Abstract: A soft actuator, comprising: a deformable member having a base stiffness; one or more electroadhesive (EA) clutches, the one or more EA clutches being in mechanical communication with the deformable member, and the one or more EA clutches being configured to, when actuated, give rise to a region of relative stiffness within the actuator that is greater than the base stiffness. A method, comprising: in a soft actuator, actuating one or more EA clutches in mechanical communication with a deformable member having a base stiffness, the actuating being performed so as to give rise to one or more regions of relative stiffness within the soft actuator that is greater than the base stiffness; and effecting a bending force within the deformable member such that the deformable member attains a shape, the shape at least partially defined by the actuated one or more EA clutches.

Abstract: A virtual over-the-counter exchange system that allows brokers to negotiate and complete exchanges of financial products between traders within a plurality of financial product markets includes a data converter that converts financial product market information received from a broker into a standard financial product data format, a virtual broker database that stores the financial product market information in the standard financial product data format, a plurality of virtual trader databases, each virtual trader database storing, in the standard financial product data format, at least a portion of the financial product market information selected by the broker to be distributed to a corresponding one of a plurality of traders, and a data distributor that distributes the at least a portion of the financial product market information in each of the virtual trader databases to a corresponding one of the plurality of traders in one of a plurality of proprietary formats.

Abstract: A soft actuator, comprising: a deformable member having a base stiffness; one or more electroadhesive (EA) clutches, the one or more EA clutches being in mechanical communication with the deformable member, and the one or more EA clutches being configured to, when actuated, give rise to a region of relative stiffness within the actuator that is greater than the base stiffness. A method, comprising: in a soft actuator, actuating one or more EA clutches in mechanical communication with a deformable member having a base stiffness, the actuating being performed so as to give rise to one or more regions of relative stiffness within the soft actuator that is greater than the base stiffness; and effecting a bending force within the deformable member such that the deformable member attains a shape, the shape at least partially defined by the actuated one or more EA clutches.

Abstract: A technique facilitates tracking and assessing a fatigue life of a tubing string utilizing, for example, estimation of cycles to failure when used in a wellbore operation. The technique may comprise initially determining a fatigue life of a tubing string. Additionally, the technique comprises utilizing a sensing device, e.g. a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) device, to monitor the tubing string. When an anomaly, e.g. a new defect, is detected by the sensing device, a new fatigue life of the tubing string is determined based on the change. The new fatigue life may be used to estimate a fatigue life in terms of cycles to failure.

Abstract: A technique facilitates tracking and assessing a fatigue life of a tubing string utilizing, for example, estimation of cycles to failure when used in a wellbore operation. The technique may comprise initially determining a fatigue life of a tubing string. Additionally, the technique comprises utilizing a sensing device, e.g. a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) device, to monitor the tubing string. When an anomaly, e.g. a new defect, is detected by the sensing device, a new fatigue life of the tubing string is determined based on the change. The new fatigue life may be used to estimate a fatigue life in terms of cycles to failure.

Abstract: A technique facilitates tracking and assessing a fatigue life of a tubing string utilizing, for example, estimation of cycles to failure when used in a wellbore operation. The technique may comprise initially determining a fatigue life of a tubing string. Additionally, the technique comprises utilizing a sensing device, e.g. a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) device, to monitor the tubing string. When an anomaly, e.g. a new defect, is detected by the sensing device, a new fatigue life of the tubing string is determined based on the change. The new fatigue life may be used to estimate a fatigue life in terms of cycles to failure.

Abstract: Pellets and a process for producing pellets are disclosed. The process includes recovering spent coffee grounds from a coffee production facility. The coffee grounds are then subject to a drying process to remove moisture from the coffee grounds to form dried coffee grounds. A mixture of about 0.5-10% dried coffee grounds and wood material is then formed. The mixture is then compressed in a pellet mill to form wood pellets including about 0.5-10% coffee grounds. The coffee grounds in the wood material acts as a lubricant for the pelleting machinery and eliminate the need for other lubricants in the process.

Abstract: A technique facilitates prediction of run life. Data relating to a pipe defect is provided to a data processing system for comparison to stored data regarding defects. Additionally, data regarding fatigue life accumulation is stored on the data processing system as it relates to fatigue life of the pipe based on the number of cycles to failure of the pipe without the presence of the defect. The number of cycles experienced by the pipe at the time the defect occurs in the pipe also is determined and provided to the data processing system. The system and methodology further comprise using the data regarding the defect type, the fatigue life accumulation data for the pipe, and the number of cycles experienced by the pipe at the time of the defect to estimate a remaining number of cycles until failure of the pipe.

Abstract: Pellets and a process for producing pellets are disclosed. The process includes recovering spent coffee grounds from a coffee production facility. The coffee grounds are then subject to a drying process to remove moisture from the coffee grounds to form dried coffee grounds. A mixture of about 0.5-10% dried coffee grounds and wood material is then formed. The mixture is then compressed in a pellet mill to form wood pellets including about 0.5-10% coffee grounds. The coffee grounds in the wood material acts as a lubricant for the pelleting machinery and eliminate the need for other lubricants in the process.

