Abstract: The present invention relates to energy supply systems which comprise an energy storage unit and an energy production unit. Control methods according to the invention advantageously allow to calculate an operational cost of the energy supply system based on the energy flux that can be supplied by the system and the energy flux that is demanded externally from the system. The operational cost can be calculated for all possible values of the above parameters in advance. The calculated parameters can be stored in an array in a device implementing methods of the invention. Methods of the invention allow to operate an energy supply system so as to guarantee that at any instant a predetermined (nonzero) amount of energy flux can be supplied by the energy storage unit.

Abstract: A multi-stage heat engine having an evaporator, a condenser, expander stages; vapour compression stages; tanks for holding gaseous phases of a fluid. The compressor stages is adapted to compress the gaseous phase in the adjacent tank with a higher pressure than which occurred at expansion and to move the compressed fluid to the next adjacent tank at a higher pressure, the expander stages are adapted to expand a part of the compressed fluid in each tank, to expand the fluid in the adjacent tank at a lower pressure, the compressor and expander sections are adapted to output the gaseous phase at the highest pressure to the condenser and the liquid phase at the lowest pressure to the evaporator, where the output of the condenser are fed back to the tank at the highest pressure and the output of the evaporator is fed back to the tank at the lowest pressure.

Abstract: A method and system that allows thermal energy to be supplied at different temperature levels to consumers, where each consumer is provided with its desired temperature whenever that is necessary. The method or a system for supplying consumers with heat energy or with cooling energy includes a set of three or more conduits for carrying a heat transfer fluid, each conduit carrying fluid at one of three or more different temperatures or temperature ranges, a plurality of heating and/or cooling consumer appliances distributed along the length of the conduits, each consumer appliance being linked to one of a plurality of pairs of conduits such that either: a consumer appliance is linked on a high temperature side, or a consumer appliance is linked on a low temperature side; a number of heat or cold generators, each pair of conduits being connected to at least one of the generators.

Abstract: A method for buffering thermal energy comprises a thermal buffering medium contained by a thermal energy buffer. The volume of the thermal buffering medium is subdivided in one or more parts such that the different parts of the volume of the thermal buffering medium together form the total thermal buffering medium. The thermal energy buffer comprises a temperature sensor for each part. A controller has at least one signal representing at least one thermal energy value related to the thermal energy buffer. The thermal energy values comprise a predetermined minimum amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer. The controller controls a heater such that the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer is higher than or equals the predetermined minimum amount of energy present in the thermal energy buffer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite sheet wherein the composite sheet includes at least two outer metal layers and at least one intermediate polymer layer wherein the polymer layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer. The method steps include providing at least a first and a second metal substrate and at least one intermediate polymer layer; coating at least one of the metal substrates with an adhesion promoter layer by plasma coating, wherein plasma coating includes: providing a process gas, generating a plasma, injecting a precursor for providing the adhesion promoter layer into the generated plasma or plasma afterglow, moving or placing the at least one metal strip into the generated plasma or plasma afterglow and depositing a plasma polymerized adhesion promoter layer on the surface of inner side of the metal substrate; and laminating the intermediate polymer layer and the two outer metal layers to build a composite material.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high ductility Ti-, Ti-alloy or NiTi-foam, meaning a compression strain higher than 10%, includes: preparing a powder suspension of a Ti-, NiTi- or Ti-alloy powder, bringing the said powder suspension into a desired form by gelcasting to form a green artifact. The method also includes a calcination step wherein the green artifact is calcined, and sintering the artifact. The calcination step includes a slow heating step wherein said green artifact is heated at a rate lower or equal to 20° C./hour to a temperature between 400° C. and 600° C. and the Ti-, NiTi- or Ti-alloy powder has a particle size less than 100 ?m. A high ductility Ti-, Ti-alloy or NiTi foam, with a compression higher than 10%, with a theoretical density less than 30%, pore size (cell size) between 50 to 1000 ?m can be obtained with such a method.

