Abstract: A system for torrefaction of waste material comprising biogenic material and plastic material may comprise a material pre-processing system, a heating and compaction unit, a reactor system comprising a reaction portion and an extrusion portion, and a cutting unit adjacent an outlet of the reactor system. A method for operating a system for torrefaction of waste material comprising biogenic and plastic material may comprise processing the waste material to generate waste material having an aspect ratio between 0.8:1 and 1.2:1 and a largest dimension of less than 4 millimeters (mm); compressing and heating the pre-processed waste material in the heating and compaction unit; heating the compacted waste material in the reactor system to a temperature of 280° C.-500° C.; extruding material from the reactor system; and cutting the extruded material into pellets.

Abstract: Salt production can include preparing hydrohalite particles by crystallization from saturated brine, adding the hydrohalite particles to a salt brine, thereby forming a hydrohalite-salt brine mixture, agitating the hydrohalite-salt brine mixture until the hydrohalite particles have decomposed into NaCl crystals, and filtering out the NaCl crystals from the salt brine. In some instances, an initial temperature of the salt brine prior to adding the hydrohalite particles is at least 0° C. In some instances, a ratio of salt brine to hydrohalite particles, by weight, is from 0.4 to 29.

Abstract: A metal additive manufacturing machine includes a housing, a torch at least partially disposed within the housing, a media, a material, a sensor, and a control system. The media is granular and substantially similar to the material such that it can initiate and maintain an arc, if necessary, and be incorporated into the component. The media forms a flat or topographically featured structure. The material is positioned such that it is melted by the torch and forms a layer of material onto the media. The sensor is configured to measure a first data, where the first data is a distance between the torch and a layer of material. The control system is operably coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the first data and compare the first data to a first data threshold. The control system sends a command to move the torch in a z-direction.

Abstract: One of the biggest challenges for all renewable energy sources (RES) is that they are variable power generators which will require reactive power or energy storage systems (ESS) to provide reliable power quality (ideally power factor of one) at the power grid generation side. The present invention is directed to a power packet network (PPN) for integrating wave energy converter (WEC) arrays into microgrids. Specifically, an array of WECs can be physically positioned such that the incoming regular waves will produce an output emulating an N-phase AC system such that the PPN output power is constant. ESS requirements are thereby minimized whilst maintaining grid stability with high power quality. This will enable RES integration onto a future smart grid for large-scale adoption and cost reduction while preserving high efficiency, reliability, and resiliency.

Abstract: The invention is a system for and method of manufacturing metallic parts through weld arc additive manufacturing with conductive granular media as support, to manufacture parts which have overhangs, hollow sections, a plurality of openings, a geometry having a discontinuous structure when formed by additive manufacturing steps that is joined, or a combination of geometries known in the art of manufacturing that could heretofore only be produced by cutting and assembling a variety of different parts. The system and method of the invention contemplate use of conductive granular media support material which may become at least partially incorporated in, or part of, a final part produced using the system or method of the invention.

Abstract: Increased energy harvesting is realized using a nonlinear buoy geometry for reactive power generation. By exploiting the nonlinear dynamic coupling between the buoy geometry and the potential wideband frequency spectrum of incoming waves in the controller/buoy design, increased power can be captured in comparison to conventional wave energy converter designs. In particular, the reactive power and energy storage system requirements are inherently embedded in the nonlinear buoy geometry, therefore requiring only simple rate-feedback control.

Abstract: Pulsed power loads (PPLs) are highly non-linear and can cause significant stability and power quality issues in an electrical microgrid. According to the present invention, many of these issues can be mitigated by an Energy Storage System (ESS) that offsets the PPL. The ESS can maintain a constant bus voltage and decouple the generation sources from the PPL. For example, the ESS specifications can be obtained with an ideal, band-limited hybrid battery and flywheel system.

Abstract: An augmented road line display system that includes one or more sensors installed on a vehicle, one or more external databases, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive inputs from the one or more databases, sensors of the vehicle, and a sub-system of the vehicle, build and validate a road line model to detect or predict a road line based on the inputs received, determine environmental conditions based on the inputs from one or more of the databases, and a sub-system of the vehicle, assign weights to the inputs received based on the environmental conditions to generate weighted inputs, and execute the road line model to determine the road line based on the weighted inputs.

Abstract: An interface assembly for connecting an on-board propulsion system to a testing facility includes a support member configured for coupling to a manipulation system and a mounting member configured for coupling to the on-board propulsion system. A plurality of channels extends between and couples the mounting member to the support member.

Abstract: Micro-architecture designs and methods are provided. A computer processing architecture may include an instruction cache for storing producer instructions, a half-instruction cache for storing half instructions, and eager shelves for storing a result of a first producer instruction. The computer processing architecture may fetch the first producer instruction and a first half instruction; send the first half instruction to the eager shelves; based on execution of the first producer instruction, send a second half instruction to the eager shelves; assemble the first producer instruction in the eager shelves based on the first half instruction and the second half instruction; and dispatch the first producer instruction for execution.

