Abstract: A thermal management device for a photovoltaic panel includes a phase change material layer attached to a back side of the photovoltaic panel. The thermal management device includes a Seebeck thermoelectric generator having a first surface attached to the phase change material layer. The thermal management further device includes a heat sink attached to a second surface of the Seebeck thermoelectric generator. The heat sink is configured with a sinuous coil, a water inlet port and a water outlet port connected to the sinuous coil, and a plurality of heat fins. The thermal management further device includes a casing box configured to enclose its various components, and a glass cover attached to the casing box and configured to cover a top surface of the photovoltaic panel.

Abstract: An internet of things (IoT) based hydroponic farm system is described. The hydroponic farm system includes a cloud server, a plurality of hydroponic farms, and a plurality of user computing stations. The cloud server includes a data distribution service domain that includes data distribution service middleware configured to use a real-time publish-subscribe protocol to wirelessly communicate hydroponic farm information. Each of the hydroponic farms is divided into a plurality of hydroponic plant growing zones that are configured to grow at least one species of plant. Each hydroponic plant growing zone includes a zone controller. A farm controller is assigned to each of the hydroponic farms.

Abstract: An intermittent power system to provide smoothed electric power into a power grid that includes an intermittent power source, a neural network-based predictive controller (NNPC) and a low pass filter (LPF) connected to the power grid to provide the smoothed electric power. The LPF provides a smoothed power reference for the NNPC. The system further includes a neural network predictor connected between the intermittent power source and the NNPC, and a power grid connection. The neural network predictor takes electric power from the intermittent power source as an input and makes a prediction of unsmoothed electric power. A power grid connection provides the smoothed electric power of the NNPC into the power grid. The NN model solves issues related to the mathematical complexity of a conventional MPC model that arises due to the increasing complications in an intermittent power plant, including a PV power plant.

Abstract: A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate includes a silicon substrate having a surface having a plurality of silicon nanostructures (Si-NSs). The silicon nanostructures have a plurality of microscale valleys, and a plurality of terraces in the microscale valleys. The SERS substrate also includes a plurality of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) disposed on the terraces of the silicon nanostructures. A method of preparing the SERS substrate, and a method for measuring SERS signal of an analyte.

Abstract: A method of automatic optimization of ROP. The method obtains a plurality of drilling surface parameters for a field of interest, and determines an UCS data and a MSE data for a targeted formation based on well logs. The method further trains a ML model using the drilling surface parameters as inputs, and outputs a plurality of weights for drilling parameters in a ROP equation and in a Teale's MSE equation for the field of interest. The method further combines the ML ROP equation with the Teale's MSE equation to determine a plurality of optimum drilling parameters by simultaneously solving the set of ML ROP equation and the Teale's MSE equation. Furthermore, the method generates a work order to adjust the drilling parameters and cause display of the work order and the determined optimum drilling parameters in a user interface of a client device.

Abstract: An adsorption composition that includes a treatment agent including a material having an oxidized surface functionality and a carrier fluid are described. A method of preparing an adsorption composition including processing a material derived from at least one component of a date tree to provide a processed date tree material, treating the processed date tree material with a first treatment to produce a treated date tree material, reacting the treated date tree material with one or more oxidizing agents to form a treatment agent, and suspending the treatment agent in a carrier fluid is also described. Further, a method of adsorbing one or more compounds from a water-based fluid including introducing an adsorption composition to a water-based fluid containing one or more organic compounds contacting the adsorption composition with the one or more organic compounds and adsorbing the one or more organic compounds on the treatment agent is also described.

Abstract: A tunable grounded positive and negative active inductor simulator and impedance multiplier circuit and a method for implementing the tunable grounded positive and negative active inductor simulator and impedance multiplier circuit are described. The circuit includes one second generation voltage-mode conveyor circuit (VCII+), a voltage source configured to generate an output current, a first impedance, a second impedance and an operational transconductance amplifier OTA. The first impedance is connected between the voltage source and the positive VCII+ input terminal, Y. The second impedance is connected between the second output terminal and a ground terminal. The OTA is configured to have a transconductance gain. The circuit is configured to be tuned by a selection of values for the first and second impedances.