Abstract: A smart grid management system and method where aggregators do not need to have knowledge about the topology of the electricity grid, the physical location of the end-points they control, or the congestion level of the grid. Instead, the smart grid system and method provides maximum freedom of operation to the aggregators to balance electricity supply and demand in such a way that the danger is reduced or it is even impossible for the aggregators to endanger voltage levels at the distribution system operator (DSO) level or the capacity levels at the transmission system operator (TSO) level. The distribution system operator is allowed to block, interrupt, or change the communication between aggregator and device based on a dual stage-gate control.

Abstract: A method and system for providing pulsed power and data from a main control unit to slave units via a first bus. The main control unit has an AC signal generator for providing a plurality of first pulses (P1) on the bus for providing the power to the slave units. Each slave unit is AC-coupled to the bus via a first series capacitor arranged for converting the first pulses (P1) into second pulses (P2). Data communication from the main control unit to the slave units is established by modulating the first pulses (P1), and by demodulating the second pulses (P2). The modulation may be based on Pulse Position Modulation, Pulse Width Modulation, Pulse Count Modulation, Pulse Amplitude modulation. Zero, one or more bits may be communicated per first pulse. Optionally the slave units may communicate to the main control unit via a second bus.

Abstract: Demand response adaptor provided such that, depending on the device connected to the demand response adapter, the demand response control system can be provided with the second constraints corresponding to the device connected to the demand response adapter, wherein the demand response control system comprises software components for making the decision based on the first constraints, the second constraints and the third constraints, wherein the controller comprises software components for detecting the start of a program by analyzing the amount of electrical power used by the device in function of time detected by the sensor and wherein the controller of the adaptor comprises software components for switching the relay to the nonconductive state when the start of the program is detected until, based on the decision of the demand response control system, the controller switches the relay switch to the conductive state.

Abstract: The current invention concerns a method for identifying the elemental composition of and/or quantifying the presence of mono-isotopic elements in a molecule in a sample by computing a solution of a system of linear equations ??Ei?n?=Fi, whereby the set of numbers Fi comprises said set of relative peak heights from the aggregated isotopic distribution and the coefficients Ei? of said linear system comprise powers and/or power sums of roots r?,i?. The present invention also provides a method for analyzing at least part of an isotopic distribution of a sample, comprising obtaining data comprising at least one probability qj with which a j'th aggregated isotopic variant of said molecule with mass number Aj occurs within said aggregated isotopic distribution; and computing a probability qi with which an i'th aggregated isotopic variant occurs within said aggregated isotopic distribution, by taking a linear combination of said at least one probability qj.

Abstract: A method and corresponding device, for monitoring a charge of a battery. The method obtains a battery current measurement value and a battery voltage measurement value, and applies a current integration method to update a primary charge estimate value representative of the charge stored in the battery by taking into account the battery current measurement value. The method further determines an ancillary charge estimate value representative of the charge stored in the battery using a battery model taking into account the battery voltage measurement value, and determines an error value for the ancillary charge estimate value, in which the error value expresses the reliability of the battery model. The method also applies a correction to the primary charge estimate value as function of the ancillary charge estimate value and the error value. Interpretation of the correction applied in this manner allows determination of current sensor offset and battery capacity change.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel pervaporation membranes comprising a porous support layer upon which a thin coating is applied. More specifically, the present invention provides pervaporation membranes with an improved performance by applying an aggregate filled PTMSP coating with a maximal thickness of 25 ?m onto the porous support. The present invention further relates to methods of the manufacturing of such pervaporation membranes.

Abstract: A smart grid management system and method where aggregators do not need to have knowledge about the topology of the electricity grid, the physical location of the end-points they control, or the congestion level of the grid. Instead, the smart grid system and method provides maximum freedom of operation to the aggregators to balance electricity supply and demand in such a way that the danger is reduced or it is even impossible for the aggregators to endanger voltage levels at the distribution system operator (DSO) level or the capacity levels at the transmission system operator (TSO) level. The distribution system operator is allowed to block, interrupt, or change the communication between aggregator and device based on a dual stage-gate control.

