Abstract: Disclosed herein are ionic liquid compounds, complexes and compositions suitable for use as refrigerants. Methods and systems for heating and/or cooling, including vapor compression heating or cooling systems, including such refrigerants are also disclosed. Preferred ionic liquids include those having anions selected from pyrrolide, pyrazolide, triazolide, imidazolide, benzimidazolide, and indolide, and cations selected from phosphonium, ammonium, pyrrolidinium, imidazolium, and pyridinium.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are ionic liquid compounds, complexes and compositions suitable for use as refrigerants. Methods and systems for heating and/or cooling, including vapor compression heating or cooling systems, including such refrigerants are also disclosed. Preferred ionic liquids include those having anions selected from pyrrolide, pyrazolide, triazolide, imidazolide, benzimidazolide, and indolide, and cations selected from phosphonium, ammonium, pyrrolidinium, imidazolium, and pyridinium.

Abstract: A carbon dioxide/cofluid mixture is provided for use in a refrigeration cycle in which the carbon dioxide is alternately absorbed and desorbed from the cofluid. The mixture includes from 50% to 95% cofluid and from 5% to 50% carbon dioxide. The cofluid is selected so that the mixture falls within region A of the plot of pvap versus &Dgr;hsoln shown in FIG. 3. The &Dgr;hsoln of the mixture is the differential heat of solution of the carbon dioxide in the cofluid at 5 wt % and 0° C. The pvap of the mixture is the vapor pressure of the carbon dioxide over the solution at 20 wt % and 40° C.

Abstract: An apparatus for acoustically cooling automotive electronics in which an acoustic driver and acoustic reflector are disposed within a hollow member, such as a cross-car-beam of a vehicle. The frequency of the acoustic driver and the distance between the acoustic driver and the acoustic reflector are selected to generate a standing acoustic wave within the hollow member.

Abstract: The thickness of a vapor barrier layer embedded in a co-extruded plastic fuel tank is measured using ultrasound. An interference method using ultrasonic tone-bursts employs a frequency progression wherein a frequency producing a minimum in the reflection echo from the barrier layer identifies the thickness of the barrier layer. The method is useful in polyethylene fuel tanks wherein an ultrasonic attenuation which is highly dependent upon frequency limits the resolution of barrier layer thickness.

Abstract: A device for measuring acceleration based on the shift in resonant frequency of a vibrating cantilevered beam in response to an acceleration force having a component along its major axis is disclosed. Such accelerometers may be manufactured by micromachining in silicon, and comprise one or more beams, each provided with drive means for keeping the beam in vibration at the resonant frequency, and detection means for sensing changes in the resonant frequency. The sensitivity of accelerometers according to the invention is determined by the length of the cantilevered beam, a factor easily controlled during manufacture, and by the resonant frequency of the beam, which is continuously measured in use. Accelerometers constructed according to the invention are self-calibrating, self-testing and susceptible to large-scale batch manufacture.