Abstract: Disclosed are compositions and methods of preparing ionic polyimides. Also disclosed are methods to tune the properties of the ionic polyimide by designing the components of the ionic polyimide. Additionally, disclosed herein is a composition comprising an ionic polyimide. Also disclosed herein is a composition comprising an ionic polyimide and an ionic liquid. The disclosed compositions can be utilized to capture gases.

Abstract: A binary, ternary, quaternary, or quinary Mn—X magnetic material (X represents at least one element selected from Al, Bi, Ga, and Rh) has a thickness of 100 nm or less and exhibits a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy constant of 107 erg/cc or higher and a coercive force of 15 kOe or higher in the temperature range of 0° C. or more and 200° C. or less, and a room-temperature saturation magnetization of 400 emu/cc or higher.

Abstract: Disclosed are compositions and methods of preparing compositions of active herbicidal ingredients comprising two or more active herbicidal ingredients. Also disclosed are methods of using the compositions described herein to reduce herbicide resistance and minimize off-target movement. The present disclosure relates to compositions of herbicidal ionic liquids comprising one or more active herbicide ingredients and methods of making and using such ionic liquids. In some aspects, the herbicidal ionic liquids with multiple active herbicide ingredients can be prepared as separate ionic liquids, each with a single active, and later combined.

Abstract: Various implementations of a patient monitoring assembly may be useful in preventing pressure ulcers, monitoring of air cushion inflation, estimating physical activity and energy expenditure and managing body weight of a patient seated on the assembly. The patient monitoring assembly may be installed on a manual or powered wheelchair, for example, and continuously monitors and provides feedback to the patient and/or caregiver about whether the patient is engaging in pressure relief activities while seated on a cushion of the assembly, whether the patient's activities are in accordance with clinical guidelines for pressure relief, the amount of calories expended over a period of time and the weight and weight distribution of the patient seated on the assembly. The feedback may be provided in substantially real time via an interface on the wheelchair and/or via a remotely located computing device.

Abstract: According to various implementations, a demand response (DR) strategy system is described that can effectively model the HVAC energy consumption of a house using a learning based approach that is based on actual energy usage data collected over a period of days. This modeled energy consumption may be used with day-ahead energy pricing and the weather forecast for the location of the house to develop a DR strategy that is more effective than prior DR strategies. In addition, a computational experiment system is described that generates DR strategies based on various energy consumption models and simulated energy usage data for the house and compares the cost effectiveness and energy usage of the generated DR strategies.

Abstract: A fiber optic directional sensor has a substantially hemispherical dome surface and a substantially flat surface. The sensor is formed from a plurality of optical fibers fused to one another, and each optical fiber extends from the dome surface to the flat surface. One end of each optical fiber is substantially perpendicular to the sensor's dome surface, and the opposite end of the fiber is substantially perpendicular to the sensor's flat surface such that an end face of the fiber is substantially tangent to the dome surface, and another end face of the fiber is substantially tangent to the flat surface. The sensor further includes an optical element which expands the field of view of the sensor and chromatically controls the incoming light. Using the sensor, light from projectiles, such as missiles, bullets, and other weaponry, can be detected, and the locations of the projectiles can be determined.

Abstract: An inductor has a substrate and at least one coil of carbon nanotubes. A trench is formed in the substrate, and the carbon nanotubes are grown in the trench in order to form a coil for the inductor. In some embodiments, multiple coils may be formed in the trench as may be desired.

Abstract: A magnetic supercapacitor has a dielectric layer positioned between magnetic layers. The magnetic layers may comprise hard, soft magnetic material or magnetic exchange coupled magnet (i.e. soft and hard magnet composite). A magnetic flux generated by the magnetic layers increases the permittivity of the dielectric layer, thereby increasing the capacitance and, hence, stored energy of the supercapacitor. When the magnetic layers comprise soft magnetic material, the capacitance of the supercapacitor can be varied. In this regard, current passing through a conductive segment within close proximity to the magnetic layers may be controlled in order to tune the capacitance as may be desired.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for designing and fabricating contact-free support structures for overhang geometries of parts fabricated using electron beam additive manufacturing. One or more layers of un-melted metallic powder are disposed in an elongate gap between an upper horizontal surface of the support structure and a lower surface of the overhang geometry. The powder conducts heat from the overhang geometry to the support structure. The support structure acts as a heat sink to enhance heat transfer and reduce the temperature and severe thermal gradients due to poor thermal conductivity of metallic powders underneath the overhang. Because the support structure is not connected to the part, the support structure can be removed freely without any post-processing step.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that describe a MEMS device and a method of sensing based on a consensus algorithm. The MEMS device is a sensor comprising multiple piezoelectric layers attached to a microcantilever. It can be used to sense deflections or variations in corresponding parameters of systems in micro- and nano-scales. Multiple piezoelectric elements on a microcantilever can provide a more accurate measurement of the microcantilever's deflection. The device can eliminate bulky laser sensors in SPMs and provide additional use as a biosensor, or chemical sensor at the micro- and nano-scale. The consensus sensing algorithm can provide added robustness into the system. If one of the sensing elements or electrodes fails during a sensing process, other elements can compensate and allow for near zero-error measurement.

