Abstract: A process to fabricate ultra-fine grain metal hollow object, comprising: inserting an annealed hollow prototype in an Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) die, providing a flexible elastic polyurethane mandrel to fill the central hollow space, optionally (if needed) provide polyurethane support to fill the spaces between the outer boundary of the prototype and the inner surface of the ECAP channel and to exert sufficient pressure to complete the ECAP process. The process is designed to improve thermal conductance and mechanical properties of hollow metal parts and is especially applicable to achieving the maximal heat conductance and tensile strength of titanium piping, construction tubing, and cylindrical reactors.

Abstract: A method including applying an AC voltage to a mixture of a polymer material and nanoparticles to form a polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial composite. The polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial composite includes electrically conductive pathways that are oriented within the polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial composite. The method forms an electrically conductive polymer-graphene material by a process that includes milling a polyolefin with carbon nanoparticles, then forming a composite plate by press-molding the mixture of polyolefin and graphene while inserting a needle electrode therein. Subsequent application of an AC voltage causes partial dielectric breakdown of the composite thereby forming the electrically conductive pathways.

Abstract: A method of producing medically applicable nanostructured titanium with improved mechanical properties includes performing an equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and subsequently performing a surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). By performing the ECAP processing on a titanium sample, an ultrafine grained structure is obtained. The ultrafine grained structure may improve the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of pure titanium. When the SMAT processing is performed on the ultrafine grained structure, a nanostructured surface may be obtained. The SMAT processing may be used to enhance the strength of pure titanium to be used in medically applicable implants.

Abstract: A method for producing a modified sawdust sorbent. The method involves sulfonating sawdust with sulfuric acid and oxidizing the sulfonated sawdust with hydrogen peroxide. The method yields a modified sawdust sorbent containing sulfonated and oxidized cellulose. The modified sawdust sorbent has a higher surface area, higher organic dye adsorption capacity, and more rapid organic dye adsorption rate than unmodified sawdust. Also disclosed is a method of using the modified sawdust sorbent for organic dye removal from water.

Abstract: A process to fabricate ultra-fine grain metal hollow object, comprising: inserting an annealed hollow prototype in an Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) die, providing a flexible elastic polyurethane mandrel to fill the central hollow space, optionally (if needed) provide polyurethane support to fill the spaces between the outer boundary of the prototype and the inner surface of the ECAP channel and to exert sufficient pressure to complete the ECAP process. The process is designed to improve thermal conductance and mechanical properties of hollow metal parts and is especially applicable to achieving the maximal heat conductance and tensile strength of titanium piping, construction tubing, and cylindrical reactors.

Abstract: A method of producing medically applicable nanostructured titanium with improved mechanical properties includes performing an equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and subsequently performing a surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). By performing the ECAP processing on a titanium sample, an ultrafine grained structure is obtained. The ultrafine grained structure may improve the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of pure titanium. When the SMAT processing is performed on the ultrafine grained structure, a nanostructured surface may be obtained. The SMAT processing may be used to enhance the strength of pure titanium to be used in medically applicable implants.

Abstract: A system and method to dehumidify atmospheric air includes a convergent conduit, a separation unit, and a divergent conduit. A volume of humid atmospheric air enters the convergent conduit through an entry point of a convergent nozzle of the convergent conduit. A swirling process, which generates a centrifugal force, pushes a volume of water droplets towards an internal wall of the separation unit. In particular, the volume of water droplets is produced from the volume of humid atmospheric air. An annular channel of the separation unit is used to extract the volume of water droplets pushed to the internal wall of the separation unit. In particular, a drainage system which is in fluid communication with a transfer channel is used to extract the volume of water droplets from the system. A volume of dehumidified air, which is produced by removing water vapor, exits the system at the divergent conduit.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions to perform a method of classification of short time series in order to detect a neurodegenerative disorder. The method includes receiving a plurality of sensor data collected from subjects with and without the neurodegenerative disorder over a period of a few seconds as the short time series, generating phase-space vectors from the plurality of sensor data in which each vector is a state of a dynamical system in space and time, transforming the phase-space vectors into a grayscale image representing recurrences of a state-space vector in the same area of the phase space, extracting temporal texture features of the grayscale image to obtain a multi-dimensional time series; inputting the multidimensional time series, without the grayscale image, to the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network, and classifying, by the LSTM network, the plurality of the sensor data as the neurodegenerative disorder or not.

