Abstract: A squeeze detection system includes an elongated body extending along a longitudinal direction. The elongated body has a handle. A sensor assembly is positioned within the elongated body proximate the handle. The sensor assembly includes conductive target mounted to the elongated body. An inductive sensor is also mounted to the elongated body. A gap is defined between a coil of the inductive sensor and a target surface of the conductive target. The conductive target and the inductive sensor are mounted to the elongated body such that a size of the gap is changeable in order to detect a squeeze in either a first direction or a second direction within a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the handle of the elongated body. The first and second directions are perpendicular.

Abstract: A method operable by a controller of a static transfer switch (STS) is provided. The STS includes first and second inputs selectively coupled with first and second power sources via first and second circuit breakers, respectively, an output coupled with a load, first and second bypass breakers selectively coupling the first and second inputs, respectively, with the output, at least one removable power stage module including first and second power stages configured to conduct electrical power when active, first and second contactors selectively coupling the first and second inputs with the first and second power stages, respectively, and a load switch selectively coupling the first and second power stages with the output. The method includes modifying an operating state of the first and second contactors and the first and second power stages to implement a bypass operation and an un-bypass operation of the STS in response to a trigger condition.

Abstract: Two components of an aircraft structure are joined by providing a threaded opening in one of them and supporting an alignment insert in that opening. The alignment insert is used to guide drilling of the second component such that a hole is produced which is aligned with the threaded opening, for instance using an alignment projection which physically guides a drill. The alignment insert may then be removed. A fastener is then inserted through that hole and into the threaded opening, then tightened to form the completed joint.

Abstract: A method for estimating operating ranges for an electric work vehicle includes accessing, with a computing system, data associated with a power consumption rate of an electric work vehicle, the electric work vehicle being operable in plurality of operating modes. The method also includes accessing, with the computing system, data associated with a remaining capacity of a power storage device of the electric work vehicle, and determining, with the computing system, an estimated operating range for each of the plurality of operating modes for the electric work vehicle based at least in part on the data associated with the power consumption rate and the remaining capacity of the power storage device. In addition, the method includes providing, with the computing system, data indicative of the estimated operating range for each of the plurality of operating modes for presentation on a display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing inrush current to energize a transformer from a first power source or second power source using a transfer switch device including monitoring input phase voltage at a first and second switching pair, sending a first set of gate signals to the first switching pair and second set of gate signals to the second switching pair to selectively couple the transformer to the first power source or second power source, and operating the first switching pair and second switching pair in a normal operating mode at a next cycle once transformer flux reaches a saturation point. The transfer switch device includes a first switch and second switch connected to the first power source and second power source, respectively, and each switch including the first switching pair and second switching pair connected in a reverse orientation to enable a bi-directional flow of current at each phase.

Abstract: A transfer switch for hybrid switching between a first power source and a second power source, the transfer switch includes a first switch and a second switch, the first and second switch connecting a load to a first power source and a second power source, respectively. The first switch includes at least one first solid state switching device (SSSD) pair. The second switch includes at least one second SSSD pair. The at least one first SSSD pair includes a different type of switching devices relative to the type of switching devices of the at least one second SSSD pair. Moreover, a controller may be configured to selectively cycle the at least one first SSSD pair and the at least one second SSSD pair on and off to electrically couple one of the first power source and the second power source to the load.

Abstract: A braided carbon structure and methods of forming and processing are presented. The braided carbon structure comprises axial tows comprising carbon filaments; braid tows at a braid angle relative to the axial tows, the braid tows comprising carbon filaments; and thermoplastic material within at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows, wherein the thermoplastic material makes up less than 40 of each of the at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows.

Abstract: This present disclosure seals the light propagation path in an optical interconnection element from external contaminants. The optical interconnection element includes a reflective surface, which can also be sealed from external contaminants Additional novel concepts include all enclosed sealed regions of the optical interconnection element being fluidly connected and making the final seal of the optical interconnection element with a thin plate, which can bend reducing the pressure differential between the ambient environment and the sealed internal volume of the optical interconnection element.

Abstract: A static transfer switch includes first and second inputs, an output, first and second bypass breakers, first and second power stages, first and second contactors, a load switch, and a controller. The first and second inputs are configured to selectively couple with a first power source via a first circuit breaker and a second power source via a second circuit breaker, respectively. The first and second bypass breakers are configured to selectively couple the first and second input with the output, respectively. The first and second contactors are configured to selectively couple the first input with the first power stage and the second input with the second power stage, respectively. The load switch is configured to selectively couple the first and second power stages with the output, and the controller is configured to modify an operating state of the first and second contactors and the first and second power stages.

Abstract: Disclosed are structures, systems, and methods of transporting and storing marine vessels. An identifier of vessel positioned in a slip is read. A navigation route comprising shuttles, lifts, and a stall is generated. A first lift is used to raise the skiff pallet from the water. The vessel, positioned on the skiff pallet, is rolled from the first lift to a first shuttle. The first shuttle is used to horizontally transport the skiff pallet, with the vessel positioned thereon, through a rack storage facility entrance to a second lift at a first level, the rack storage facility comprising multiple levels. The skiff pallet, with the vessel positioned thereon, is rolled from the first shuttle to the second lift, which is used to raise the skiff pallet to a second level. The skiff pallet is rolled from the second lift to a second shuttle, and the skiff pallet, with the vessel positioned thereon, is transferred to the stall.

