Abstract: It is a continuing goal to reduce the amount of sludge produced in a biorefinery while also improving oil quality and water quality. In one aspect, an exemplary method of minimizing sludge from biorefineries includes the steps of feeding a source feedstock into a degumming centrifuge, where the source feedstock is separated into wet oil and a primary sludge stream, and conveying a portion of the primary sludge stream to a three-phase centrifuge. At the three-phase centrifuge, the portion of the primary sludge stream is separated into recovered centrifuge oil, which is retrieved; centrifuged water, which is conveyed to a wastewater treatment plant; and centrifuged sludge. The remainder of the primary sludge stream is conveyed to a gravity separator, where the remainder of the primary sludge stream is separated into recovered oil and residual sludge. The residual oil is retrieved from the gravity separator.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device supported by the chassis and configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover, wherein activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle, a body for storing refuse therein supported by the chassis, a first hydraulic pump configured to convert electrical power into hydraulic power, a second first hydraulic pump configured to convert electrical power into hydraulic power, and a motor coupled to at least one of the body or the chassis and configured to drive the first hydraulic pump and drive the second hydraulic pump.

Abstract: A grain cleaning apparatus for a combine harvester has a linkage system for moving a grain pan or sieve with an oscillatory movement. A configuration of the linkage system is adjusted for example in dependence on a lateral inclination of the combine harvester, in particular by setting the position of a pair of arms of the linkage system, so that some points within the linkage system are fixed and other points are adjustable depending on the angle of inclination (but then remain static for a constant angle of inclination).

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a battery configured to provide electrical energy to drive at least one of a plurality of wheels, a vehicle body supported by the chassis and defining a receptacle for storing refuse therein, and an electric power take-off system including a motor configured to power to a hydraulic system in response to receiving the electrical energy from the battery, an inverter configured to provide the electrical energy to the motor from the battery, a sensor configured to detect thermal energy within the inverter, and a controller configured to receive data from the sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the data from the sensor is greater than a critical operating condition and reduce a rate of electrical energy supplied to the motor in response to determining that the data from the sensor is greater than the critical operating condition.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a battery configured to provide electrical energy to drive at least one of a plurality of wheels, a vehicle body supported by the chassis and defining a receptacle for storing refuse therein, and an electric power take-off system including a motor configured to power to a hydraulic system in response to receiving the electrical energy from the battery, an inverter configured to provide the electrical energy to the motor from the battery, a sensor configured to detect thermal energy within the inverter, and a controller configured to receive data from the sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the data from the sensor is greater than a critical operating condition and reduce a rate of electrical energy supplied to the motor in response to determining that the data from the sensor is greater than the critical operating condition.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, a first energy storage device, a body, an electric power take-off system, and a subsystem coupled to the body and moveable using hydraulic power from the electric power take-off system. The first energy storage device (e.g., a battery) is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The body is configured for storing refuse, and is supported by the chassis. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the body and includes an electric motor, a second energy storage device configured to provide electric power to the electric motor, and a hydraulic pump that is drive by the electric motor. The electric motor drives the hydraulic pump to convert the electrical power into hydraulic power.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a vehicle body, an electric power take-off system, and a hydraulic component. The energy storage device is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The vehicle body is supported by the chassis, and includes an on-board receptacle for storing refuse therein. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the vehicle body, and includes an electric motor configured to drive a hydraulic pump to convert electrical power received from the energy storage device into hydraulic power. An amount of electrical power at least one of received by and provided to the electric motor is limited by a controller to control an output characteristic of the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic component is in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump and configured to operate using hydraulic power from the electric power take-off system.

Abstract: A control system for pre-conditioning a refuse vehicle includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain a scheduled deployment time of the refuse vehicle. The processing circuitry is also configured to perform a first pre-conditioning operation by operating a charging system to charge batteries of the refuse vehicle at a first charge rate over a first time interval, and a second charge rate over a second time interval to fully charge the batteries by the scheduled deployment time. The charging system is configured to provide direct current (DC) electrical energy to the batteries for charging. The processing circuitry is also configured to perform multiple other pre-conditioning operations at least partially simultaneously with performing the first pre-conditioning operation.

