Abstract: A container includes an external receptacle including glass and has a bottom and a side wall to define an inner cavity. An internal receptacle includes glass, is housed within the inner cavity of the external receptacle, and has a bottom and a side wall. An intermediate element, including plastic or elastomeric material, is interposed between the internal receptacle and the external receptacle. The side wall of the internal receptacle includes a ring having a free upper face and a lower contact surface. The intermediate element is interposed between the lower contact surface of the ring and a support surface on a collar at the upper end of the side wall of the external receptacle. The collar has a step-like seat open upwards and toward the inner cavity of the external receptacle and extending between an upper free face of an upper edge of the collar and the support surface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting biological agents suspended in air in real time. A method includes emitting towards an air sample a beam of monochromatic polarized light whose wavelength corresponds to an absorption maximum of a biological molecule. The method further includes receiving, at different scattering angles, the scattered light beam after passing through the sample and determining that there are particles in the sample that contain the biological molecules of interest if the intensity of the scattered light has a substantially higher peak than the rest of the scattered light. The amount of the biological molecules is then estimated according to the amplitude of the peak. The size of the particles containing the biological molecules is also estimated as a function of the scattering angle where the peak was detected.

Abstract: A fog injection nozzle able to generate a swirling cone of fog. The nozzle includes an internal cavity into which a pressurized liquid and a pressurized gas are introduced. The pressurized liquid is introduced into the cavity via a central axial duct of a cylindrical block and the pressurized gas is introduced into the cavity via a plurality of axial through holes disposed about the central axial duct. The axial through holes and radial arms are arranged such that a mixture of the liquid and gas inside the cavity is asymmetrically deflected by the radial arms to cause a swirling tangential component to appear in the conical flow of fog discharged from the nozzle.

Abstract: An autonomous solar collector cleaning device includes at least one main shaft, a first driver attached to a first end of the at least one main shaft, and a second driver attached to a second end of the at least one main shaft. The first and second drivers propel the cleaning device along a surface of the solar collector. A first sensor is attached to the first driver to detect an edge of the solar collector, and a second sensor is attached to the second driver to detect the edge of the solar collector. A control circuit maintains alignment of the cleaning device with respect to the solar collector based on outputs from the first and second sensors.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning system can include a robotic cleaning device and a support system. The support system can be configured to provide a metered fill to the robotic cleaning device. In some embodiments, the robotic cleaning device and include a curved cleaning head. Various techniques for deploying a robotic cleaning device on PV modules include out-and-back, leapfrog, among others.

Abstract: A container for containing cosmetic products comprises an external glass receptacle (100), an internal glass receptacle (200), designed to be housed within the inner cavity (110) of said external receptacle (100) and in turn provided with its own inner cavity (210) for containing the product, and an intermediate element (300) made up of plastic material, destined to be interposed between respective mutual contact portions of the internal receptacle (200) and of the external receptacle (100). The side wall (212) of the internal receptacle (200) is provided, at its upper end, with a ring (213) having a free upper face (214) and a lower contact surface (215), and the intermediate element (300) is interposed between said lower contact surface (215) of the ring (213) of the internal receptacle (200) and a support surface on a collar (113) provided at the upper end of the side wall (112) of the external receptacle (100).

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning system can include a robotic cleaning device and a support system. The support system can be configured to provide a metered fill to the robotic cleaning device. In some embodiments, the robotic cleaning device and include a curved cleaning head. Various techniques for deploying a robotic cleaning device on PV modules include out-and-back, leapfrog, among others.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning system can include a robotic cleaning device and a support system. The support system can be configured to provide a metered fill to the robotic cleaning device.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning system can include a robotic cleaning device and a support system. The support system can be configured to provide a metered fill to the robotic cleaning device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for modulating freezing of a liquid substance, said liquid substance being in the presence of a gas phase, the method comprising modulating the temperature of the liquid substance, of the gas phase or of both, and controlling the concentration of vapor of the substance present in the gas phase. The invention further comprises a method for preservation, for example, food or other biological material, and an apparatus for putting said method into practice.

Abstract: A solar module cleaner can be configured for cleaning reflective surfaces of solar concentrator reflectors. The cleaner can include at least one cleaning module having a cleaning surface extending in a curved configuration corresponding to a curvature of the solar concentrator reflector. The cleaning surface can be configured to displace debris resting on the reflective surface. The cleaner can include fluid delivery devices for discharging a cleaning fluid onto the reflective surface. The cleaner can be configured to clean solar energy receivers associated with a solar concentrator reflector. Additionally, the cleaner can be configured to simultaneously clean a plurality of parallel solar concentrator reflectors. Optionally, the cleaner can be configured to simultaneously clean a plurality of solar energy receivers and a plurality of solar energy concentrators.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning system can include a robotic cleaning device and a support system. The support system can be configured to provide a metered fill to the robotic cleaning device. In some embodiments, the robotic cleaning device and include a curved cleaning head. Various techniques for deploying a robotic cleaning device on PV modules include out-and-back, leapfrog, among others.