Abstract: An irrigation system is provided and includes a main irrigation line, one or more lateral driplines, each lateral dripline being divided into zones and including a plurality of emitters at each zone and a plurality of controllable valves disposed along each of the one or more lateral driplines at zone borders. Each one of the plurality of controllable valves is actuatable to activate corresponding emitters in the associated zone in a zone by zone cycle and each one of the plurality of emitters is replaceable to vary an amount of deliverable fluid by the zone by zone cycle.

Abstract: A controllable emitter of an irrigation apparatus including a drip line having pressurized fluid therein is provided. The controllable emitter includes a container coupled to the drip line, the container being formed to define an interior and including an inlet through which the pressurized fluid is receivable in the interior from the drip line and an outlet through which the pressurized fluid is exhaustible from the interior, a magnetic stopper, which is normally disposable in a first position such that the magnetic stopper prevents a flow of the pressurized fluid through the outlet and which is actively disposable in a second position such that the magnetic stopper permits the flow and a controllable actuator configured to generate a magnetic field operable to urge the magnetic stopper to move from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: Techniques for acquiring and analyzing environmental and personnel presence, location and identification data from a health care facility to manage operations of the health care facility with regards to personnel tracking, patient comfort and/or enforcement of hygienic protocols are provided. In one aspect, a method of managing operation of a health care facility is provided. The method includes the steps of: acquiring data regarding i) environmental factors in the health care facility and ii) a presence, a location and an identity of personnel in the health care facility using a sensing platform system having a plurality of sensing points throughout the health care facility, wherein the sensing platform is configured to identify the personnel in the health care facility via radio-frequency identification (RFID); and analyzing the data to provide real-time analytics for managing operation of the health care facility.

Abstract: Techniques are described for controlling the climate in a data center. Using the input of an administrator, multiple desired attributes of a data center (e.g., temperature, energy consumption, costs, or system performance) may be balanced using a utility function that maximizes the utility of the computing systems in the data center according to the administrator's preferences. Additionally, a cooling model is generated that represents the affect of a control parameter (e.g., the fan speed of a CRAC) on the desire attributes of the data center. The cooling model may then be substituted into the utility function to replace the desired attributes. Using this new utility function, the control parameters may be varied such that the maximum utility is achieved.

Abstract: Systems for predicting a filter lifetime. A filter monitoring system includes a filter effectiveness history based on contaminant sensor information associated with a filter received from one or more contaminant sensors. A lifetime module is configured to determine a rate of filter consumption based on the filter effectiveness history and to determine a remaining filter lifetime based on the determined rate of filter consumption.

Abstract: A compact corrosion measurement apparatus and system includes an air fan, a corrosion sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a heater element, and an air flow sensor all under control to monitor and maintain constant air parameters in an environment and minimize environmental fluctuations around the corrosion sensor to overcome the variation commonly encountered in corrosion rate measurement. The corrosion measurement apparatus includes a structure providing an enclosure within which are located the sensors. Constant air flow and temperature is maintained within the enclosure where the corrosion sensor is located by integrating a variable speed air fan and a heater with the corresponding feedback loop control. Temperature and air flow control loops ensure that corrosivity is measured under similar conditions in different facilities offering a general reference point that allow a one to one comparison between facilities with similar or different pollution levels.

Abstract: A system for increasing filter economy includes a memory configured to receive measurements of contaminants in an internal and an external environment. A cost effectiveness module is configured to determine a cost of a corrosion rate increase if unfiltered external air intake is increased for cooling, to determine a cost of increased air pressure to filter external air, and to determine if the cost of filtering external air exceeds the cost of the corrosion rate increase. An air intake module is configured to increase an intake of unfiltered external air if it is determined that the cost of filtering external air exceeds the cost of the corrosion rate increase.

Abstract: A method of operating a drip irrigation system is provided and includes providing drip irrigation lines aside a diverter line with T-junctions interleaved between adjacent ones of the drip irrigation lines and each T-junction including a three-way line coupled to the diverter line, a check valve operably disposable between the three-way line and a downstream end of an upstream one of the drip irrigation lines to permit fluid flow in only a forward direction and a controllable valve operably disposable between the three-way line and an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines.

Abstract: An imaging system and use thereof for large-area monitoring with very high temporal resolution are provided. In one aspect, an imaging system includes a camera equipped with curved optics having a field of view of from about 0.01 miles to about 1.5 miles; and interchangeable light filters positioned in front of the camera configured to change one or more of an intensity and an amplitude of light captured by the imaging system. The curved optics may include a hemispherical mirror configured to reflect an image of objects in front of the mirror, and the camera may be positioned facing a reflective surface of the hemispherical mirror so as to capture the image reflected in the hemispherical mirror. Alternatively, the curved optics may include a fisheye lens mounted to the camera. An imaging network of the present imaging systems and a method for use thereof for thermal monitoring are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically and efficiently controlling air conditioning units (ACUs) in a data center are provided. In one aspect, a method for controlling ACUs in a data center is provided. The method includes the following steps. It is identified which of the ACUs in the data center comprise base ACUs and which of the ACUs in the data center comprise redundant ACUs. Output from one or more of the redundant ACUs is increased in response to one or more control events. Output from the redundant ACUs is decreased once a predetermined period of time has elapsed without a new control event occurring.

