Abstract: Spacecraft including a spacecraft bus. An additive manufacturing system of the spacecraft bus including at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus. A sensor for determining a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body. At least one processor in communication with the additive manufacturing system and the sensor, controls an operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, to manufacture the object outside of the spacecraft bus.

Abstract: A negative electroluminescent cooling device including a first layer of material; a second layer of material arranged at a non-zero distance from the first layer of material with help of a set of supporters, and an energy source to apply a reverse bias voltage to the first layer of material to cool the second layer of material. The material of the first layer is a semiconductor with a bandgap less or equal to a surface resonant energy of the second layer of material.

Abstract: A system for estimating a severity of a bearing fault in an induction motor, uses a set of filters and a set of quantitative models designed for a set of fault frequencies. The system, upon receiving the measurements of the stator current, extracts the first fault current from the stator current using the first filter, determine the first mutual inductance variation from the first fault current using the first quantitative model, and classify the first mutual inductance variation with the fault severity classifier to determine the severity of a first type of fault in the induction motor. Similarly, the system classifies a second type of fault using the second filter and the second quantitative model. The system outputs one or combination of the severity of the first type of fault in the induction motor and the severity of the second type of fault in the induction motor.

Abstract: A system for thermal management of an electric motor, uses an augmented thermal circuit model of the electric motor, which relates temperatures of a set of nodes of the thermal circuit model with the temperature measurements at a first subset of nodes and heat losses of heat sources at a second subset of nodes, for joint estimation of the temperatures at the entire set of nodes and values of the heat losses in the second subset of nodes. The system solves the joint estimation using an estimator/observer. The system outputs one or combination of the values of the temperatures of the set of nodes and the values of the heat losses.

Abstract: An encoder of a terahertz (THz)-based absolute positioning system used for decoding patterns from THz-band measurements. The encoder includes a scale with a multi-layer reflective/transmissive structure having a matrix with rows. Each row of the matrix corresponds to a plurality of patterns, such that each pattern is used to form a measurement. An emitter emits a THz waveform to the scale. A receiver is used to measure amplitudes of the THz waveform reflected from the scale. A memory stores data including predetermined positions of the emitter based on the patterns of the layers from the scale. Wherein one or more processors can determine a position of the emitter from the measurements of the amplitudes received by the receiver, based on the stored data. An output interface can be used to render the position of the emitter.

Abstract: A thermal emitter including a substrate and a grating arranged atop the substrate, the grating includes a plurality of equidistant structures having a cross-section with a trapezoid shape. Material of the substrate and the grating converts incoming heat into radiation.

Abstract: A thermoradiative device for generating power includes a thermoradiative element having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the thermoradiative element is a semiconductor material having a bandgap energy Eg. The device includes a thermal conductive element having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is arranged to face the bottom surface of the thermoradiative element, and the first surface is a structured surface having a periodic structure, wherein the structured surface is separated from the bottom surface with a distance d to establish near-field resonance between the bottom surface and the structured surface. The device further includes supporters configured to bond the thermoradiative element and the thermal conductive element.

Abstract: A rail state monitoring apparatus (1) includes: first and second transmission antennas (101, 102) to transmit first and second electric signals to rails (5, 6), respectively; first reception antenna (201) to receive a surface wave (21) of the first electric signal propagated through rail (5) and guided wave (32) of the second electric signal propagated through loop coil (10); second reception antenna (202) to receive surface wave (22) of the second electric signal propagated through rail (6) and guided wave (31) of the first electric signal propagated through loop coil (10); and a processor. The processor obtains received powers of the respective electric signals received by first and second reception antennas (201, 202), determines a rail state from “good”, “rail broken”, “rail crack”, or “rail surface anomaly” based on the received powers, and outputs the rail state as rail state information.

Abstract: A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy converter includes a thermal emitter to generate photons of energy in response to receiving heat and a thermal receiver arranged at a distance from the thermal emitter. The thermal receiver includes a photovoltaic cell converting the received photons into electric energy. The thermal emitter includes a first layer of material arranged on a surface of the thermal emitter closest to the thermal receiver. The thermal receiver includes a second layer of material arranged on a surface of the thermal receiver closest to the thermal emitter. The first layer of material and the second layer of material have surface resonant frequencies above a bandgap of the photovoltaic cell.

Abstract: An encoder includes a layered structure including a metal plate, a dielectric layer arranged on the metal plate, and a plurality of metallic components arranged on the dielectric layer to form a pattern of resonant circuits. The encoder includes an emitter to emit a waveform of a resonant frequency to the layered structure and a receiver to measure amplitudes of the waveform reflected from the layered structure. The processor operatively connected to a memory storing data relating positions of the emitter with amplitudes of the reflected waveform determines a position of the emitter from the measurements of the amplitudes based on the data. The encoder includes an output interface to render the position of the emitter.

Abstract: An encoder of a terahertz (THz)-based absolute positioning system used for decoding patterns from THz-band measurements. The encoder includes a scale with a multi-layer reflective/transmissive structure having a matrix with rows. Each row of the matrix corresponds to a plurality of patterns, such that each pattern is used to form a measurement. An emitter emits a THz waveform to the scale. A receiver is used to measure amplitudes of the THz waveform reflected from the scale. A memory stores data including predetermined positions of the emitter based on the patterns of the layers from the scale. Wherein one or more processors can determine a position of the emitter from the measurements of the amplitudes received by the receiver, based on the stored data. An output interface can be used to render the position of the emitter.

