Abstract: A fluid-moving rotary device that has a drive mechanism whose rotational axis is aligned with a rotational axis of a driven component and another component that rotates about an axis offset from rotational axis of the driven component. The drive mechanism is located on a fluid inlet side of the components and is cooled by the fluid entering the device.

Abstract: A flow control cartridge is used with a cold plate to form a cold plate assembly within which a refrigerant circulates for cooling at least one heat generating device. The cartridge includes a thermal expansion valve and a sensing portion that with a bellows-type actuator within the cartridge. The bellows-type actuator is located directly in a stream of the refrigerant exiting the cold plate. The thermal expansion valve is comprised of a main body having an inlet orifice arranged to receive refrigerant that has been subcooled from a condenser of a vapor compression system or a recuperative heat exchanger, and a needle arranged in an expanded section of the main body in association with discharge ports in the expanded section for discharging the refrigerant in a two-phase state into the cold plate.

Abstract: A rotary device has at least one seal arrangement between inner and outer components to constrain fluid flow there between. The seal arrangement has a smooth surface and an opposing surface with a plurality of grooves and lands along a length of the at least one seal with the lands are separated from the smooth surface by a predetermined gap. The grooves have a bottom surface substantially parallel to the smooth surface. The width of the lands is between about 125% to 145% of the width of the grooves. The groove depth is between about 30% to 50% of the width of the grooves. A corner radius between the bottom surface of the grooves and side walls of the grooves is between about 25% to 100% of the depth of the grooves.

Abstract: A pot support and method of use are disclosed for improving the efficiency at fuel-fired cookstoves. Heat transfer to a cooking vessel is improved by directing hot exhaust gases along the outer walls of a cooking vessel by providing a vertical lip at the outer edge of the pot support that lends to an improvement in cookstove thermal efficiency.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for uniformly cooling a cooling plate of a heat generating device. Sub-cooled refrigerant is flowed through a thermal expansion valve and then into the cooling plate as a two-phase refrigerant where the refrigerant is superheated. Any refrigerant remaining in a fluid state before reaching a sensing portion associated with the thermal expansion valve and exiting the cooling plate can be completely vaporized by a recuperative heat exchanger. The superheated refrigerant is then passed to the sensing portion so that the superheated refrigerant directly transfers heat to a fluid within the sensing portion and causes a pressure change that is communicated to a needle of the thermal expansion valve.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for high-yield fast pyrolysis of biomass feedstock to produce a liquid bio-oil product. A bubbling fluidized bed reactor is provided having an integrated, rapid quench apparatus for minimizing secondary cracking reactions that can otherwise lower the yield of bio-oil. A quench stream is provided inside the reactor to minimize the residence time that the product vapors spend at high temperature where cracking can occur. The quench stream is introduced downstream of the fluidized bed but still internal to the reactor. The fluidized bed medium is constrained to the bottom of the reactor and is not cooled by the quench stream.

Abstract: A moisture treatment and leak sealant product for a vapor-compression system has two separate components. One of the components includes a viscosity modifying additive, excluding oil compounds, to more closely match a viscosity of the product to that of lubricating oil in the system and a drying agent to remove moisture from the system. The second of the components includes a silane leak sealant and also the viscosity modifying additive.

Abstract: A reactor and method for seeded growth of nano-products such as carbon nanotubes, wires and filaments in which selected precursors are introduced into the reactor which is heated to a temperature sufficient to induce nano-product formation from interaction between the precursor gases and a nanopore templated catalyst. The selected precursors are segregated in the reactor through a plate defining two chambers which are sealed off from each other except for a void space provided in the plate. The void space is closed off by a membrane having nanopores and a catalyst formed as a layer. Atomic transfer of material from the selected precursors to form the nano-products on the catalyst layer in the other of the chambers occurs by diffusion through the catalyst layer to form the nano-product on the other of the chambers absent a pressure drop between the two chambers.

Abstract: A diagnostic monitoring system and method is employed for one or more vapor compression systems such as air conditioners and heat pumps having a compressor, an indoor air handler fan coil and an outdoor condensor. Temperature, voltage and current sensors are provided at the outdoor condensor to determine that at least one vapor compression system is operating properly. Data obtained from the sensors is wirelessly transmitted to a receiving-device for use by the systems' custodian or repair service provider and includes information concerning an occurrence of periods when one or more of the vapor compression systems are operating at an abnormal state.

Abstract: An aerosolized HVAC/R system solvent for decontaminating HVAC/R components and line sets The solvent contains 25-90 wt % propellant, and 10-75 wt % solvent mixture which is about 60-95 wt % trans-1,2, dichloroethylene, about 5-20 wt % n-propanol, and an inerting constituent providing a weight percent ratio of the inerting constituent to n-propanol of less than 1.5. The solvent is packaged in a container that is connected to the HVAC/R components or line sets to be decontaminated for supplying the solvent mixture under pressure to the HVAC/R components or line sets.

