Abstract: An electric vehicle charge station incorporating an image sensor, which provides users with status information such as whether the charge point is available, in use, damaged, or blocked by another vehicle. The image sensor may also be used for to monitor the security of the vehicle during charging, detecting tampering with the vehicle or the charge cable.

Abstract: An x-ray diffraction apparatus comprises an x-ray source for generating an x-ray beam, a monochromator for generating a monochromatic x-ray beam from the x-ray beam, and a collimator for collimating the monochromatic x-ray beam and directing it onto a sample, wherein the x-ray source and the monochromator are pre-assembled and fixed with respect to each other in an integrated unit such that in use the path length of the x-ray beam from the source to the monochromator is maintained substantially constant. X-ray flux at the sample is further enhanced by use of a partial monocapillary collimator arranged to direct part of the X-ray beam to the sample by a single grazing reflection.