Abstract: Techniques for managing and forecasting power from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are provided. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for managing power from at least one renewable energy source is provided. The method includes the following steps. A list of tasks to be performed within a given timeframe is created, wherein a power load is associated with performing each of the tasks. Performance of the tasks is prioritized based on the power load associated with each of the tasks and an availability of the power from the renewable energy source during the given timeframe.

Abstract: A method of detecting cooling-loss event early is provided. The method includes defining a relative humidity limit and change threshold for a given space, measuring relative humidity in the given space, determining, with a processing unit, whether the measured relative humidity is within the defined relative humidity limit, generating a warning in an event the measured relative humidity is outside the defined relative humidity limit and determining whether a change in the measured relative humidity is less than the defined change threshold for the given space and generating an alarm in an event the change is greater than the defined change threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments include a wireless mote network having a plurality of motes, wherein each of the plurality of motes includes a processing unit in communication with a communications device. Each of the motes includes at least a sensor configured to monitor an environmental condition in an area around the mote or an actuator configured to control one or more external systems. The wireless mote network also includes a central communications device configured to communicate with one or more of the motes within a range of the central communications device and a controller configured to communicate with the central communications device, to receive one or more signals indicative of the environmental condition of one or more of the plurality of motes, and to transmit one or more control signals indicating an operation of the actuator to one or more of the plurality of motes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating or altering a microstructure use means for heating to facilitate a local chemical reaction that forms or alters the submicrostructure.

Abstract: Techniques for cooling in a data center are provided. In one aspect, a computer equipment rack is provided comprising one or more air inlets; one or more exhaust outlets; and one or more of: an air inlet duct mounted to the computer equipment rack surrounding at least a portion of the air inlets, the air inlet duct having a lateral dimension that approximates a lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack and a length that is less than a length of the computer equipment rack, and an air exhaust duct mounted to the computer equipment rack surrounding at least a portion of the exhaust outlets, the air exhaust duct having a lateral dimension that approximates the lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack and a length that is less than the length of the computer equipment rack.

Abstract: Principles of the invention provide methods and apparatus for providing corrosion management in buildings. In one aspect, an exemplary method includes the step of receiving first data relating corrosion rate to a plurality of environmental conditions. This first data is subsequently utilized to determine a quantitative relationship between corrosion rate and the plurality of environmental conditions. In another step, second data indicative of one or more environmental conditions within a building is received. A corrosion rate in the building is then determined at least in part by applying the determined quantitative relationship to this second data.

Abstract: A multifunctional sky camera system and techniques for the use thereof for total sky imaging and spectral irradiance/radiance measurement are provided. In one aspect, a sky camera system is provided. The sky camera system includes an objective lens having a field of view of greater than about 170 degrees; a spatial light modulator at an image plane of the objective lens, wherein the spatial light modulator is configured to attenuate light from objects in images captured by the objective lens; a semiconductor image sensor; and one or more relay lens configured to project the images from the spatial light modulator to the semiconductor image sensor. Techniques for use of the one or more of the sky camera systems for optical flow based cloud tracking and three-dimensional cloud analysis are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques for analysis and prediction of cloud particle distribution and solar radiation are provided. In one aspect, a method for analyzing cloud particle characteristics includes the steps of: (a) collecting meteorological data; (b) calculating solar radiation values using a radiative transfer model based on the meteorological data and blended guess functions of a cloud particle distribution (c) optimizing the cloud particle distribution by optimizing the weight coefficients used for the blended guess functions of the cloud particle distribution based on the solar radiation values calculated in step (b) and measured solar radiation values; (d) training a machine-learning process using the meteorological data collected in step (a) and the cloud particle distribution optimized in step (c) as training samples; and (e) predicting future solar radiation values using forecasted meteorological data and the machine-learning process trained in step (d).

Abstract: Techniques for analysis and prediction of cloud particle distribution and solar radiation are provided. In one aspect, a method for analyzing cloud particle characteristics includes the steps of: (a) collecting meteorological data; (b) calculating solar radiation values using a radiative transfer model based on the meteorological data and blended guess functions of a cloud particle distribution (c) optimizing the cloud particle distribution by optimizing the weight coefficients used for the blended guess functions of the cloud particle distribution based on the solar radiation values calculated in step (b) and measured solar radiation values; (d) training a machine-learning process using the meteorological data collected in step (a) and the cloud particle distribution optimized in step (c) as training samples; and (e) predicting future solar radiation values using forecasted meteorological data and the machine-learning process trained in step (d).

Abstract: Techniques for monitoring and predicting environmental operating conditions in a data center are provided. In one aspect, a method for real-time, three-dimensional analysis of environmental operating conditions in a data center includes the following steps. High spatial resolution three-dimensional measurements of one or more environmental variables in the data center made at a time t1 are obtained. Real-time measurements of the environmental variables in the data center made at a time t2, wherein t2 is later in time than t1, are obtained. The high spatial resolution three-dimensional measurements are combined with the real-time measurements to derive a model for the environmental variables in the data center at the time t2. The model is used to predict three-dimensional distributions of the environmental variables in the data center at the time t2. A base model can be created and used to derive the model for the data center at the time t2.