Abstract: An example method for controlling an AC electrical machine can include providing a PWM converter operably connected between an electrical power source and the AC electrical machine and providing a neural network vector control system operably connected to the PWM converter. The control system can include a current-loop neural network configured to receive a plurality of inputs. The current-loop neural network can be configured to optimize the compensating dq-control voltage. The inputs can be d- and q-axis currents, d- and q-axis error signals, predicted d- and q-axis current signals, and a feedback compensating dq-control voltage. The d- and q-axis error signals can be a difference between the d- and q-axis currents and reference d- and q-axis currents, respectively. The method can further include outputting a compensating dq-control voltage from the current-loop neural network and controlling the PWM converter using the compensating dq-control voltage.

Abstract: A high-Q factor resonator includes a solenoid having an embedded capacitor assembled in a machinable high-frequency dielectric printed circuit board (“PCB”), or other substrate. The solenoid comprises a plurality of surface conductors positioned on upper and lower surfaces of the PCB. The solenoid further comprises a plurality of conductive vias extending through the PCB between the surface conductors, and at least two aligned vias are separated by a capacitive gap. A liquid crystal dielectric is embedded within the capacitive gap in order to control the capacitance. Accordingly, a tunable capacitive filter is achieved by changing the dielectric permittivity of the liquid crystal. In one example, a nematic liquid crystal is sealed in the capacitive gap and has its permittivity changed with a low frequency bias to tune the capacitor.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for the chemical synthesis of micro-quantities of oligonucleotides or other chemical molecules. The system includes a reusable glass micro-reactor containing a paramagnetic solid support, a magnet, an electronic drive controller and an optical spectroscopy system capable of driving a plurality individual reactors. The system utilizes the electroosmotic movement of reactants through microfluidic channels. Spectrophotometric monitoring of the reaction products allows for the real-time determination of synthesis yield.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically quantifying mobility of a person performing a mobility diagnostic procedure. In one exemplary embodiment, the system measures a posture change test procedure with integrated inertial, location, and navigation type sensors found in a mobile computing device worn by a patient during the posture change test procedure, such as a timed-up-and-go (TUG) procedure. The measurements captured during the posture change inform a health care provider about the mobility of a patient. For example, a determination about the likelihood of the patient experiencing a fall can be assessed from measurable parameters produced from the inertial, location, and navigation-type sensors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the continuous production of low thermal conductivity endless filament yarns with a compact, homogeneous structural morphology. The presently disclosed methods utilize safe and recyclable ionic liquids (IL) to produce carbon fiber precursors from cellulose. The fibers are produced by the carbonization of cellulose carbon fiber precursors. The precursor fiber filaments have an increased tear resistance with simultaneously sufficient elongation, a round or crenulated cross-section, and homogeneous fiber morphology. The filament yarns exhibit performance characteristics similar to those produced from traditional viscous rayon. The resulting fibers are especially suited for aerospace applications in composite materials used at the limits of high temperatures, for instance in structures found in rocket nozzles or atmospheric reentry heat shields on spacecraft.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for electrospinning chitinous biomass solution to form chitin fibers, using ionic liquids or other ion-containing liquids as solvent. Chitin fibers produced thereby and articles containing such chitin fibers are also disclosed. The chitin fiber thus obtained has very high surface area and improved strength over currently commercially available chitin materials.

Abstract: Disclosed are hierarchically porous carbon materials with a plurality of discreet nanoparticles dispersed on their carbon phase. The materials possess a continuous network of pores that spans the porous material, permitting the flow of fluids into and through the material. The porous materials can be used as heterogeneous catalysts.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are processes for providing a biopolymer from a biomass or source of chitin using ionic liquids. The processes involve contacting a biomass or source of chitin with an ionic liquid to produce a biopolymer comprising solution and precipitating the biopolymer from the solution with supercritical CO2, gaseous CO2, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method of fabricating low EW, water insoluble electrolyte materials includes providing a perfluorinated polymer resin that includes perfluorinated carbon-carbon backbone chain and sulfonyl fluoride ended perfluorinated side chains, extending from the perfluorinated backbone chains via an ether linkage, exposing the perfluorinated polymer resin to ammonia gas to convert the sulfonyl fluoride groups to sulfonamide groups, —SO2—NH2, which reacts with sulfonyl fluoride containing chemical agent(s) to form sulfonimide groups, and at the same time, generates low EW, 3-dimensional cross-linked, water-insoluble perfluorinated polymer electrolyte materials.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are layered Heusler alloys. The layered Heusler alloys can comprise a first layer comprising a first Heusler alloy with a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure and a second layer comprising a second Heusler alloy with a fcc crystal structure, the second Heusler alloy being different than the first Heusler alloy, wherein the first layer and the second layer are layered along a layering direction, the layering direction being the [110] or [111] direction of the fcc crystal structure, thereby forming the layered Heusler alloy.