predicting the following active power profiles for day+1, calculating required active power of the battery energy storage system, setting daily peak of state of charge and minimum state of charge of the battery energy storage system, and verifying whether daily peak of state of charge and minimum state of charge ensure that instantaneous values of state of charge through the entire day of the battery energy storage system is within range of 20% to 80%.

Abstract: A robotic gripper includes a number of fingers useful to grasp a work piece. Each finger can include a visual-tactile contact pad useful to provide contact information related to the work piece when it is grasped by the fingers. The hand and fingers of the robotic gripper can include one or more optical elements such as mirrors/lenses/etc which aid in transmitting optical information from the pad to a camera. A single image sensor can be used to capture the optical data originating from the different pads. The different pads can be configured to project unique wavelengths to permit simultaneous imaging by the single image sensor. The optical paths can be configured to image on different portions of the image sensor to permit simultaneous imaging. In still other forms a shutter or similar device can be used to alternate projection of image data onto the image sensor from the different pads.

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 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 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: 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: 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: An integrated magnetic core is provided. The integrated magnetic core includes a first plate and a second plate. The first plate includes a plurality of legs extending outwardly from a first surface of the first plate. The plurality of legs includes first and second oppositely disposed legs and third and fourth oppositely disposed legs. The second plate is coupled to at least the third and fourth legs of the first plate.

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 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: 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: 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 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 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.