Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: obtaining input data including a plurality of parameters related to an energy system design; reducing the input data to a subset of the input data; in a first stage: feeding the subset of input data into a reduced version of a model for estimating an energy system configuration; estimating, using the reduced version of the model, a first energy system configuration and a lower bound solution for the first energy system configuration based on the subset of input data; and in a second stage following the first stage: feeding the input data and the lower bound solution into a full version of the model; and estimating, using the full version of the model, a second energy system configuration based on the input data and the lower bound solution.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a generator (1) able to generate either unidirectional current or bi-directional current. A rotatable disc (7) has a conductive track (9) and a ferromagnetic bridge (8). Brushes (12, 13) switchingly open circuit a coil (16) or connect the coil (16) to a load resistor (R). Movement of the disc (7) results in bridge (8) shunting a core (15) of the coil (16). This generates an emf in the coil (16). If the circuit is closed, current flows in the resistor (R). If the circuit is open, no current flows. The arrangement is such that current only flows when the bridge (8) approaches the magnet (14)—not when the bridge (8) recedes from the magnet (14). Thus, only the magnetic attraction for the bridge (8) by the magnet (14) impedes the movement of the disc (7) as the bridge (8) recedes from the magnet (14) without the disc's movement also being impeded by generation of electric current at that time.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to minimizing the dependency of source code on the characteristics of a set-top box's in-band (streaming video or audio) hardware. The set-top box software consists of a device driver layer, which is intimately aware of hardware characteristics, an application layer, which is relatively unaware of any hardware details, a middleware layer which is also relatively unaware of any hardware details, and a device translation layer (DTL). In the DTL, all of the translation between device abstractions to device driver calls that were formerly made in middleware are moved down to an engine manager. Middleware thus becomes device-independent with respect to in-band devices, and porting Middleware to new hardware becomes trivial.