Abstract: An encoder includes a layered structure including a metal plate, a dielectric layer arranged on the metal plate, and a plurality of metallic components arranged on the dielectric layer to form a pattern of resonant circuits. The encoder includes an emitter to emit a waveform of a resonant frequency to the layered structure and a receiver to measure amplitudes of the waveform reflected from the layered structure. The processor operatively connected to a memory storing data relating positions of the emitter with amplitudes of the reflected waveform determines a position of the emitter from the measurements of the amplitudes based on the data. The encoder includes an output interface to render the position of the emitter.

Abstract: A negative electroluminescent cooling device including a first layer of material; a second layer of material arranged at a non-zero distance from the first layer of material with help of a set of supporters, and an energy source to apply a reverse bias voltage to the first layer of material to cool the second layer of material. The material of the first layer is a semiconductor with a bandgap less or equal to a surface resonant energy of the second layer of material.

Abstract: A sensor including a set of coils. The set of coils include a first coil and a second coil, wherein the first coil upon receiving energy, generates an electromagnetic near-field, such that the electromagnetic near-field provides at least a portion of the energy to the second coil through inductive coupling, inducing a current to pass through the set of coils. Further, a detector for measuring a voltage across at least one of the first coil or the second coil, wherein the detector includes a voltmeter. Finally, a processor for detecting a presence of a target structure in proximity to the set of coils upon detecting a change in a value of the voltage, wherein the target structure is an electromagnetic structure moving at a distance from the set of coils.

Abstract: A transmitter including radio-frequency (RF) chains. Each RF chain includes a power amplifier, a band-pass filter, and an antenna for transmitting an analog signal using a beamforming with an angle of departure (AOD) defined by phase shifts of the analog signals transmitted by the RF chains. A processor to determine digital signals for transmission from the RF chains. Wherein there is one-to-one correspondence between a digital signal and an RF chain. An encoder to encode the digital signals with binary codes to produce a set of encoded digital signals and to combine the encoded digital signals into a combined digital signal. A digital-to-analog converter to convert the combined digital signal into an analog domain to produce a combined analog signal. A decoder to decode, using the binary codes, the combined analog signal into a set of analog signals and to submit the analog signals into the corresponding RF chains.

Abstract: A photonic device for converting optical modes of optical beams includes a first port to receive a first beam having a first mode, a mode converter and a second port to transmit the first beam. The mode converter is configured to broaden the first beam to convert the first mode into a second mode and narrow the broadened first beam at an output side of the mode converter, wherein the mode converter includes a guide material having a first refractive index and perturbation segments each having a second refractive index, wherein the first refractive index is greater than the second refractive index, wherein the perturbation segments are arranged in the guide material to cross the first beam.

Abstract: A transmitter or receiver including at least one radio-frequency (RF) chain. The RF chain including an array of transmitting elements, each transmitting element includes a band-pass filter and an antenna connected in series for transmitting an analog signal using a beamforming with an angle of departure (AOD) defined by phase shifts of analog signals received by different transmitting elements within the array. A phase shifter to shift a phase of an input signal. A variable gain amplifier (VGA) to change an amplitude of the input signal. A switcher to connect the phase shifter and the VGA to each transmitting element in the array. Wherein at most one transmitting element is connected to the phase shifter and the VGA at a given point of time, such that the switcher is a single-pole-M-throw (SPMT) analog switch. A controller to control the phase shifter, the VGA and the switcher.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit having discrete optical components arranged on a top side of a substrate includes a first and second optical sources respectively configured to emit light beams, a first interferometer having a first and second input ports respectively coupled to the first and second optical sources via first waveguides, a second interferometer configured to receive signals from the first interferometer via second waveguides and combine the signals to transmit a combined signal via a third waveguide, and a submount configured to contact a back side of the substrate, wherein the submount includes a first thermal conductor having a first thermal conductivity and a second conductor having a second thermal conductivity, wherein the first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity, and the first and second optical sources are more proximity to the first thermal conductor than the second thermal conductor.

Abstract: Spacecraft including a spacecraft bus. An additive manufacturing system of the spacecraft bus including at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus. A sensor for determining a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body. At least one processor in communication with the additive manufacturing system and the sensor, controls an operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, to manufacture the object outside of the spacecraft bus.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit having discrete optical components arranged on a top side of a substrate includes a first and second optical sources respectively configured to emit light beams, a first interferometer having a first and second input ports respectively coupled to the first and second optical sources via first waveguides, a second interferometer configured to receive signals from the first interferometer via second waveguides and combine the signals to transmit a combined signal via a third waveguide, and a submount configured to contact a back side of the substrate, wherein the submount includes a first thermal conductor having a first thermal conductivity and a second conductor having a second thermal conductivity, wherein the first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity, and the first and second optical sources are more proximity to the first thermal conductor than the second thermal conductor.