Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining the position of a substrate within a closed chamber, wherein the substrate is moved within the chamber by a transport system comprising at least one rotating shaft. A load-converting element is provided adjacent to at least one of the rotating shafts, wherein the load-converting element detects a load acting on the at least one rotating shaft and converts it into an electrical parameter. While no substrate is present on the at least one rotating shaft, a first output signal corresponding to a first value of the electrical parameter is measured. The output signal is then monitored and a presence of the substrate on the at least one rotating shaft is detected when the output signal differs from the first output signal by at least a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An artificial muscle actuator that includes a housing, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, and an electrode pair positioned in the housing. The electrode pair includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode each include a metal film. The first electrode includes an insulation bilayer disposed on the metal film of the first electrode in an orientation facing the second electrode. In addition, the insulation bilayer includes an acryl-based polymer layer disposed on the metal film and a biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) layer disposed on the acryl-based polymer layer.

Abstract: An automatic braking system for a vehicle includes a sensor system configured to detect the previous speed of the vehicle, occupancy of a driver's seat of the vehicle, and an input to at least one of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle and a brake pedal of the vehicle. The automatic braking system also includes a control module communicatively connected to the sensor system and configured to automatically brake the vehicle when the vehicle was previously stopped, the driver's seat is occupied, and there is no input to the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal.

Abstract: A telepresence robot is provided including a controller. The controller is programmed to, after establishing a remote connection with a remote user, monitor movement of a tracked individual, detect when the tracked individual has entered an office space, and upon determination that the tracked individual has entered the office space, identify the office space and transfer a connection with the remote user from the telepresence robot to a device in the office space.

Abstract: A controller for delivering an item is provided. The controller includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules. The controller is configured to determine a location or a traveling schedule of a first vehicle and a location of a second device, determine a zone where the first vehicle and the second device are expected to be proximate each other based on traffic information, the location or the traveling schedule of the first vehicle, and the location of the second device, instruct the first vehicle to move to the zone, and instruct the second device to transfer an item to the first vehicle in response to determining that the first vehicle and the second device are proximate each other at the zone.

Abstract: A hybrid actuation device including a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate, a shape memory alloy wire coupled to the first plate and the second plate, a bladder positioned between the first plate and the second plate, the bladder housing a fluid, a first fixed electrode coupled to the second plate, and a flexible electrode coupled to the first plate and extending along the first fixed electrode.

Abstract: A level instrument for surveying a mining subsidence zone in a coal mining area includes a bottom plate, a leveling mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a level instrument body, where the leveling mechanism is provided on the bottom plate, the lifting mechanism is provided on the leveling mechanism, and the level instrument body is provided on the lifting mechanism. A surveying method using the level instrument is further provided. The level instrument is placed at a surveying location through the bottom plate, a levelness of the level instrument body is directly adjusted through the leveling mechanism below the level instrument body, and a height of the level instrument body is directly adjusted through the lifting mechanism. In this way, the operation process of the level instrument is simplified, and the overall surveying efficiency is improved.

Abstract: A device for measuring a wall surface cooling characteristic of a gas turbine combustor and a modeling method thereof are provided. The device includes a hot flow inlet section, a cold flow inlet section, and a gas discharge section, where the cold flow inlet section is communicated with an experimental section; the cooling structure model is a flat plate structure; a tail end of the experimental section is provided with a thermocouple threading seat; the gas discharge section is provided with a laser injection window; and the experimental section is provided with an infrared thermal imaging measurement window and a visual observation window. The modeling method includes: modeling the wall surface of the gas turbine combustor into the flat plate structure; determining a pressure, a temperature, and a velocity on a hot flow side of the device; and determining a material and a thickness of the cooling structure model.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a shell to which a secondary heat medium is configured to be supplied and a plate fin coil body provided in the shell. The plate fin coil body includes a plurality of plate fins and a coil which passes through the plurality of plate fins and through which a primary heat medium is configured to flow.

Abstract: A method of operating a capacitive measurement system for compensation of temperature influence is described. The capacitive measurement system includes at least one capacitive sensor member in an installed state and a capacitive measurement circuit for determining a complex impedance of an unknown capacitance from a complex sense current through the at least one capacitive sensor member. In the method, a calibration measurement is carried out to obtain temperature characteristics of both the real part and the imaginary part of determined impedances. In following impedance measurements of the unknown capacitance at a current temperature, the real part and the imaginary part of the measured impedance is determined, and based on the real part determined at the current temperature and the determined temperature characteristics of both the real part and the imaginary part, the imaginary part of the impedance determined at the current temperature is corrected.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a tank configured to contain a cleaning liquid and one or more substrates in the cleaning liquid. A megasonic transducer array is coupled to the tank and configured to direct megasonic frequency waves to surfaces of the substrates. Multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers are also coupled to the tank and configured to direct ultrasonic frequency waves to surfaces of the substrates. The megasonic transducer array includes a support plate with a plurality of megasonic transducers and a central plane that extends perpendicular to the support plate. The multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in a mirror symmetric manner on opposite sides of the central plane.