Abstract: Non-transitory computer-readable media, spectroradiometer systems, and methods for calibrating a spectroradiometer. In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by an electronic processor, cause the electronic processor to perform a set of operations. The set of operations includes receiving spectral data regarding an object-of-interest that is captured by a handheld spectroradiometer, detecting a characteristic of the object-of-interest by performing a spectral analysis on the spectral data that is received, and controlling a display to display the characteristic of the object-of-interest.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes solid-state transducers, a system, and a method. In one embodiment, a solid-state transducer includes a housing, a first end portion, a second end portion, a plurality of electrical conductors, and a thin-film resistive material. The thin-film resistive material is disposed between and in electrical communication with a plurality of electrical conductors. The thin-film resistive material is configured to receive one or more electrical signals from the plurality of electrical conductors, and generate thermal oscillations to create pressure waves in a medium in response to receiving the one or more electrical signals.

Abstract: A device including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a membrane permeable to neutral gases but impermeable to water that is positioned between the first chamber and the second chamber. The membrane includes a first layer including PVDF and PDMS, and the PVDF has a plurality of pores at least partially filled with at least some of the PDMS.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a nonlinear controller for nonlinear wave energy converters (WECs). As an example of the invention, a nonlinear dynamic model is developed for a geometrically right-circular cylinder WEC design for the heave-only motion, or a single degree-of-freedom (DOF). The linear stiffness term is replaced by a nonlinear cubic hardening spring term to demonstrate the performance of a nonlinear WEC as compared to an optimized linear WEC. By exploiting the nonlinear physics in the nonlinear controller, equivalent power and energy capture, as well as simplified operational performance is observed for the nonlinear cubic hardening spring controller when compared to an optimized linear controller.

Abstract: A method for designing feedforward and feedback controllers for integration of stochastic sources and loads into a nonlinear networked AC/DC microgrid system is provided. A reduced order model for general networked AC/DC microgrid systems is suitable for HSSPFC control design. A simple feedforward steady state solution is utilized for the feedforward controls block. Feedback control laws are provided for the energy storage systems. A HSSPFC controller design is implemented that incorporates energy storage systems that provides static and dynamic stability conditions for both the DC random stochastic input side and the AC random stochastic load side. Transient performance was investigated for the feedforward/feedback control case. Numerical simulations were performed and provided power and energy storage profile requirements for the networked AC/DC microgrid system overall performance.

Abstract: Micro-architecture designs and methods are provided. A computer processing architecture may include an instruction cache for storing producer instructions, a half-instruction cache for storing half instructions, and eager shelves for storing a result of a first producer instruction. The computer processing architecture may fetch the first producer instruction and a first half instruction; send the first half instruction to the eager shelves; based on execution of the first producer instruction, send a second half instruction to the eager shelves; assemble the first producer instruction in the eager shelves based on the first half instruction and the second half instruction; and dispatch the first producer instruction for execution.

Abstract: Multi-resonant control of a 3 degree-of-freedom (heave-pitch-surge) wave energy converter enables energy capture that can be in the order of three times the energy capture of a heave-only wave energy converter. The invention uses a time domain feedback control strategy that is optimal based on the criteria of complex conjugate control. The multi-resonant control can also be used to shift the harvested energy from one of the coupled modes to another, enabling the elimination of one of the actuators otherwise required in a 3 degree-of-freedom wave energy converter. This feedback control strategy does not require wave prediction; it only requires the measurement of the buoy position and velocity.

Abstract: A multi-resonant wide band controller decomposes the wave energy converter control problem into sub-problems; an independent single-frequency controller is used for each sub-problem. Thus, each sub-problem controller can be optimized independently. The feedback control enables actual time-domain realization of multi-frequency complex conjugate control. The feedback strategy requires only measurements of the buoy position and velocity. No knowledge of excitation force, wave measurements, nor wave prediction is needed. As an example, the feedback signal processing can be carried out using Fast Fourier Transform with Hanning windows and optimization of amplitudes and phases. Given that the output signal is decomposed into individual frequencies, the implementation of the control is very simple, yet generates energy similar to the complex conjugate control.

Abstract: A parametric excitation dynamic model is used for a three degrees-of-freedom (3-DOF) wave energy converter. Since the heave motion is uncoupled from the pitch and surge modes, the pitch-surge equations of motion can be treated as a linear time varying system, or a linear system with parametric excitation. In such case the parametric exciting frequency can be tuned to twice the natural frequency of the system for higher energy harvesting. A parametric excited 3-DOF wave energy converter can harvest more power, for both regular and irregular waves, compared to the linear 3-DOF. For example, in a Bretschneider wave, the harvested energy in the three modes is about 3.8 times the energy harvested in the heave mode alone; while the same device produces about 3.1 times the heave mode energy when using a linear 3-DOF model.

Abstract: The invention provides optimal control of a three-degree-of-freedom wave energy converter using a pseudo-spectral control method. The three modes are the heave, pitch and surge. A dynamic model is characterized by a coupling between the pitch and surge modes, while the heave is decoupled. The heave, however, excites the pitch motion through nonlinear parametric excitation in the pitch mode. The invention can use a Fourier series as basis functions to approximate the states and the control. For the parametric excited case, a sequential quadratic programming approach can be implemented to numerically solve for the optimal control. The numerical results show that the harvested energy from three modes is greater than three times the harvested energy from the heave mode alone. Moreover, the harvested energy using a control that accounts for the parametric excitation is significantly higher than the energy harvested when neglecting this nonlinear parametric excitation term.