Abstract: The present teachings generally include a composite rotor assembly comprising a shaft and a rotor body mounted to the shaft. The rotor body can include a core structure including a cured polymeric material wholly or partly defining plurality of lobes joined by adjacent root portions. The rotor body can also include a support structure continuously extending the length of the core structure to provide additional structural integrity to the rotor body. The support structure can be wholly or partially embedded within the core structure and can also be wrapped around the exterior of the core structure. In one example, the core structure includes an epoxy resin and the support structure includes a carbon fiber material.

Abstract: The present teachings generally include a rotor assembly having a plurality of rotor sheets or layers mounted to a shaft, and methods of construction for a rotor assembly. Each rotor sheet or layer in the assembly may be provided with a central opening extending between the first and second sides through which the shaft extends. In one aspect, the rotor sheets or layers can be provided with a plurality of lobes extending away from the central opening, wherein each of the lobes can have a lobe opening extending through the thickness of the sheets or layers. In one example, the rotor sheets or layers can be rotationally stacked to form a helical rotor. In one example, the rotor sheets are formed from a pre-cured composite material and are bonded together with an adhesive.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Rankine cycle system including a Rankine cycle circuit in which working fluid is cycled through a condensing zone, a heating zone, and a mechanical energy extraction zone. The system also includes a hydraulic accumulator for storing pressurized working fluid from the Rankine cycle circuit when a pressure of the working fluid within the Rankine cycle circuit is above a first pressure level, and for releasing pressurized working fluid to the Rankine cycle circuit when the working fluid within the Rankine cycle circuit is below a second pressure level.

Abstract: An exhaust gas energy recovery system includes an internal combustion engine, a volumetric fluid expander, and a water injection mechanism. The internal combustion engine includes an air inlet, at least one cylinder, and an exhaust gas outlet for conveying an exhaust gas stream at a first pressure. The volumetric fluid expander generates useful work at an output shaft by expanding the exhaust gas stream to a second pressure lower than the first pressure as the exhaust gas stream moves through the volumetric fluid expander. The water injection mechanism injects water into the system at a location between the air inlet of the engine and the expander to increase the volume of the exhaust received by the expander for increased power output at the expander.

Abstract: A method for reducing the affinity of proteinaceous compounds present in red grape must from binding with tannins, anthocyanins, polyphenolics and other organoleptic organic compounds. The method comprises thermally pre-treating red grape must to a temperature of between 45 to 65 degrees Celsius for approximately 5-20 minutes. Thereafter, cooling or allowing the treated red grape must to cool to ambient temperature for approximately 5-20 minutes. A package treatment system is provided which receives, thermally treats and returns the treated red grape must to either a vessel of origin or a normal downstream receiving vessel.

Abstract: A speech recognition approach that involves forming a series of segments associated with a spoken utterance. Each segment has a time interval within the utterance, and scores characterizing the degree of match of the utterance in that time interval with a set of subword units. Based on the series of segments, the approach includes determining a set of word sequences hypotheses associated with the utterance and then computing scores for the set of word sequence hypotheses using a second set of subword units to represent words in the word sequence hypotheses.