Abstract: A method or system for controlling an energy or power supply network having a coordination centre, a plurality of local end-user units and a communications network linking the local units and the coordination centre and a supply network connecting the local units and the coordination centre for energy or power supply. The supply network has constraints that limits power or energy consumption at at least one of the local end-user units. The method or system is adapted so that the coordination centre transmits a control signal indicating a degree of imbalance of the system to the at least one of the local end-user units, and the at least one local end-user unit is adapted to transmit a reaction signal to the coordination centre indicative of a power schedule for the local unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for charge balancing over a plurality of rechargeable energy storage devices coupled in series, said system comprising a plurality of balancing units each assigned to one of the rechargeable energy storage devices, an AC signal generator for providing an AC signal to the plurality of balancing units, and a capacitive coupling between the AC signal generator and each of the plurality of balancing units for common mode rejection. A first balancing unit comprises a plurality of switches for transferring, on the one hand, charge from the AC signal generator or from an energy storage device assigned to another balancing unit for charging the energy storage device assigned to the first balancing unit, and, on the other hand, for transferring charge to the AC signal generator or to an energy storage device assigned to another balancing unit for discharging the energy storage device assigned to the first balancing unit.

Abstract: A continuous plasma treatment process is disclosed. The process may include providing at least one plasma treatment zone having a pair of electrodes with endless dielectric belts, each belt having a first and a second side that covers one of the electrodes. The process may include producing a non-thermal plasma in a space between the belts, and transporting a web material via the belts such that there is a width of exposed belt on either side of the web material. The process may include transporting the web material such that a side of the web material not in contact with the belts is treated in two passes through the at least one plasma treatment zone, while exposed parts of the belts transporting the web material are also treated. The process may include cleaning treated parts of the belts prior to the belts re-entering the at least one plasma treatment zone.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage system and in particular a system for packaging and connecting ultracapacitors (15) for energy storage purposes is described which is applicable in automotive and stationary applications. The ultracapacitors (15) in the system can be in series or parallel or a combination of both. A controller, relays, voltage monitoring and isolation fault detection are used to regulate the system. The mechanical construction of frame and different pluggable modules (2 and 7) lead to an easy in- and de-installation of the different parts. The different constructions are designed with a safe handling by the operator in mind.

Abstract: A method for applying a coating (4) on a substrate (1), includes: —scanning a laser beam (2) along a line on the surface of said substrate. The method also includes supplying a coating forming material from a supply system (3), the system moving along the same line as the laser beam but coming up behind the laser beam, so that the coating forming material is deposited on a spot which has previously been heated by the laser beam to a temperature above the melting temperature of the coating forming material. Substantially no physical contact occurs between the laser beam and the coating forming material. Preferably, the method further includes a second step of scanning the surface a second time with the laser beam, without adding coating forming material during the second step.

Abstract: Method and system for distributing and/or controlling an energy flow to a cluster of a plurality of nodes in an electricity network, wherein each node has an associated status, taking into account constraints relating to the energy delivered to the nodes and constraints relating to the electricity network, comprised of: allocating a local agent to each node of the cluster of a plurality of nodes, wherein the local agent receives a priority for energy to be delivered; allocating a regional concentrator agent to the regional network, comprising at least a part of the cluster, wherein a total of the at least one regional network forms the electricity network; receiving by the at least one regional concentrator agent, the priority for energy to be delivered among the nodes and determining an aggregate priority for energy to be delivered to the at least one regional network, depending on voltage limitations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a detection device and a method for detecting a presence of an object in a surveillance area. The device comprises at least one infrared radiation sensing element each adapted for generating a sensor signal related to a quantity of infrared radiation received from within the surveillance area by the infrared radiation sensing element, a processing unit and an output means for outputting a determined presence of the object and/or a property derived therefrom. The processing unit is adapted for: obtaining the at least one sensor signal; generating at least one contrast value by comparing the at least one sensor signal to at least one reference value; determining the presence of the object by evaluating a condition on said at least one contrast value; and adjusting the at least one reference value such that negative feedback is applied to the at least one contrast value.