Abstract: A method of coating a metallic substrate includes immersing a metallic substrate in a polymer composition including a conductive 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene (EDOT) polymer, a gelatin polyelectrolyte, an antibacterial drug, an organic solvent, and an inorganic salt solute, and further coating the polymer composition onto a surface of the metallic substrate by cyclic voltammetry to form a coating on the surface of the metallic substrate. The coating on the metallic substrate is performed such that the gelatin and the antibacterial drug are uniformly distributed throughout the coating, and the coating has a thickness between 7.0 and 15.0 micrometers. The metallic substrate is a stainless steel (SS). An implantable medical device including a metallic substrate coated by the present method.

Abstract: An optical signal amplifier using a praseodymium doped fiber is described. The optical signal amplifier includes a signal laser, a first optical isolator, a second optical isolator a pump laser, a wave division multiplexer, a silica based glass optical fiber, a second optical isolator, an optical power meter, and an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA). The signal laser generates a signal laser beam. The pump laser generates a pumped laser beam. The wave division multiplexer combines the signal laser beam and the pumped laser beam and generates a combined laser beam. The silica based glass optical fiber has a preferred concentration of praseodymium ions of about 50×1024 ions/m3 and a length of about 5.7 m. The silica based glass optical fiber receives the combined laser beam, amplifies photons in the combined laser beam, and generates an amplified laser beam.

Abstract: A distillation apparatus having a hot liquid block, a thermoelectric module (TEM), a condensation surface, a feed liquid chamber having a feed chamber inlet, a feed chamber outlet, and a membrane disposed on at least one side of the feed liquid chamber. One side of the membrane faces to the condensation surface. An air gap of 1 mm to 20 cm separates the condensation surface and the membrane. A permeate outlet in fluid communication with the air gap. A heating unit in fluid communication with the feed liquid chamber and the hot liquid block. A cooling unit in fluid communication with the permeate outlet. A multi-stage distillation apparatus with a plurality of distillation apparatuses. A process of distilling water, by feeding a liquid into the distillation apparatus through the hot block inlet and collecting distilled water from the permeate outlet.

Abstract: A process for removing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from a H2S-containing gas composition includes charging a liquid to a reactor under continuous agitation and dispersing particles of a graphene supported mixed-metal hydroxide composite in the liquid to form a graphene supported mixed-metal hydroxide composite mixture. The method further includes introducing the H2S-containing gas composition to the reactor containing the graphene supported mixed-metal hydroxide composite mixture under continuous agitation and passing the H2S-containing gas composition through the graphene supported mixed-metal hydroxide composite mixture. In addition, the method includes adsorbing the H2S from the H2S-containing gas composition onto the graphene supported mixed-metal hydroxide composite to remove the H2S from the H2S-containing gas composition and form a purified gas composition.

Abstract: A method for making a magnetic-nanoparticle-supported catalyst includes reacting a ferrocenyl phosphine compound with an amino alcohol compound to form a ligand having a phosphine group, an amine group and at least one hydroxyl group; anchoring the ligand to a surface of magnetic nanoparticles via an oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group to form a ligand complex; combining the ligand complex with a metal precursor comprising Rh to bind the metal precursor with the ligand complex and form the magnetic-particle-supported catalyst. The magnetic-particle-supported catalyst is a Rh complex of magnetic-Fe3O4-nanoparticle-supported ferrocenyl phosphine catalyst.

Abstract: A method for detecting internal coating defects in a pipe sample with an electromagnetic acoustic transducer sensor. The method includes recording a plurality of Lamb mode scans of the pipe sample with the EMAT sensor, where each Lamb mode scan is measured along a length of the pipe sample in axial alignment with the pipe sample; and processing the Lamb mode scans by applying a singular spectrum analysis to the Lamb mode scans to generate data from which the internal coating defects in the pipe sample are identified. The Lamb mode scans are at a frequency from dispersion curve of from 0.3 to 2 MHz, at a frequency of from 0.4 MHz to 2 MHz, a group velocity of from 1 mm/?s to 3 mm/?s, a phase velocity of from 5 mm/?s to 25 mm/?s, and a wave count of from 3 to 10.

