Abstract: A method for implementing a modeling tool that generates optimized reduced kinetic models for given operating conditions and a numerical scheme to speed-up kinetic evaluation of turbulent-chemistry coupling during CFD simulations. The tool is capable of predicting ignition and flameholding phenomenon for most propulsion systems, including gas turbine applications. A lumped-parameterization based optimization scheme may generate multi-step quasi-global kinetic models using laminar flame speed as the target data. This scheme may be further extended to include optimization of emission predictions such as CO and NOx.

Abstract: A method for implementing a modeling tool that generates optimized reduced kinetics models for given operating conditions and a numerical scheme to speed-up kinetics evaluation of turbulent-chemistry coupling during CFD simulations. The tool is capable of predicting ignition and flameholding phenomenon for most propulsion systems, including gas turbine applications. A lumped-parameterization based optimization scheme may generate multi-step quasi-global kinetics models using laminar flame speed as the target data. This scheme may be further extended to include optimization of emission predictions such as CO and NOx.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to simulate a flow of products from a real fire without reproducing a thermal environment associated with the real fire includes the release of a gas or a mixture of gases with an appropriate density less than air to simulate smoke movement from real fire sources. The buoyant inert gas may be helium. In some embodiments, the buoyant gas is combined with artificial smoke, such as a tracer gas or an inert dye (e.g., a particulate) to provide a visual representation of the location and flow characteristics of the surrogate smoke that is released from a release apparatus. In another embodiment, optical techniques that show differences in gas density are used to visualize the movement of the buoyant gas. The release apparatus includes a control system that follows a prescribed time-dependent flow rate to simulate different fire source configurations and growth rates.

Abstract: A system and method for providing continuous measurement and control of a combustion device by altering the fuel composition delivered thereto. The system includes devices for sensing combustion characteristics or other device characteristics, and controlling the performance of the combustion device based on the sensed information. Performance control occurs via addition of one or more additives to the fuel to adjust combustion characteristics. Via such sensing and performance control, consistent combustion device performance may be maintained, despite varying fuel characteristics. In one variation,—characteristics of the combustion device in operation, such as flame characteristics, are sensed and used to adjust fuel characteristics via iterative addition of one or more additives.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to simulate a flow of products from a real fire without reproducing a thermal environment associated with the real fire includes the release of a gas or a mixture of gases with an appropriate density less than air to simulate smoke movement from real fire sources. The buoyant inert gas may be helium. In some embodiments, the buoyant gas is combined with artificial smoke, such as a tracer gas or an inert dye (e.g., a particulate) to provide a visual representation of the location and flow characteristics of the surrogate smoke that is released from a release apparatus. In another embodiment, optical techniques that show differences in gas density are used to visualize the movement of the buoyant gas. The release apparatus includes a control system that follows a prescribed time-dependent flow rate to simulate different fire source configurations and growth rates.

Abstract: A system and method for providing continuous measurement and control of a combustion device by altering the fuel composition delivered thereto. The system includes devices for sensing related information, such as fuel characteristics, combustion characteristics, or other device characteristics, and controlling the performance of the combustion device based on the sensed information. Performance control occurs via addition of one or more additives to the fuel to adjust combustion characteristics. Via such sensing and performance control, consistent combustion device performance may be maintained, despite varying fuel characteristics. In one variation, sensing occurs for the fuel delivered to the combustion device, and one or more additives are added to the fuel, based on the composition and flow rate for the fuel.

Abstract: A system and method for waking a person includes the provision of tactile stimulation in a repeating interrupted pattern upon the detection of an alarm signal indicative of an event for which the person should be awakened. In one embodiment, a device for waking a person comprises a circuit for generating a driver signal in response to an alarm signal, the driver signal having a repeating interrupted pattern; an electrically controlled switching device having a control input, a power input and a power output, the power input being connectable to a power source, the control input being connected to receive the driver signal from the circuit; and a tactile stimulation device connected to the power output of the electrically controlled switching device, the tactile stimulation device being configured to produce a tactile stimulation.

Abstract: A method for detecting smoke detector alarms comprises analyzing at least two parameters of ambient sound over a period of time to detect a temporal pattern of the alarm. In one embodiment, a series of samples are taken over a period of time sufficiently long to include at least one full period of a repeating sound pattern, and the two parameters are frequency and amplitude of the loudest sound in each sample. The algorithmic analysis may be triggered by a detection algorithm that utilizes a lower amount of power than the algorithmic analysis. In other embodiments, the detection apparatus is incorporated into a conventional smoke detector that will detect both smoke and an alarm from another detector. In another embodiment, a smoke detector includes a transceiver to transmit an activation signal to neighboring smoke detectors when a fire is detected and to receive an activation signal from neighboring detectors.