Abstract: Heat transfer between a fluid-bearing flexible tube and a heat-conducting surface is improved by fixing a flexible heat-conducting sheath to the flexible tube and by compressive fixing that distorts the tube and deforms the sheath and/or the surface. The tube can be made of cross-linked polythene (PEX). The sheath can be spirally wound high-purity aluminum wire. The sheath enables efficient heat transfer between the outer surface of the tube and the heat-conducting surface. Applications include radiant heating and cooling. Tube layout can be customized and variable tube spacing is possible, for example by using a castellated layer to support the tube.

Abstract: A wave energy converter can be dynamically tuned to achieve resonance with ocean swell by varying the geometry of an attached submerged water-filled vessel (41).

Abstract: A wave energy converter comprises a submerged buoyant vessel (10) that can react directly with the seabed using neutrally buoyant taut tethers (19) at depths that characterize the continental shelf. The vessel (10) is held by a taut vertical mooring line (12) of controllable length and a taut vertical upper line (17) of controllable length connected to a surface float (15). These lines (12, 17) have elastic sections, allowing the vessel (10) to follow an orbital path in response to swell from any direction. By varying the length of these lines (12, 17) the submersion of the vessel (10) can be varied dynamically according to wave height. By varying the tension of these lines (12, 17) the natural oscillation period of the vessel (10) can be varied dynamically in response to the swell period.

Abstract: The efficiency of radiant space heating or cooling is improved and the use of renewable energy sources enabled by reducing the resistance of the thermal path through cladding used in the floor, walls or ceiling of a domestic or commercial living space. The resistance of the thermal path is reduced by constructing the cladding with an array of thermal bridges each comprising a thermal shunt connected to a heat-collecting layer and to a heat-dispersing layer. Such bridged cladding extends the range of choice of interior cladding and of configuration of radiant system.

Abstract: A CPAP system includes a flow generator, a patient interface, an air delivery conduit that interconnects the flow generator and the patient interface, and a packaging arrangement including at least one storage facilitating member to allow storage of the air delivery conduit. The at least one storage facilitating member may be provided to the flow generator, a cradle, and/or the air delivery conduit.

Abstract: A wave energy converter comprises a submerged buoyant vessel (10) that can react directly with the seabed using neutrally buoyant taut tethers (19) at depths that characterize the continental shelf. The vessel (10) is held by a taut vertical mooring line (12) of controllable length and a taut vertical upper line (17) of controllable length connected to a surface float (15). These lines (12, 17) have elastic sections, allowing the vessel (10) to follow an orbital path in response to swell from any direction. By varying the length of these lines (12, 17) the submersion of the vessel (10) can be varied dynamically according to wave height. By varying the tension of these lines (12, 17) the natural oscillation period of the vessel (10) can be varied dynamically in response to the swell period.

Abstract: Dynamic tuning of the oscillating buoyant body of a wave energy converter over a range of periods that characterize energetic swell is achieved by controlling the ratio of total mass moment of inertia to restoring force and by controlling wave bridging. Mass is varied by locking and unlocking neutrally buoyant masses or by trapping and releasing seawater. For surging, water-plane area is forcibly varied. For rotational variants of heaving and surging and for pitching, the radius of gyration is varied. Invariant mass is reduced by using materials and structures with high ratios of strength to weight. Invariant added mass is reduced by streamlining, by constant radius body profiles and by keeping moving structures out of the water. Added mass is varied by using variable angle fins. Control of wave bridging, for a pitching body, including a wave following device, is by locking and unlocking serial segments of the buoyant body.

Abstract: A pendulum combining balanced and eccentric masses oscillates with a period that is rapidly and continuously varied by shifting the balanced masses and eccentric mass to and from the rotational axis, by controlling the amplitude of oscillation and, in a rolling embodiment, by varying the curvature of the rolling surface. Long period oscillations can be achieved without the large heights required by an equivalent conventional pendulum. The pendulum can be substantially isochronous. The pendulum can be applied to harvesting vibrational energy and especially to wave energy extraction by dynamically achieving resonance over the typical frequency range of energetic ocean swell.

Abstract: A wave energy converter can be dynamically tuned to achieve resonance with ocean swell by varying the geometry of an attached submerged water-filled vessel (41).

Abstract: A CPAP system includes a flow generator, a patient interface, an air delivery conduit that interconnects the flow generator and the patient interface, and a packaging arrangement including at least one storage facilitating member to allow storage of the air delivery conduit. The at least one storage facilitating member may be provided to the flow generator, a cradle, and/or the air delivery conduit.

Abstract: Heat transfer between a fluid-bearing flexible tube and a heat-conducting surface is improved by fixing a flexible heat-conducting sheath to the flexible tube and by compressive fixing that distorts the tube and deforms the sheath and/or the surface. The tube can be made of cross-linked polythene (PEX). The sheath can be spirally wound high-purity aluminum wire. The sheath enables efficient heat transfer between the outer surface of the tube and the heat-conducting surface. Applications include radiant heating and cooling. Tube layout can be customized and variable tube spacing is possible, for example by using a castellated layer to support the tube.

Abstract: The efficiency of radiant space heating or cooling is improved and the use of renewable energy sources enabled by reducing the resistance of the thermal path through cladding used in the floor, walls or ceiling of a domestic or commercial living space. The resistance of the thermal path is reduced by constructing the cladding with an array of thermal bridges each comprising a thermal shunt connected to a heat-collecting layer and to a heat-dispersing layer. Such bridged cladding extends the range of choice of interior cladding and of configuration of radiant system.

Abstract: A wave energy converter comprises a pitching floating vessel and means for converting the pitching motion to electrical power. By varying the distribution of the ballast mass in the vessel and by varying the vessel's immersed length the moments of inertia of mass and of added mass are varied and wave-bridging is controlled. The immersed length of the vessel is varied by changing the draft of a v-shaped hull. Roll and yaw are suppressed by a vertical fin held at a substantial depth Inside the vessel is a compact pendulum that is a combination of tracked and folding pendulums. Both vessel and compact pendulum can be simultaneously and dynamically tuned over the range of periods that characterize high-energy ocean swells.

Abstract: Wave energy converter efficiency is improved by dynamic tuning over periods from 5 to 15 seconds. Tuning methods are: for heaving, mass is varied by locking and unlocking neutrally buoyant masses or by trapping and releasing seawater; for surging, water-plane area is varied by force; for rotational variants of heaving and surging and for pitching, the radius of gyration is varied. Fixed mass is reduced by using materials and structures with high ratios of strength to weight. Fixed added mass is reduced by streamlining, by constant radius body profiles and by keeping moving structures out of the water. Added mass is varied continuously by using variable angle fins: effectiveness is enhanced by enclosure. In pitching, wave-bridging is addressed by limiting length, using locking and unlocking segments of the floating body or by using gravity as the restoring force. Solutions are described for heaving, surging, pitching and wave-following.

Abstract: A pendulum combining balanced and eccentric masses oscillates with a period that is rapidly and continuously varied by shifting the balanced masses and eccentric mass to and from the rotational axis, by controlling the amplitude of oscillation and, in a rolling embodiment, by varying the curvature of the rolling surface. Long period oscillations can be achieved without the large heights required by an equivalent conventional pendulum. The pendulum can be substantively isochronous. The pendulum can be applied to harvesting vibrational energy and especially to wave energy extraction by dynamically achieving resonance over the typical frequency range of energetic ocean swell.

Abstract: A wave energy converter comprises a pitching floating vessel and means for converting the pitching motion to electrical power. By varying the distribution of the ballast mass in the vessel and by varying the vessel's immersed length the moments of inertia of mass and of added mass are varied and wave-bridging is controlled. The immersed length of the vessel is varied by changing the draft of a v-shaped hull. Roll and yaw are suppressed by a vertical fin held at a substantial depth Inside the vessel is a compact pendulum that is a combination of tracked and folding pendulums. Both vessel and compact pendulum can be simultaneously and dynamically tuned over the range of periods that characterize high-energy ocean swells.

Abstract: An air delivery system for providing a supply of air from a source of air at positive pressure to an interfacing structure located at the entrance to the airways of a patient includes a manifold adapted to connect with the supply of positive air pressure and at least one tube connected to the manifold and adapted to deliver the supply of air to the interfacing structure. Each tube is structured to allow movement between an open phase in which the tube allows the passage of air and a collapsed phase in which the tube is collapsed. Each tube is structured such that weight of a typical patient's head against bedding apparel is sufficient to collapse the tube from the open phase to the collapsed phase.

Abstract: A patient interface includes a sealing arrangement adapted to provide an effective seal with the patient's nose, an inlet conduit arrangement adapted to deliver breathable gas to the sealing arrangement, and a cover that substantially encloses the sealing arrangement and/or the inlet conduit arrangement.

Abstract: A method for processing accounting data of an enterprise is provided. The method includes entering accounting data entries associated with one or more accounts in memory of an interactive system, the interactive system capable of communicating with a batch system. At least some of the accounting data entries are copied to the batch system. The batch system includes a processor configured for rejecting certain ones of the accounting data entries copied to the batch system based on predetermined rules stored in memory of the batch system and associating reject information with rejected accounting data entries for use in correcting the rejected accounting data entries. The rejected accounting data entries are copied including the associated reject information to the interactive system.