Abstract: Pellets and a process for producing pellets are disclosed. The process includes recovering spent coffee grounds from a coffee production facility. The coffee grounds are then subject to a drying process to remove moisture from the coffee grounds to form dried coffee grounds. A mixture of about 0.5-5% dried coffee grounds and wood material is then formed. The mixture is then compressed in a pellet mill to form wood pellets including about 0.5-5% coffee grounds. The coffee grounds in the wood material acts as a lubricant for the pelleting machinery and eliminate the need for other lubricants in the process.

Abstract: A virtual over-the-counter exchange system that allows brokers to negotiate and complete exchanges of financial products between traders within a plurality of financial product markets includes a data converter that converts financial product market information received from a broker into a standard financial product data format, a virtual broker database that stores the financial product market information in the standard financial product data format, a plurality of virtual trader databases, each virtual trader database storing, in the standard financial product data format, at least a portion of the financial product market information selected by the broker to be distributed to a corresponding one of a plurality of traders, and a data distributor that distributes the at least a portion of the financial product market information in each of the virtual trader databases to a corresponding one of the plurality of traders in one of a plurality of proprietary formats.

Abstract: A virtual over-the-counter exchange system that allows brokers to negotiate and complete exchanges of financial products between traders within a plurality of financial product markets includes a data converter that converts financial product market information received from a broker into a standard financial product data format, a virtual broker database that stores the financial product market information in the standard financial product data format, a plurality of virtual trader databases, each virtual trader database storing, in the standard financial product data format, at least a portion of the financial product market information selected by the broker to be distributed to a corresponding one of a plurality of traders, and a data distributor that distributes the at least a portion of the financial product market information in each of the virtual trader databases to a corresponding one of the plurality of traders in one of a plurality of proprietary formats.

Abstract: A powerline communication control system for controlling a lighting unit, such as an LED lighting unit, including a master controller for receiving lighting unit control inputs from a lighting controller and generating corresponding lighting unit command outputs in a lighting system command format and transmission mode and superimposing the lighting unit command outputs onto the power distribution system and at least one lighting slave unit for receiving the lighting command signal, separating the lighting command signal from the power signal and for providing lighting unit control commands to the at least one lighting unit to control illumination thereof.

Abstract: A technique facilitates tracking and assessing a fatigue life of a tubing string utilizing, for example, estimation of cycles to failure when used in a wellbore operation. The technique may comprise initially determining a fatigue life of a tubing string. Additionally, the techpique comprises utilizing a sensing device, e.g. a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) device, to monitor the tubing string. When an anomaly, e.g. a new defect, is detected by the sensing device, a new fatigue life of the tubing string is determined based on the change. The new fatigue life may be used to estimate a fatigue life in terms of cycles to failure.

Abstract: A technique facilitates prediction of run life. Data relating to a pipe defect is provided to a data processing system for comparison to stored data regarding defects. Additionally, data regarding fatigue life accumulation is stored on the data processing system as it relates to fatigue life of the pipe based on the number of cycles to failure of the pipe without the presence of the defect. The number of cycles experienced by the pipe at the time the defect occurs in the pipe also is determined and provided to the data processing system. The system and methodology further comprise using the data regarding the defect type, the fatigue life accumulation data for the pipe, and the number of cycles experienced by the pipe at the time of the defect to estimate a remaining number of cycles until failure of the pipe.

Abstract: A system and method control an amount of power delivered by a power converter (220) to a solid state lighting load (240). It is determined whether a dimmer (204) is present between a voltage source (201) and the power converter (220) based on a rectified input voltage from the voltage source. When the dimmer is determined to be present, an operating point of the power converter is adjusted to increase the amount of power delivered by the power converter to the solid state lighting load by a compensation amount, so that the increased amount of power is equal to an amount of power delivered by the power converter when the dimmer is not present.

Abstract: Light fixture systems and application of ambient light measurement for improving lighting system efficiency.

Abstract: In some examples, non-lighting application controller technology includes methods and apparatuses. In other examples, the technology includes a non-lighting application controller system. The system includes one or more light fixtures. Each light fixture of the one or more light fixtures has one or more non-lighting elements, such as a speaker, alarm, motor, and camera. Each light fixture of the one or more light fixtures is electrically coupled via a power line. Each light fixture of the one or more light fixtures includes a conversion module configured to convert instructions between power line communication and non-lighting control communication, a communication module configured to communicate the power line communication over the power line, and a non-lighting element controller configured to control the one or more non-lighting elements in a respective light fixture based on the instructions.

Abstract: A powerline communication control system for controlling a lighting unit, such as an LED lighting unit, including a master controller for receiving lighting unit control inputs from a lighting controller and generating corresponding lighting unit command outputs in a lighting system command format and transmission mode and superimposing the lighting unit command outputs onto the power distribution system and at least one lighting slave unit for receiving the lighting command signal, separating the lighting command signal from the power signal and for providing lighting unit control commands to the at least one lighting unit to control illumination thereof.

Abstract: In some examples, automatic light fixture address technology includes methods and apparatuses. In other examples, the method includes receiving a disable forward control command to disable data forwarding through the light fixture; receiving an enable forward control command to enable data forwarding through the light fixture; transmitting address data for the light fixture based on the enable forward control command; and forwarding one or more additional enable forward control commands based on the enable forward control command.