Abstract: A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a wireless charging coil configured to provide thermal energy, a first heat exchanger thermally coupled to the wireless charging coil, a radiator thermally coupled to the first heat exchanger and configured to transfer a first portion of the thermal energy provided by the wireless charging coil to an interior of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and a second heat exchanger thermally coupled to the first heat exchanger and configured to transfer a second portion of the thermal energy provided by the wireless charging coil to a battery of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle fleet includes providing a first vehicle including a first energy storage device and a first wireless charging coil, providing a second vehicle including a second energy storage device and a second wireless charging coil, providing, by an external device, electrical energy to the first vehicle, charging, by the first vehicle, the first energy storage device using a first portion of the electrical energy, transferring, through the first wireless charging coil and the second wireless charging coil, a second portion of the electrical energy to the second vehicle, and charging, by the second vehicle, the second energy storage device using the second portion of the electrical energy.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a body, and an electric power take-off system. The energy storage device (e.g., a battery) is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The body is configured for storing refuse, and is supported by the chassis. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the body and includes an inverter, an electric motor, and a hydraulic pump that is drive by the electric motor. The inverter receives electrical power from the energy storage device and supplies electrical power to the electric motor. The electric motor drives the hydraulic pump to convert the electrical power into hydraulic power.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a vehicle body, an electric power take-off system, and a hydraulic component. The energy storage device is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The vehicle body is supported by the chassis, and includes an on-board receptacle for storing refuse therein. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the vehicle body, and includes an electric motor configured to drive a hydraulic pump to convert electrical power received from the energy storage device into hydraulic power. An amount of electrical power at least one of received by and provided to the electric motor is limited by a controller to control an output characteristic of the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic component is in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump and configured to operate using hydraulic power from the electric power take-off system.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a body, an electric power take-off system, and a disconnect. The energy storage device is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The body is supported by the chassis and defines a receptacle for storing refuse. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the refuse vehicle, and includes a motor that is configured to drive a hydraulic pump to convert electrical power received from the energy storage device into hydraulic power. The disconnect is positioned between the energy storage device and the electric power take-off system and is configured to selectively decouple the electric power take-off system from the energy storage device.

Abstract: Various embodiments of present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-program products containing executable code for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier. Various embodiments include a wireless computing device that may be one of several types of devices such as smartphones, mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, electronic tablets, or other types of similar devices that may be used to facilitate the shipping and expedited tracking of objects having a tracking number via multimedia capture and processing.

Abstract: Improvements in fluid volume measurement systems are disclosed for a pneumatically actuated diaphragm pump in general, and a peritoneal dialysis cycler using a pump cassette in particular. Pump fluid volume measurements are based on pressure measurements in a pump control chamber and a reference chamber in a two-chamber model, with different sections of an apparatus being modeled using a combination of adiabatic, isothermal and polytropic processes. Real time or instantaneous fluid flow measurements in a pump chamber of the diaphragm pump are also disclosed, in this case using a one-chamber ideal gas model and using a high speed processor to obtain and process pump control chamber pressures during fluid flow into or out of the pump chamber.

Abstract: Various embodiments of present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-program products containing executable code for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier. Various embodiments include a wireless computing device that may be one of several types of devices such as smartphones, mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, electronic tablets, or other types of similar devices that may be used to facilitate the shipping and expedited tracking of objects having a tracking number via multimedia capture and processing.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a body, a first electric power take-off system, and a second electric power take-off system. The energy storage device is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The body is supported by the chassis. The first electric power take-off system is coupled to at least one of the body and the chassis, and includes a first motor that is configured to drive a first hydraulic pump to convert electrical power received from the energy storage device into hydraulic power. The second electric power take-off system is coupled to at least one of the body and the chassis, and includes a second motor that is configured to drive a second hydraulic pump to convert electrical power received from the energy storage device into hydraulic power.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a body, and an electric power take-off system. The energy storage device (e.g., a battery) is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The body is configured for storing refuse, and is supported by the chassis. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the body and includes an inverter, an electric motor, and a hydraulic pump that is drive by the electric motor. The inverter receives electrical power from the energy storage device and supplies electrical power to the electric motor. The electric motor drives the hydraulic pump to convert the electrical power into hydraulic power.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device, a vehicle body, an electric power take-off system, and a hydraulic component. The energy storage device is supported by the chassis and is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The vehicle body is supported by the chassis, and includes an on-board receptacle for storing refuse therein. The electric power take-off system is positioned on the vehicle body, and includes an electric motor configured to drive a hydraulic pump to convert electrical power received from the energy storage device into hydraulic power. An amount of electrical power at least one of received by and provided to the electric motor is limited by a controller to control an output characteristic of the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic component is in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump and configured to operate using hydraulic power from the electric power take-off system.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a battery configured to provide electrical energy to drive at least one of a plurality of wheels, a vehicle body supported by the chassis and defining a receptacle for storing refuse therein, and an electric power take-off system including a motor configured to power to a hydraulic system in response to receiving the electrical energy from the battery, an inverter configured to provide the electrical energy to the motor from the battery, a sensor configured to detect thermal energy within the inverter, and a controller configured to receive data from the sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the data from the sensor is greater than a critical operating condition and reduce a rate of electrical energy supplied to the motor in response to determining that the data from the sensor is greater than the critical operating condition.