Abstract: A Stirling-like system incorporating a heater, a displacer and a regenerator is intermittently coupled to an external system via valves, providing pneumatic power while ridding waste heat. The external system is commonly a Rankine cycle, sharing the working fluid of the Stirling-like system, and can be used for heat pumping, distillation and drying. The Stirling working fluid and the Rankine working fluid are the same material and are exchanged between the two systems. A dual Stirling-like system mates a heat engine with a heat pump, sharing the same pressure-containment, with the dual system intermittently coupled to external environments for convective exchange of heat and cold.

Abstract: A parking system uses a three-dimensional magnetic field sensor as part of a vehicle detector to monitor plural parking spaces. The detector is calibrated to detect the presence or absence of a vehicle in each of the monitored spaces. The status of each space is communicated to a central controller. A pay station communicates with a central controller when a parking interval has been purchased. The controller may warn customers when the interval is about to expire and law enforcement when it has expired.

Abstract: A three-dimensional magnetic field sensor is used as part of a vehicle detector to monitor plural parking spaces. The detector includes a controller which periodically samples the magnetic field and compares the present field to a prior field. When the difference exceeds a threshold, the change in the field is compared to previously recorded calibration changes to determine which calibration change the present change most closely resembles. The results are displayed to direct customers to vacant parking spaces or to identify spaces which are occupied but whose meters have expired.

Abstract: A dual-acting solenoid, consisting of one armature moving between two latching positions against two yokes with two drive windings, is interconnected to bring out three wire terminations: a center and two ends. The electronic drive circuitry is similarly configured for three terminals. Optionally, the drive circuitry includes sensing and computation sufficient to determine the two currents and the two inductive voltages associated with the two windings. A method is shown for using six measured or computed parameters, two inductive voltages, two currents, and two time derivatives of current, to determine the simultaneous position and velocity of the armature. The method involves simultaneous solution of the equations for current and voltage in two time-varying inductors where the two inductances are constrained to correspond to the position of a single armature moving between two fixed magnetic yokes.

Abstract: Servo control using ferromagnetic core material and electrical windings is based on monitoring of winding currents and voltages and inference of magnetic flux, a force indication; and magnetic gap, a position indication. Third order nonlinear servo control is split into nested control loops: a fast nonlinear first-order inner loop causing flux to track a target by varying a voltage output; and a slower almost linear second-order outer loop causing magnetic gap to track a target by controlling the flux target of the inner loop. The inner loop uses efficient switching regulation, preferably based on controlled feedback instabilities, to control voltage output. The outer loop achieves damping and accurate convergence using proportional, time-integral, and time-derivative gain terms. The time-integral feedback may be based on measured and target solenoid drive currents, adjusting the magnetic gap for force balance at the target current.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to isolated Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas putida, and Sporobolomyces roseus which are useful as a biocontrol agent. These organisms are useful in a method of imparting to plants protection against plant pathogens by applying them to plants, plant seeds, or soil surrounding plants under conditions effective to impart disease protection to the plants or plants produced from the plant seeds. The biocontrol agents are also useful in a method of enhancing plant growth which involves applying them to plants, plants seeds, or soil surrounding plants under conditions effective to enhance growth in the plants or plants produced from the plant seeds.

Abstract: A system for controlling the force and/or motion of an electromagnetic actuator. The actuator could be a solenoid, relay, or levitating device. The drive to the coil can be linear or switching, voltage or current and the sensors measuring the system can be as simple as just a current sensor monitoring the coil current or a flux sensor. Continuous control of position can be achieved allowing magnetic levitation or the soft landing of the moving element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical gain control system which provides a first signal logarithmically related to an input signal, sums a gain control signal with the first signal; and then provides an output signal which is an antilogarithmic function of the sum of the gain control signal and first signal. In accordance with the present invention in order to at least partially compensate for errors in the output signal arising from inherent characteristics of the components of the system, the system is improved by comparing the input signal and the output signal; generating an error correction signal in response to the comparison as a function of the errors in the output signal; and summing the error correction signal with the first signal and the gain control signal so as to reduce the error in the output signal.