Abstract: Systems and methods for producing hydrogen gas with a fuel processing system that includes a hydrogen-producing region that produces hydrogen gas from a feed stream and a heating assembly that consumes a fuel stream to produce a heated exhaust stream for heating the hydrogen-producing region. In some embodiments, the heating assembly heats the hydrogen-producing region to at least a minimum hydrogen-producing temperature. In some embodiments, the rate at which an air stream is delivered to the heating assembly is controlled to selectively increase or decrease the temperature of the heated exhaust stream. In some embodiments, the feed stream and the fuel stream both contain a carbon-containing feedstock and at least 25 wt % water. In some embodiments, the feed and fuel streams have the same composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal energy system (1) that includes at least one exchanger module (100, 200, 300) that includes at least one heat exchanger (110a, 110b, 210a, 210b, 310a, 310b), in particular two heat exchangers, each module including at least a first circuit (140a, 140b, 240a, 240b, 340a, 340b) for a first fluid traversing, in a regular mode of operation, through the heat exchanger in a main flow direction, a second circuit for a second fluid for exchanging thermal energy between the first fluid and the second fluid, and at least one pump (160, 260, 360) including a fluid drive device (162, 262, 362) for driving the first fluid in the main flow direction, characterised in that the drive device is arranged, along the main flow direction, upstream of the heat exchanger. In addition, the invention relates to the application of such a system in ocean thermal energy conversion systems.

Abstract: Thermally primed fuel processing assemblies and hydrogen-producing fuel cell systems that include the same. The thermally primed fuel processing assemblies include at least one hydrogen-producing region housed within an internal compartment of a heated containment structure. In some embodiments, the heated containment structure is an oven. In some embodiments, the compartment also contains a purification region and/or heating assembly. In some embodiments, the containment structure is adapted to heat and maintain the internal compartment at or above a threshold temperature, which may correspond to a suitable hydrogen-producing temperature. In some embodiments, the containment structure is adapted to maintain this temperature during periods in which the fuel cell system is not producing power and/or not producing power to satisfy an applied load to the system. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system is adapted to provide backup power to a power source, which may be adapted to power the containment structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for maintaining hydrogen-selective membranes during periods of inactivity. These systems and methods may include heating and maintaining at least the hydrogen-selective membrane of a hydrogen-producing fuel processing system in a thermally buffered state and/or controlling the chemical composition of the gas streams that may come into contact with the hydrogen-selective membrane. Controlling the chemical composition of the gas streams that may come into contact with the hydrogen-selective membrane may include maintaining a positive pressure of an inert, blanket, reducing, and/or non-oxidizing gas within the membrane separation assembly and/or periodically supplying a reducing gas stream to the membrane separation assembly.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for loading/unloading a vehicle into/from a carrier ship through at least one opening provided in the rear of said ship comprising an angled vehicle-receiving ramp combined with a motor-driven means for loading/unloading the vehicle, characterized in that the motor-driven means for loading/unloading the vehicle comprises a crossbeam-shaped means for the ship that extends above the ramp and is combined with a vehicle-hoisting/releasing cable, which is in turn combined with a first drive means for hoisting/releasing the vehicle, and in that the crossbeam-shaped means is longitudinally movable, by means of a second drive means above the ramp, between a rear position for hoisting/releasing the vehicle and a front position for storing the vehicle on the ramp in the ship.

Abstract: Vessel of the type comprising at least one shaft for receiving at least one missile-launching container (1), characterised in that the launching container (1) is received in the shaft with controlled lateral and axial clearance; the upper portion of the side wall of the container is provided with means for centring/guiding same in the shaft; and the lower end includes a container-bearing base (8) associated with a supporting base (9) of the vessel by means of shock-filtering set-point damping means (10).

Abstract: This shock-filtering set-point resilient supporting system intended, in particular, for equipment (1) suspension on board a vessel is characterised in that it includes an equipment-bearing base (8) associated with a supporting base (9) of the vessel by means of set-point damping means (10) comprising at least one damping assembly including metal coils (11, 12) associated with rupture set-point bars (17, 18) mounted under pre-stress between the two bases (8, 9).

Abstract: Hydrogen-producing fuel processing systems, hydrogen purification membranes, hydrogen purification devices, fuel processing and fuel cell systems that include hydrogen purification devices, and methods for operating the same. In some embodiments, operation of the fuel processing system is initiated by heating at least the reforming region of the fuel processing system to at least a selected hydrogen-producing operating temperature. In some embodiments, an electric heater is utilized to perform this initial heating. In some embodiments, use of the electric heater is discontinued after startup, and a burner or other combustion-based heating assembly combusts a fuel to heat at least the hydrogen producing region, such as due to the reforming region utilizing an endothermic catalytic reaction to produce hydrogen gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to method characterized in that said method comprises steps of acquiring movements, calculating the mean position, calculating position predictions, and calculating minimum grid (5) movement speeds, and a step of acquiring the position of the drone (4) so that, if the drone cannot follow the movements of the grid and the movements of the grid are small, i.e. smaller than the radius of the latter, it is possible to apply a landing strategy by monitoring the mean position of the grid, and if the movements of the grid are large, i.e. larger than the radius of the grid, it is possible to apply a landing strategy by positioning at the minimum speeds of the grid, and if the drone (4) can follow the movements of the grid (5) and the movements of the grid are small, i.e. smaller than the radius of the grid, it is possible to apply a landing strategy according to the mean position of the grid, and if the movements of the grid are large, i.e.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for independently controlling the operation of fuel cell stacks and to fuel cell systems incorporating the same. These systems and methods may include providing a fuel cell system including a plurality of fuel cell stacks and at least a first energy storage device and controlling the operation of the plurality of fuel cell stacks based at least in part on a variable associated with the fuel cell system and/or an energy consuming device. These systems and methods may further include beginning production of electrical output from the fuel cell system responsive to a start condition, initiating production of electrical output from the plurality of fuel cell stacks responsive to a plurality of stack start conditions, and ceasing the production of electrical output from the fuel cell stacks responsive to at least a first stack stop condition.