Abstract: THIS invention relates to a method and heap for recovering metal values from ore in a heap leach process. The method includes the steps of depositing and stacking crushed ore 16 on an impermeable pad 12 to form a heap, and enclosing the heap with a substantially impermeable coating 18 to both gas and liquid; to form a sealed heap. The sealed heap is irrigated with a leachant added inside the top of the heap, allowing the leachant to percolate through the heap and removing leachant at the base of the heap, either for recirculation or subsequent processing. Oxygen containing gas is added to the base of the sealed heap.

Abstract: A conveyor system comprising a sorting conveyor sorting articles off one or both sides to a chute system that includes an upper chute and a lower slide. Articles slide down the chute system to a discharge conveyor. The upper chute and the lower slide are separated by a gap. And the upper chute has a topography that prevents articles from tipping over onto another side. The chute system provides a large drop in elevation in a small footprint to conserve floor space.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating a digital image of simulated handwriting using an encoder-decoder neural network trained on images of natural handwriting samples. The simulated handwriting image can be generated based on a style of a handwriting sample and a variable length coded text input. The style represents visually distinctive characteristics of the handwriting sample, such as the shape, size, slope, and spacing of the letters, characters, or other markings in the handwriting sample. The resulting simulated handwriting image can include the text input rendered in the style of the handwriting sample. The distinctive visual appearance of the letters or words in the simulated handwriting image mimics the visual appearance of the letters or words in the handwriting sample image, whether the letters or words in the simulated handwriting image are the same as in the handwriting sample image or different from those in the handwriting sample image.

Abstract: In one aspect, a controller for managing electrical faults in a microgrid is provided. The microgrid includes electrical loads, electrical sources, and circuit protection devices that selectively couple the electrical loads and the electrical sources with each other. The controller comprises at least one processor configured to direct a grid tie switch to open to electrically isolate the microgrid from an electric grid, determine, in response to directing the grid tie switch to open, that an electrical fault exits in the microgrid, and determine whether a fault current of the electrical fault is less than a threshold value. The at least one processor is further configured to direct the grid tie switch to close to electrically connect the microgrid to the electric grid and increase the fault current above the threshold value in response to determining that the fault current is less than the threshold value.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for evaluating a set of computed tomography data associated with a lattice structure. The lattice structure may be additively manufactured. The computed tomography data may be segmented using a filter for identifying blob-like structures to identify nodes present within the lattice structure. A three-dimensional path traversal is applied to volumetric data to identify a plurality of struts within the lattice structure that are compared to corresponding struts within a set if three-dimensional mesh data of the lattice structure to identify defective struts. Further, two-dimensional slices may be extracted from each of the computed tomography data and the mesh data and compared to identify one or more inconsistencies indicative of defects within the lattice structure.

Abstract: A supply item has toner for use in an imaging device. A chip has memory storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over its lifetime and a multiplier correlating the quanta to toner mass. The imaging device requires quanta to conduct imaging operations and loads the quanta and multiplier by way of a certificate stored in the memory. The imaging device retrieves quanta from the chip over time and both devices keep tally. Initialization between the supply item and imaging device includes providing encrypted and unencrypted instances of firmware versions and certificates from the supply item that the imaging device can compare for security. Alternatively, the supply item defines a fuser assembly, imaging unit, intermediate transfer member, or other component installed for use in the imaging device.

Abstract: A supply item has toner for use in an imaging device. A chip has memory storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over its lifetime and a multiplier correlating the quanta to toner mass. The imaging device requires quanta to conduct imaging operations and loads the quanta and multiplier by way of a certificate stored in the memory. The imaging device retrieves quanta from the chip over time and both devices keep tally. Initialization between the supply item and imaging device includes providing encrypted and unencrypted instances of firmware versions and certificates from the supply item that the imaging device can compare for security. Alternatively, the supply item defines a fuser assembly, imaging unit, intermediate transfer member, or other component installed for use in the imaging device.

Abstract: A braided carbon structure and methods of forming and processing are presented. The braided carbon structure comprises axial tows comprising carbon filaments; braid tows at a braid angle relative to the axial tows, the braid tows comprising carbon filaments; and thermoplastic material within at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows, wherein the thermoplastic material makes up less than 40 of each of the at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows.

Abstract: A hypoxic training system is provided that dynamically adjusts the oxygen ratio in the gas provided to the user during a hypoxic training session based on the blood oxygen saturation (SPO2) level of the user. During a first training period, the hypoxic training system provides gas according to a first oxygen ratio. When it is determined that the SPO2 level of the user has reached a target SPO2 level, the hypoxic training system may provide a recovery period, during which gas according to a second oxygen ratio is provided to the user. When it is determined that the SPO2 level of the user has fallen more than a predetermined threshold below the target SPO2 level during the recovery period, the hypoxic training system may provide gas according to an increased first oxygen ratio during a subsequent training period.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for implementing a distributed control plane to facilitate communication between a container orchestration platform and a distributed storage architecture. The distributed storage architecture hosts worker nodes that manage distributed storage that can be made accessible to applications within the container orchestration platform through the distributed control plane. The distributed control plane includes control plane controllers that are each paired with a single worker node of the distributed storage architecture. The distributed control plane is configured to selectively route commands to control plane controllers that are paired with worker nodes that are current owners of objects targeted by the commands. If ownership of an object has changed from one worker node to another worker node, then subsequent commands will be re-routed to a control plane controller paired with the other worker node now owning the object.