Abstract: A device for estimating an outer surface temperature of a radiant coil which is provided in an cracking furnace for ethylene production including a convection coil that preheats hydrocarbons as raw materials and steam, a radiant coil that thermally decomposes the preheated hydrocarbons and steam, and a housing for accommodating them, and which includes an imaging camera that images a region to be imaged of the radiant coil, and an image analyzer that processes an output signal from the imaging camera and estimates an outer surface temperature of the radiant coil.

Abstract: A method for optimizing orientations of an anisotropic material in a component. For example, the method overcomes the non-uniqueness and gimbal locking problems associated with using Euler angles to define the orientation by instead parameterizing the orientation using an orientation tensor that is a self-dyadic product of a direction vector. To avoid non-linear constraints in the mathematical design variables used in the optimization, isoparametric shape functions map the mathematical design variables to physical design variables, and the mapping ensures that various constraints associated with tensor invariants of the orientation tensor are satisfied even though these constraints are not directly imposed on the mathematical design variables. The physical design variables are used to model the component, whereas optimization is performed using the mathematical design variables.

Abstract: Proppant particulates like sand are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. Fracturing fluids and methods of hydraulic fracturing may also use proppant particulates composed of high-flow polyolefin coated mineral particles (referred to as high-flow polyolefin coated mineral proppant particulates). In some instances, the high-flow polyolefin-coated mineral proppant particulates have a particle density of equal to or less than about 1.35 grams per cubic centimeter, and further may be prepared using a one-pot hot melt process.

Abstract: A power electronics module includes a heat sink structurally configured to dissipate thermal energy, an electrically-insulating layer directly contacting the heat sink, a conductive substrate positioned on and in direct contact with the electrically-insulating layer, a power electronics device positioned on and in direct contact with the conductive substrate, a printed circuit board layer that at least partially encapsulates the conductive substrate and the power electronics device, and a driver circuit component positioned on a surface of the printed circuit board layer.

Abstract: Method and systems for determining when to cancel coolant stop. An initial coolant temperature value is measured. The initial coolant temperature value is used to create Multiple Control Valve (MCV) opening thresholds. A first threshold is generated for MCV opening threshold for engine speed. A second threshold is generated for MCV opening for intake air mass flow. A comparison is made between the first threshold and the currently measured engine speed and/or a comparison is made between the second threshold and the currently measured intake air mass flow. The comparison(s) are then used to determine when to cancel coolant stop and open the MCV.

Abstract: A vehicle side structure (102; 202) comprising a side portion (104; 204) extending in a longitudinal direction (106; 206), wherein the side portion (104; 204) comprises a first member (108; 208) extending in the longitudinal direction (106; 206) and a second member (110; 210) extending in the longitudinal direction (106; 206). The first member (108; 208) is configured to face an inside (112; 212) of a vehicle, and the second member (110; 210) is configured to face an outside (114; 214) of the vehicle. The first and second members (108, 110; 208; 210) are attached to one another to form a substantially closed space (116; 216) between them. The side portion (104; 204) comprises two wave-shaped reinforcement members (118, 120; 218, 220) located in the substantially closed space (116; 216). The reinforcement members (118, 120; 218, 220) are attached to one another.

Abstract: A ram chute assembly is provided for directing a flow of cooling air into a hollow wing structure of an aircraft. The ram chute assembly includes a ram chute body defining an interior passage, and an air inlet enabling an airflow from an exterior of the ram chute body into the interior passage. The assembly is structured to be attachable to an exterior of an engine nacelle so as to receive propeller wash air through the air inlet into the interior passage when a propeller of the engine nacelle is rotating. The ram chute assembly is also structured to discharge the propeller wash air in a direction toward an air intake opening formed in an upper surface of a hollow wing structure on which the engine nacelle is mounted.

Abstract: A system has an intelligent electronic device (TED) and a switch configured to perform operations that include obtaining a rule associating a media access control security (MACsec) port identifier (PI) of the TED with a data flow, receiving a frame comprising data and the MACsec PI, and transmitting the data of the frame based on the data flow associated with the rule.