Abstract: A solar distillation system for producing a distillate and providing cooling for a structure or appliance, and a method of using the system to produce a distillate and cool a structure or appliance. The system includes a distillate cooling coil, a secondary cooling coil, an expansion valve which is capable of controlling an amount of a coolant that flows through each of the coils. The system also includes a compressor, a plurality of sensors including a temperature sensor and a distillate flow sensor, and a controller which receives input from the sensors and controls the activity of the compressor and expansion valve. The system is capable of producing distillate at night in the absence of solar radiation.

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 DC-DC voltage converter includes an input circuit, a parallel linked leg (PLL), an output circuit and a controller. The PLL includes an active leg switch, a leg inductor, a leg capacitor and a leg diode. The controller is configured to i) turn on the active input switch and the active leg switches while maintaining the active output switch at a turn off state for the first duty cycle period ii) turn off the active input switch and the active leg switches, and turn on the active output switch for a second duty cycle period following the first duty cycle period, and iii) turn off the active output switch while maintaining also turn off states of the active input switch and the active leg switches for a remaining period following the second duty cycle period. A method of controlling the DC-DC converter includes steps of i) to iii).

Abstract: A cascaded H-bridge (CHB) inverter for higher rated power conditioning systems which operates at medium voltages while providing high power quality and low dv/dt. By incorporating battery energy storage, the power conditioning system operates at night to provide power to a load or grid and stabilizes the system during sudden changes in climatic conditions. Various energy storage system (ESS) configurations such as AC side coupled ESS, dual active bridge based ESS, and chopper based ESS configurations for cascaded H-bridge inverters are described. A comparison of these configurations on the basis of cost, control complexity, controller hardware requirements was performed and the advantages of chopper based ESS configurations over other ESS configurations was demonstrated. A control algorithm for the chopper based configurations was developed to operate the system in standalone and grid-connected modes of operation.

Abstract: A wireless sensor network node selection that efficiently manages active nodes using a Tabu heuristic coupled with minimum spanning tree routing protocol (TNS-MST) is presented. Nodal energy consumption is balanced to ensure all nodes are operating at the same energy level. To balance the energy consumption, nodes with high energy depletion are removed from routing by placing on them a Tabu list, which prevents the most used nodes, such as nodes close to a base station, from draining before their neighbors. The nodes in the Tabu lists are dynamically active according to the energy level of neighboring nodes. The Tabu list combined with Minimum Spanning Tree routing protocol, TNS-MST, greatly increases network lifetime by optimally balancing the energy of the sensor nodes.

Abstract: A smart watch for tremor monitoring and control of tremors in an extremity of a user, comprises a wearable band including a camera, a plurality of motors, an onboard communications module configured to communicate with a cloud server storing a tremor control application, and a computing system including circuitry and a processor having program instructions configured to actuate the camera to take a series of images, generate an analysis of the series of images and actuate the motors to generate tremor control vibrations based on the analysis of the series of images. The tremor control application stores a body profile and performs a high level analysis of the tremor reduction effect. Motor tuning parameters are communicated to the smart watch to improve the tremor reduction effect.

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 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 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 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 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 fever-causing disease outbreak detection system for an early warning of the outbreak of an infectious disease. The system uses an array of infrared detectors to measure the temperatures of individuals in a population. The measured temperatures are used to create a measured population temperature distribution. A central control unit generates a predicted population temperature distribution using environmental data such as local atmospheric conditions and compares the predicted population temperature distribution to the measured population temperature distribution. If an outbreak is detected, an alert is issued.

Abstract: A system, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium to perform a search and rescue mission according to a Layered Search and Rescue (LSAR) methodology using a plurality of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) communicatively connected to a remote server. The LSAR methodology can involve receiving data corresponding to a center of an area corresponding to an adverse/disaster event potentially having survivors at unknown locations; dividing the area into a set of numbered box-shaped layers within the area; calculating a thickness of the box-shaped layers based on a total number of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; exclusively assigning one or more of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to each box-shaped layer; and controlling the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to perform the search and rescue mission by selectively switching one or more of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles between a searcher mode and a rescuer mode.

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 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 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 secure system for control of at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), includes a cloud service and a ground control station. The cloud service includes a cloud-based management service having processing circuitry configured to control communications between the cloud service, the ground control station and the at least one UAV, and control and monitor the at least one UAV by way of a corresponding at least one UAV client device. The UAV client device receives messages from the at least one UAV, sends commands to the at least one UAV, verifies the sender of each of the received messages, creates a new block for each received message and sent commands as new transactions, including performs a consensus algorithm for the new block, determines a consensus to validate the new block, and updates a blockchain with the validated new block.

Abstract: A cascaded H-bridge (CHB) inverter for higher rated power conditioning systems which operates at medium voltages while providing high power quality and low dv/dt. By incorporating battery energy storage, the power conditioning system operates at night to provide power to a load or grid and stabilizes the system during sudden changes in climatic conditions. Various energy storage system (ESS) configurations such as AC side coupled ESS, dual active bridge based ESS, and chopper based ESS configurations for cascaded H-bridge inverters are described. A comparison of these configurations on the basis of cost, control complexity, controller hardware requirements was performed and the advantages of chopper based ESS configurations over other ESS configurations was demonstrated. A control algorithm for the chopper based configurations was developed to operate the system in standalone and grid-connected modes of operation.

Abstract: A wireless sensor network node selection that efficiently manages active nodes using a Tabu heuristic coupled with minimum spanning tree routing protocol (TNS-MST) is presented. Nodal energy consumption is balanced to ensure all nodes are operating at the same energy level. To balance the energy consumption, nodes with high energy depletion are removed from routing by placing on them a Tabu list, which prevents the most used nodes, such as nodes close to a base station, from draining before their neighbors. The nodes in the Tabu lists are dynamically active according to the energy level of neighboring nodes. The Tabu list combined with Minimum Spanning Tree routing protocol, TNS-MST, greatly increases network lifetime by optimally balancing the energy of the sensor nodes.