Abstract: A process for removing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from a H2S-containing gas composition includes charging a liquid to a reactor under continuous agitation and dispersing particles of a CuMgAl compound in the liquid to form a CuMgAl complex mixture. The CuMgAl compound includes CuMgAl layered triple hydroxides and CuMgAl layered triple oxides. The method further includes introducing the H2S-containing gas composition to the reactor containing the CuMgAl complex mixture under continuous agitation and passing the H2S-containing gas composition through the CuMgAl complex mixture. In addition, the method includes adsorbing and removing H2S from the gas composition by the CuMgAl complex mixture to form a purified gas composition.

Abstract: A system and method are described for information extraction from network traffic traces that are both encrypted and non-encrypted. The system includes a client computer and a remote computer, where the client computer communicates data over a network. The client computer sets a session key log file environment variable, such that when the client computer launches a supported browser, a session key log file (KLF) is created, computer network traffic traces are captured by retrieving data from encrypted traffic, and the KLF and captured traffic are periodically transferred to a remote server. A remote computer performs traffic mining to analyze the captured traffic traces and extract sensitive pieces of information.

Abstract: A method of making a polyolefin nanocomposite including, mixing a zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH), and a zirconocene complex in a non-polar solvent to form a first mixture. Prior to the mixing the zirconocene complex is not supported on the zinc-aluminum LDH. The method further includes sonicating the first mixture for at least one hour to form a homogeneous slurry. The method further includes degassing the homogenous slurry and adding at least one olefin gas to form a second mixture. The method further includes adding an aluminoxane catalyst to the second mixture and reacting for at least 10 minutes to form a reaction mixture including the polyolefin nanocomposite. The method further includes separating the polyolefin nanocomposite from the reaction mixture.

Abstract: A device, a method, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for distributing content to a plurality of nodes on a computer network are disclosed. The method includes dividing the content into a plurality of information groups, each of the information groups including a mutually exclusive subset of information pieces of the content, encoding the information pieces included in each of the plurality of information groups based on a combination of the information pieces included in the respective information group and a plurality of coefficients associated with the information pieces included in the respective information group, and distributing the encoded information pieces to the plurality of nodes on the computer network, wherein each of the information pieces is encoded into one of three types of information pieces.

Abstract: A two-phase liquid-gas flow system for testing electrical submersible pumps (ESP) includes an oil pump, a water pump, an oil storage tank, a water storage tank, a pressurized air system, an air pressure regulator (PR), and a transparent test section with the ESP. The pressurized air system includes air storage tanks, compressors, and air flow meters (AFM). The oil pump and the water pump supply oil and water from the oil storage tank and the water storage tank through an oil flow meter and a water flow meter, respectively, to the transparent test section. The air storage tanks are in fluid communication with the PR by valves, which channel air through the PR and the AFMs to the transparent test section. A camera is provided to capture photos and videos of flow patterns of the working fluid in the transparent test section.

Abstract: A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

Abstract: A system for hydraulic fracturing in a shale layer of a geological formation is described. The system includes a borehole which extends between surface of geological formation and shale layer, and a horizontal fracturing pipe which extends perpendicularly from borehole into the shale layer. The horizontal fracturing pipe includes a number of periodic perforations. The system includes a pump and a fracturing fluid to be injected by the pump into borehole and horizontal fracturing pipe. The fracturing fluid is injected through periodic perforations and stimulates fractures in shale layer. The system includes a pressure sensor and a fluid meter. The pressure sensor measures pressure of fracturing fluid in horizontal fracturing pipe. A computing device determines the spacing distance of the perforations based on a percentage of interference between the perforation and a net present value of production.