Abstract: The present invention relates to a solar system (1) comprising: a solar shade (3) configured to be arranged in a crop area (5), said solar shade (3) comprising at least one solar panel (7) designed to generate energy, a storage unit (9a, 9b) for the energy generated by the solar panel (7).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining a volume of gas in a sample contained in a vessel, the device comprising: a frame configured to attach the vessel; a needle having a longitudinal axis, comprising a proximal part and a distal part, the distal part being configured to pierce the vessel and the proximal part comprising a lumen; and an analysis compartment comprising a cell in fluid communication with the lumen of the proximal part of the needle. The invention also relates to a method for determining a volume of gas in a sample contained in a vessel.

Abstract: A gas detector for revealing a target gas includes an image capturing unit with multiple optical channels, an image processing unit and a calculation unit. The image processing unit is adapted for deducing a value of a radiation transmission coefficient which relates to an analysis spectral band, and which is attributable to a quantity of the target gas present in a part of the field-of-view. Preferably multiple analysis bands are used in parallel. The calculation unit is adapted for deducing an evaluation of the quantity of the target gas based on the value of the radiation transmission coefficient which relates to each analysis band. Such a gas detector may have small dimensions, be easily transportable, including on board a drone, and can provide evaluation results for the quantity of the target gas in real-time or nearly real-time.

Abstract: Embodiments provide functionality for extracting hyrdrocarbons from a subterranean formation. A fluid is provided and injected into a subterranean formation during a first period of time but not during a second period of time. At least part of the providing and injecting of the fluid is carried out using solar energy. Further, displaced hydrocarbons are collected from the subterranean formation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for recovering hydrocarbons from subterranean formations. One such example embodiment injects a polymer solution into an upper layer of a subterranean formation and, likewise, injects an aqueous solution into a lower layer of the subterranean formation. Hydrocarbons displaced by at least one of the injected polymer and the injected aqueous solution are collected.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of putting a boat in the water and removing the boat from the water and to a boat launch and recovery platform (1) comprising a frame (10) for receiving a boat (2), flotation means (20) fixed to the frame (10), and a floating floor (30) coupled to the frame (10) so as to be vertically translatable. The launch and recovery platform (1) is arranged for, and the methods enable, a transition from a configuration in which the floating floor (30) rests on a support floor (11) when the launch and recovery platform (1) is out of the water, to a configuration in which the floating floor (30) floats on the surface (S1) of the water when the launch and recovery platform (1) is afloat.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a semiconductor material comprising at least one entirely monocrystalline semiconductor layer, said process comprising the steps of preparation of the surface of a first substrate to receive a monocrystalline silicon layer; deposition by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) of a layer of monocrystalline silicon by epitaxial growth with a growth rate gradient on the silicon layer monocrystalline obtained in step (i); and epitaxial growth of a monocrystalline layer of a semiconductor material on the monocrystalline silicon layer obtained in step (ii), to thus obtain a material comprising at least one entirely monocrystalline semiconductor layer. The invention also relates to a multilayer material comprising a monocrystalline layer of semiconductor material.

Abstract: The application generally relates to bioproduction of molecules of interest in microorganisms, more particularly in microalgae. In particular, the application relates to methods for increasing triacylglycerol production in micro-organisms, in particular in microalgae, using recombinant micro-organisms which have been genetically engineered to express or overexpress a mutant of a bubblegum-type acyl-CoA synthase, and uses thereof.

Abstract: The tool comprises-: a support comprising at least a lower surface intended to rest on the ground; a lifting system, carried by the support, the lifting system having at least a movable extraction member able to cooperate with the seismic apparatus and an actuator able to actuate the extraction member to lift the seismic apparatus out of the ground, the distance separating vertically the lower surface from the lifting system being at most 2 m.

Abstract: A station-level framework to operate one or multiple plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging stations with optimal pricing policy and charge scheduling, which incorporates human behavior to capture the driver charging decision process. The user is presented with menu of price-differentiated charging services, which differ in per-unit price and the energy delivery schedule. Involving human in the loop dynamics, the operation model results in the alleviation of the overstay issue may occur when a charging session has completed. A multi-block convex transformation is used to reformulate the resulting non-convex problem via the Fenchel-Young Inequality and a Block Coordinate Descent algorithm is applied to solve the overall problem with an efficiency which enables real-time implementation. The pricing control policy realizes benefits in three aspects: (i) net profits gain, (ii) overstay reduction, and (iii) increased quality-of-service.

Abstract: A method for determining a delivery solution to pick-up and deliver packs by a fleet of vehicles in a predetermined environment, the delivery solution comprising a set of vehicle features, a set of energy source features, and a set of paths; the method comprising the following steps: acquiring an environment graph representing pick-up and delivery locations, a set of vehicle constraints and a set of operational constraints; determining at least one path for at least one slave problem, said slave problem comprising determining at least one path for a vehicle to pick-up and deliver packs while respecting the acquired vehicle constraints; and determining the delivery solution from a master problem and the determined path(s) for at least one slave problem, said master problem comprising optimizing a predetermined criterion while respecting the acquired operational constraints.

Abstract: A method of extracting hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation includes injecting a surfactant composition into the subterranean formation and collecting hydrocarbons displaced by the injected surfactant composition. The surfactant composition can have at least one polyamine surfactant compound of formula R1R2NA(RNA)xNR3R4, where x is an integer from 0 to 3, R1, R2, R3, R4 and each R are independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, each A is an alkylene group, and the total number of carbon atoms in the surfactant compound is from 10 to 21. The surfactant composition can include liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide.