Abstract: Subassemblies for use in an electrochemical device are provided, as are processes for preparing the subassemblies and electrochemical cells incorporating the subassemblies. In some embodiments, the subassemblies include (a) a first electrode and (b) a separator or a first current collector or both. The first electrode is bonded to the separator or the first current collector or both. In some embodiments, the subassemblies further include a second electrode and a second current collector. In some embodiments, the electrodes or separators are sintered. Bipolar cells are also provided, including a plurality of stacked electrochemical cells that are joined in series. The positive electrode and the negative electrode of each stack include a sintered electrode.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic component. The apparatus includes a refrigerant evaporator in thermal communication with a component(s) to be cooled, and a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the evaporator for facilitating flow of refrigerant through the evaporator. The apparatus further includes a compressor in fluid communication with a refrigerant loop, an air-cooled heat sink coupled to the refrigerant evaporator, for providing backup cooling to the electronic component in a backup, air cooling mode, and a controllable refrigerant heater coupled to the heat sink. The refrigerant heater is in thermal communication across the heat sink with refrigerant passing through the refrigerant evaporator, and is controlled in a primary, refrigeration cooling mode to apply an auxiliary heat load to refrigerant passing through the refrigerant evaporator to ensure that refrigerant in the refrigerant loop entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state.

Abstract: Energy efficient control of cooling system cooling of an electronic system is provided based, in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components. The control includes automatically determining speed control settings for multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components of the cooling system, and the determining operates to limit power consumption of at least the cooling system, while ensuring that a target temperature associated with at least one of the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range by provisioning, based on the weighted cooling effectiveness, a desired target temperature change among the multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The provisioning includes provisioning applied power to the multiple adjustable cooling components via, at least in part, the determined control settings.

Abstract: A coolant-conditioning unit is provided which includes a facility coolant path, having a facility coolant flow control valve, and a system coolant path accommodating a system coolant, and having a bypass line with a system coolant bypass valve. A heat exchanger is coupled to the facility and system coolant paths to facilitate transfer of heat from the system coolant to facility coolant in the facility coolant path, and the bypass line is disposed in the system coolant path in parallel with the heat exchanger. A controller automatically controls a regulation position of the coolant bypass valve and a regulation position of the facility coolant flow control valve based on a temperature of the system coolant, and automatically adjusts the regulation position of the system coolant bypass valve to facilitate maintaining the facility coolant flow control valve at or above a specified, partially open, minimum regulation position.

Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are presented for facilitating dissipation of heat generated by one or more electronic components. The apparatuses include, for instance, a coolant-cooled heat sink and a thermostat-controlled valve. The heat sink includes one or more coolant-carrying channels and one or more valve wells intersecting the channels. The thermostat-controlled valve is disposed, at least partially, within a respective valve well so as to intersect a respective coolant-carrying channel, and includes a valve disk and a thermal-sensitive actuator mechanically coupled to rotate the valve disk. The valve disk is rotatable between an open position where coolant is allowed to flow through the respective coolant-carrying channel, and a closed position where coolant is blocked from flowing through the respective channel. The actuator rotates the valve disk between the open position and the closed position, dependent on heating of the thermal-sensitive actuator by the electronic component(s).

Abstract: Cooling systems and methods are provided which include a heat sink having a housing with a compartment, a coolant inlet, and a coolant outlet. The housing is configured for a coolant to flow from the coolant inlet through the compartment to the coolant outlet, wherein the coolant is transferring heat extracted from one or more electronic components. The heat sink further includes one or more heat pipes having a first portion disposed within the compartment of the housing and a second portion disposed outside the housing. The heat pipe(s) is configured to extract heat from the coolant flowing through the compartment, and to transfer the extracted heat to the second portion disposed outside the housing. The second portion outside the housing is disposed to facilitate conducting the extracted heat into the ground.

Abstract: Methods are presented for facilitating dissipation of heat generated by one or more electronic components. The methods include providing a coolant-cooled heat sink and a thermostat-controlled valve. The heat sink includes one or more coolant-carrying channels and one or more valve wells intersecting the channels. The thermostat-controlled valve is disposed, at least partially, within a respective valve well so as to intersect a respective coolant-carrying channel, and includes a valve disk and a thermal-sensitive actuator mechanically coupled to rotate the valve disk. The valve disk is rotatable between an open position where coolant is allowed to flow through the respective coolant-carrying channel, and a closed position where coolant is blocked from flowing through the respective channel. The actuator rotates the valve disk between the open position and the closed position, dependent on heating of the thermal-sensitive actuator by the electronic component(s).

Abstract: Cooled electronic systems and cooling methods are provided, wherein a field-replaceable bank of electronic components is cooled by an apparatus which includes an enclosure at least partially surrounding and forming a compartment about the electronic components, a fluid disposed within the compartment, and a heat sink associated with the electronic system. The field-replaceable bank extends, in part, through the enclosure to facilitate operative docking of the electronic components into, for instance, one or more respective receiving sockets of the electronic system. The electronic components of the field-replaceable bank are, at least partially, immersed within the fluid to facilitate immersion-cooling of the components, and the heat sink is configured and disposed to physically couple to the enclosure and facilitates rejection of heat from the fluid disposed within the compartment when the field-replaceable bank of electronic components is operatively inserted into the electronic system.

Abstract: A heat sink and method of fabrication are provided for removing heat from an electronic component(s). The heat sink includes a heat sink base and frame. The base has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and includes a base surface configured to couple to the electronic component to facilitate removal of heat. The frame has a second CTE, and is configured to constrain the base surface in opposing relation to the electronic component, wherein the first CTE is greater than the second CTE. At least one of the heat sink base or frame is configured so that heating of the heat sink base results in a compressive force at the base surface of the heat sink base towards the electronic component that facilitates heat transfer from the electronic component. A thermal interface material is disposed between the base surface and the electronic component.

Abstract: A system and method of using differential optical signals to track the orientation of a solar surface or surfaces is proposed. Two dispersive prisms or gratings arranged in a mirror-symmetric fashion are used to decompose light into its constituent colors, and the gain of a differential amplifier circuit based on the difference of the frequencies of single color collimated light produced by the two prisms or gratings is used to maintain the on-sun orientation of the solar surface or surfaces. The invention provides for a high-precision, low-cost solar tracking system. Preferably, the signal processing and tracking of solar surfaces is performed by a mobile robot that travels to multiple solar surfaces to minimize cost.

Abstract: A satellite communication system for airborne and reachback communications may include a formation orbiting in one or more slots of a geosynchronous orbit. The formation may include two or more communications satellites (COMSATs) encircling a ring. Each COMSAT of the two or more COMSATs may include a communication module configured to communicate with a plurality of communications assets in a benign or contested environment. The formation may be configured to allow a first communications asset having a dish antenna with a first configuration to communicate independently with each of the two or more COMSATs in a first scenario. The formation may also be configured to allow a second communications asset having a dish antenna with a second configuration to communicate simultaneously with the two or more COMSATs in a second scenario.

Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods of fabrication thereof are provided to facilitate two-phase, immersion-cooling of one or more electronic components. The cooling apparatus includes a housing having a compartment within which dielectric fluid is disposed which facilitates immersion-cooling of the electronic component(s). A liquid-cooled heat sink is associated with the housing and cools a cooling surface exposed within the compartment. One or more pumps are disposed within the compartment and configured to pump dielectric fluid liquid within the compartment towards the cooling surface to facilitate cooling the liquid within the compartment below a saturation temperature of the dielectric fluid. The heat sink includes or is coupled to condensing and sub-cooling regions exposed within the compartment.

Abstract: A method is provided which includes providing a coolant-conditioning unit which includes a facility coolant path, having a facility coolant flow control valve, and a system coolant path accommodating a system coolant, and having a bypass line with a system coolant bypass valve. A heat exchanger is coupled to the facility and system coolant paths to facilitate transfer of heat from the system coolant to facility coolant in the facility coolant path, and the bypass line is disposed in the system coolant path in parallel with the heat exchanger. A controller automatically controls a regulation position of the coolant bypass valve and a regulation position of the facility coolant flow control valve based on a temperature of the system coolant, and automatically adjusts the regulation position of the system coolant bypass valve to facilitate maintaining the facility coolant flow control valve at or above a specified, partially open, minimum regulation position.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a cooling apparatus is provided to facilitate two-phase, immersion-cooling of one or more electronic components. The cooling apparatus includes a housing having a compartment within which dielectric fluid is disposed which facilitates immersion-cooling of the electronic component(s). A liquid-cooled heat sink is associated with the housing and cools a cooling surface exposed within the compartment. One or more pumps are disposed within the compartment and configured to pump dielectric fluid liquid within the compartment towards the cooling surface to facilitate cooling the liquid within the compartment below a saturation temperature of the dielectric fluid. The heat sink includes or is coupled to condensing and sub-cooling regions exposed within the compartment.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a primary air conditioning device and an auxiliary air conditioning device each having a condenser, a receiver drier, an evaporator, and an expansion valve, an electrical air conditioning compressor coupled to the primary and the auxiliary air conditioning devices for operating the primary and the auxiliary air conditioning devices, and an alternator coupled to the electrical air conditioning compressor for energizing the electrical air conditioning compressor to operate the primary and the auxiliary air conditioning devices, and for allowing the auxiliary air conditioning device to be actuated to supply the cooling air to cool the vehicle even when the engine of the vehicle is shut off.

Abstract: Techniques for transferring torque between a first unit, such as a mobile machine or a robot, and a second unit, such as a fixed or stationary machine. The units are arranged such that a drive coupler of the first unit designed for delivering torque about a drive axis can engage the driven coupler, which belongs to the second unit and has a driven axis, along an engagement direction that is nearly perpendicular to the direction of the driven axis. A lateral displacement mechanism of the first unit achieves a first-order coaxial alignment between the drive and driven axes. Additional measures are provided for improving engagement, coupling and reducing the level of axial misalignment. Techniques disclosed are tolerant of imprecise alignment between the drive and driven couplers.

Abstract: Energy efficient control of cooling system cooling of an electronic system is provided based, in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components. The control includes automatically determining speed control settings for multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components of the cooling system, and the determining operates to limit power consumption of at least the cooling system, while ensuring that a target temperature associated with at least one of the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range by provisioning, based on the weighted cooling effectiveness, a desired target temperature change among the multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The provisioning includes provisioning applied power to the multiple adjustable cooling components via, at least in part, the determined control settings.

Abstract: Energy efficient control of cooling system cooling of an electronic system is provided based, in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components. The control includes automatically determining speed control settings for multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components of the cooling system, and the determining operates to limit power consumption of at least the cooling system, while ensuring that a target temperature associated with at least one of the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range by provisioning, based on the weighted cooling effectiveness, a desired target temperature change among the multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The provisioning includes provisioning applied power to the multiple adjustable cooling components via, at least in part, the determined control settings.