Abstract: Proximity triggered water fountains may have proximity sensors configured to detect target(s), a processing unit communicably coupled to proximity sensors configured to transfer data related to the target(s) to the processing unit, nozzles and nozzle controllers, and collectors configured to receive water projected from the nozzles. The nozzle controllers may be controlled based on data received from the sensors. The nozzle controllers may be coupled to the nozzles of a water circulation system configured to adjust a water projection angle from the nozzles with respect to the ground. The water circulation system may use tank(s), pump(s), and supply and return line(s), with the nozzles, tank(s), pump(s), and supply and return line(s), being in fluid communication. The nozzles and collectors may be displaced a horizontal distance from each other such that outlets of the nozzles are not vertically above the collectors.

Abstract: A method for producing a modified sawdust sorbent. The method involves sulfonating sawdust with sulfuric acid and oxidizing the sulfonated sawdust with hydrogen peroxide. The method yields a modified sawdust sorbent containing sulfonated and oxidized cellulose. The modified sawdust sorbent has a higher surface area, higher organic dye adsorption capacity, and more rapid organic dye adsorption rate than unmodified sawdust. Also disclosed is a method of using the modified sawdust sorbent for organic dye removal from water.

Abstract: A method of forming a polyolefin-perovskite nanomaterial composite which contains oriented electrically and thermally conductive pathways. The method involves milling a polyolefin with particles of a perovskite nanomaterial, molding to forma composite plate, and subjecting the composite plate to an AC voltage. The AC voltage forms oriented electrically and thermally conductive pathways by partial dielectric breakdown of the composite. The presence of the oriented electrically and thermally conductive pathways gives the polyolefin-perovskite nanomaterial electrical and thermal conductivity and dielectric permittivity higher than the polyolefin alone.

Abstract: A hybrid system for freshwater production utilizing the latent heat of condensation of atmospheric air humidity as a source of thermal energy to evaporate freshwater in a brine or saline and delivered to the saline evaporating chamber by a heat pump. Distillates form on both sides of the heat transfer, and intensification of humidity condensation in the air leads to the intensification of saline evaporation contributing to the overall increased yield of freshwater. The process is optimized by integrated systems in which the waste heat of inside and outside sources and the heat sink effect of the saline feed amplify the COP and SEER indexes of the installation. The technological regimes in which the equipment is used are intensified and optimized, cutting the desalination costs to the ranges affordable to the general population residing in arid regions in need of such technology.

Abstract: A permeameter apparatus and method of measuring hydraulic permeability of porous samples, that includes multiple tube manometers stacked vertically at equal intervals on the same side wall of a compression cell containing the sample. The levels of the water menisci in the stacked manometers characterize the temporal and spatial profile of hydraulic conductivity, which can be measured in the constant and falling head regimes in the same apparatus. The apparatus is enabled with a sample compression system imitating the geostatic pressure profiles at different depths of the sample extraction. The apparatus and method allow measurement of time-dependent hydraulic conductivity in anisotropic media at variable pressures.

Abstract: A process to fabricate ultra-fine grain metal wire, comprising: inserting a plurality of metal strands into a flexible elastic polyurethane sheath having an accommodating slot for each of the strands of metal to form a sheathed strand assembly; equal channel angular pressing (ECAP pressing) the sheathed strand assembly through an ECAP die having a plurality of die channels corresponding to the plurality of metal strands. The process is designed to improve electric conductance and mechanical properties of elongated metal parts and is especially applicable to optimize the conductance and tensile strength of copper cables, wires, strings, and rods.

Abstract: A method of forming a polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial composite which contains oriented electrically conductive pathways. The method involves milling a polyolefin with particles of a carbon nanomaterial, molding to forma composite plate, and subjecting the composite plate to an AC voltage. The AC voltage forms oriented electrically conductive pathways by partial dielectric breakdown of the composite. The presence of the oriented electrically conductive pathways gives the polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial electrical and thermal conductivity higher than the polyolefin alone.