Abstract: An article composed of sintered particles is produced by depositing ligand-containing particles on a substrate, then scanning the substrate with an electron beam that generates sufficient surface and subsurface heating to substantially eliminate the ligands and melt or sinter the particles into a cohesive film with superior charge carrier properties. The particles are sintered or melted together to form a polycrystalline layer that is substantially ligand-free to form, for example, a film such as a continuous polycrystalline film. The scanning operation is conducted so as to heat treat a controllably localized region at and below a surface of the particles by selecting a rate of deposited energy at the region to exceed a rate of conduction away from the substrate.

Abstract: An article composed of sintered particles is produced by depositing ligand-containing particles on a substrate, then scanning the substrate with an electron beam that generates sufficient surface and subsurface heating to substantially eliminate the ligands and melt or sinter the particles into a cohesive film with superior charge carrier properties. The particles are sintered or melted together to form a polycrystalline layer that is substantially ligand-free to form, for example, a film such as a continuous polycrystalline film. The scanning operation is conducted so as to heat treat a controllably localized region at and below a surface of the particles by selecting a rate of deposited energy at the region to exceed a rate of conduction away from the substrate.

Abstract: A refrigerant and oil treatment composition for introduction into a vapor-compression system such as a refrigerator, heat pump, freezer, air conditioner, thermal control device, and refrigerant recovery apparatus has a composition alcohol and a drying agent. The drying agent is 2,2-dimethoxypropane which can react with moisture in the system to form an alcohol as a reaction product. The alcohol reaction product along with the composition alcohol separates any acid in the system from oil, refrigerant and hard surfaces of the system to form an acid-containing solvent composition. The quantity of the composition introduced into the system is based on the adsorption capacity of the filter-drier.

Abstract: A diagnostic monitoring system and method is employed for one or more vapor compression systems such as air conditioners and heat pumps having a compressor, an indoor air handler fan coil and an outdoor condensor. Temperature, voltage and current sensors are provided at the outdoor condensor to determine that at least one vapor compression system is operating properly. Data obtained from the sensors is wirelessly transmitted to a receiving-device for use by the systems' custodian or repair service provider and includes information concerning an occurrence of periods when one or more of the vapor compression systems are operating at an abnormal state.

Abstract: A diagnostic monitoring system and method is employed for one or more vapor compression systems such as air conditioners and heat pumps having a compressor, an indoor air handler fan coil and an outdoor condensor. Temperature, voltage and current sensors are provided at the outdoor condensor to determine that at least one vapor compression system is operating properly. Data obtained from the sensors is wirelessly transmitted to a receiving-device for use by the systems' custodian or repair service provider and includes information concerning an occurrence of periods when one or more of the vapor compression systems are operating at an abnormal state.

Abstract: A diagnostic monitoring system and method is employed for one or more vapor compression systems such as air conditioners and heat pumps having a compressor, an indoor air handler fan coil and an outdoor condensor. Temperature, voltage and current sensors are provided at the outdoor condensor to determine that at least one vapor compression system is operating properly. Data obtained from the sensors is wirelessly transmitted to a receiving-device for use by the systems' custodian or repair service provider and includes information concerning an occurrence of periods when one or more of the vapor compression systems are operating at an abnormal state.

Abstract: A method and device for improving moisture removal capacity of a vapor compression system is disclosed. The vapor compression system is started up with the evaporator blower initially set to a high speed. A relative humidity in a return air stream is measured with the evaporator blower operating at the high speed. If the measured humidity is above the predetermined high relative humidity value, the evaporator blower speed is reduced from the initially set high speed to the lowest possible speed. The device is a control board connected with the blower and uses a predetermined change in measured relative humidity to control the blower motor speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for uniform cooling of a single power electronics device, an array of discrete power electronics devices or types of other heat-generating by integrating discrete thermostatic expansion devices (TXVs) and their control directly into each discrete cold plate. The thermostatic expansion device is positioned such that a sensing element is located directly within the exit refrigerant stream.

Abstract: A body comprising at least two components having one or more different properties and a method of producing the same are disclosed. One of the body components is in the form of particles with optional adhesive interlayers. A second of the components has a surface locally melted in a predetermined pattern and only to a predetermined depth by scanning an electron beam there across to incorporate the particles and form a metal composite film. Thereby, a predetermined volumetric concentration of the incorporated particles varies continuously from the locally melted surface so as to provide two surfaces in the body having different coefficients of thermal expansion.

Abstract: A novel high-density hydrogen and other gas storage material has been fabricated and enhanced to provide the opportunity to use hydrogen as a predominant energy source by using hierarchical and ordered nanoporous materials to provide a solution to the shortcomings of current storage technologies. These materials consist of high aspect ratio porous templates with aligned and periodic nanocapillaries that have a tunable density, diameter, and wall thickness. Not only is the disclosed process low-cost and scalable, but catalytic fabrication of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within the nanocapillaries is achieved, thereby yielding coaxial nanocapillary arrays for physical and adsorbed hydrogen storage with ultra-high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage densities.