Abstract: The disclosed techniques relate to an apparatus including: a pump body, an occlusion bed; and a rotor. The rotor includes: a shaft body; a roller body slidably mounted to the shaft body; and a lock mechanism selectively positioned between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the lock mechanism engages with the roller body to lock the roller body at a first roller body position relative to the shaft body where the one or more rollers can compress tubing disposed in the apparatus against the occlusion bed with a first level of compression. In the second position, the lock mechanism disengages the roller body so the roller body can slide along the track relative to the shaft body to a second roller body position configured to cause decreased or no compression of the tubing against the occlusion bed by the one or more rollers.

Abstract: A system and method for performing plasma reactions creating a plasma area in a gas adjacent to a liquid. An embodiment of the plasma reactor includes a housing with an internal reaction chamber, first and second inlet paths to the reaction chamber, and electrodes for producing an electric field. The system may optionally further include a pre-ionization electrode and pre-ionization electric field for pre-ionizing a feed gas prior to entry into a reaction chamber. The reactor uses plasma to ionize gas adjacent with the liquid. The ionized gas reacts with the liquid to form an effluent. Exemplary uses of the plasma reactor include ionic injection, gas dissociation, liquid re-formation, and liquid dissociation. An alternative embodiment provides a system and method for infusion of gaseous particles into liquid by applying an electric field at power levels lower than the voltage required to form a plasma to gas adjacent to liquid.

Abstract: The performance of a solenoid drive liquid pump can be very dependent on the magnitude and stability of an input voltage, with non-ideal input power resulting in loss of efficiency and potential damage to the pump. Pulse width of drive signals provided to the pump, which cause solenoids to alternately energize to move liquid through the pump, may be adjusted in duration in order to compensate for non-ideal input voltage. A drive control module of the pump gathers voltage information, determines an improved pulse width based upon that voltage information, and then provides drive signals based upon the improved pulse width. Operating in this manner, a pump can operate at or near peak efficiency despite both significant variances in input voltage and non-sinusoidal input voltage, and without customized components or adapters.

Abstract: An audio detection unit inside of the pump can be used to capture acoustic waveforms from the pump during operation and, when compared to characterized data, can accurately determine an operating condition of the pump. Such operating conditions can include whether the pump is operating as expected, if it has lost prime, if it has a failure, or if it can be determined that failure is likely to occur in the near future.

Abstract: Metering pumps are typically used to move a specified volume of liquid in a specified time to provide an accurate flow rate. A recurring automatic priming function is provided for operating such a metering pump by running the pump for a short duration and periodically thereafter. This may maintain fluid in the pumping system such that the pump is automatically in a primed configuration.

Abstract: The performance of a solenoid drive liquid pump can be very dependent on the magnitude and stability of an input voltage, with non-ideal input power resulting in loss of efficiency and potential damage to the pump. Pulse width of drive signals provided to the pump, which cause solenoids to alternately energize to move liquid through the pump, may be adjusted in duration in order to compensate for non-ideal input voltage. A drive control module of the pump gathers voltage information, determines an improved pulse width based upon that voltage information, and then provides drive signals based upon the improved pulse width. Operating in this manner, a pump can operate at or near peak efficiency despite both significant variances in input voltage and non-sinusoidal input voltage, and without customized components or adapters.

Abstract: A metering pump is typically used to move a specified volume of liquid in a specified amount of time. Because it may be desirable to maintain fluid in the pumping system such that the metering pump is maintained in a primed condition, an automatic prime detection function is provided by monitoring the current to a solenoid assembly of the pump. A loss of prime condition can then be detected by comparing the measured current to a characterized selected current value such that operation of the metering pump can be changed based on load.

Abstract: A stand for mounting a solar panel and an electronics enclosure includes a pole having a spreader attached to a bottom end of the pole, where the pole includes a first hole and second hole sized to accept a hitch pin. The first hole corresponds to a collapsed state of the stand and the second hole corresponds to an deployed state of the stand. A hub is slidably mounted to the pole and includes a first hole corresponding to the first hole in the pole and the collapsed state of the stand and a notch corresponding to the second hole in the stand and the deployed state of the stand. A plurality of legs are pivotably attached to the hub, where the legs spread outward from the hub by the spreader when the stand is in the deployed state. In the deployed state, the hitch pin is inserted through the second hole in the pole and rests in the notch in the hub, where the notch preventing the pole from rotating relative to the hub.