Abstract: Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) assemblies and hydrogen-producing fuel processing assemblies and/or fuel cell systems including the same. The PSA assemblies include, or are utilized with, combustion fuel stream supply systems that are adapted to regulate the flow of a byproduct stream from the PSA assembly for delivery to a heating assembly for use as a combustible fuel stream, such as to maintain at least a hydrogen-producing region of the fuel processing system at a hydrogen-producing temperature or range of temperatures. In some embodiments, the combustion fuel stream supply system is configured to ensure that the supply of combustible fuel from the PSA assembly to the heating assembly contains at least a sufficient fuel value, such as to maintain at least the hydrogen-producing region at or within a predetermined hydrogen-producing temperature or range of temperatures.

Abstract: Hydrogen-producing fuel processing assemblies and methods for delivering feedstock to a hydrogen-producing region of a hydrogen-producing fuel processing assembly. In some embodiments, the fuel processing assemblies include a feedstock delivery system that includes a pump assembly and a stall prevention mechanism that is adapted to reduce pressure in an outlet conduit during periods in which the pump assembly is not emitting a liquid outlet stream within or above a hydrogen-producing pressure range. In some embodiments, pressure in the outlet conduit is isolated from pressure in the hydrogen-producing region of the fuel processing assembly and is reduced during periods in which a liquid stream is not being pumped within or above a hydrogen-producing pressure range.

Abstract: This floating support (1) for an offshore structure, in particular such as a wind turbine, of the type including means in the form of a support mast (2), the upper part of which is associated with the structure and the lower part of which is associated with means in the form a float (3), is characterized in that the means in the form a float (3) comprise means in the form of a cage (9, 10, 11) for receiving buoyancy tanks (12).

Abstract: An offshore wind turbine foundation comprising a platform carrying a support for the wind turbine tower in its central region, and a plurality of leg guides in its peripheral region; and a plurality of legs, each of which may be movable between a raised position for transport and lowered positions for resting on the seabed. Each leg is capable of freely sliding in its guide.

Abstract: This system for guiding a drone during the approach phase to a platform, particularly a naval platform, with a view to landing the same, is characterized in that the platform is equipped with a glide slope indicator installation emitting an array of optical guide beams over an angular sector predetermined from the horizontal, and in that the drone is equipped with a beam acquisition camera connected to image analysis means and to computing means of orders for commanding automatic piloting means of the drone to cause it to follow the guide beams.

Abstract: A weapon storage device (10) which is to be attached to an external face (8) of a hull (4) of a submarine (2) and which is capable of containing weapons (14), such as ammunition or weapon carriers, which are to be deployed from the storage device on receipt of a deployment signal transmitted from inside the submarine, includes a compensation element (16, 18, 30, 40) which allows the variation in mass of the storage device (10) resulting from the deployment of at least one weapon to be compensated for, partially or wholly, by replacing a volume of gas initially contained in the storage device by an identical volume of water introduced into the storage device.

Abstract: A plant for manufacturing a rigid pipe for drawing up deep water within an offshore platform includes a floating platform on which a continuous production device is installed in the vertical axis of the pipe, and including: a first stage of winding webs of fibers impregnated with resin around a winding roll for the partial crosslinking thereof, a second stage of complete crosslinking of the resin, a third stage of mounting functional members on the pipe, a fourth stage of inspecting the pipe thus manufactured, and a fifth stage of guiding the pipe.

Abstract: This plant for manufacturing a rigid pipe for drawing up deep water for a marine thermal energy plant is characterized in that it comprises a floating platform on which there is installed a continuous production device in the vertical axis of the pipe, including a first stage of winding webs of fibers impregnated with resin about a winding roll for the partial crosslinking thereof, said wall being formed by modular elements in the form of plates, which are connected together so as to form a strip that moves in a spiral and repeating in the upper part of the roll so as to form a winding surface for the webs.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved deformable downstream disc (56; 156; 256) to be fitted on the bottom of a container (15) for a missile (16) and including a stack of elastic blades (63) clamped between at least an upstream and a downstream thermal protection membrane and sealing membrane (70, 71, 72, 73), and maintained between an upstream bearing frame (61) and a downstream bearing frame (64), characterised in that the downstream bearing frame includes an inner edge (80) having an extension so as to provide the disc with an abutment means defining a position of maximum deformation of the elastic blades.

Abstract: A pipe for drawing up cold water for a marine thermal energy plant is produced from a composite material including glass fiber reinforcements and a thermosetting resin.