Abstract: A method of forming a polymeric vacuum insulation board is provided, the polymeric vacuum insulation board including a plurality of evacuated, closed-cell pores therein. In one embodiment, the method includes intermixing a polymer with zeolite particles that contain water and extruding the resulting composition under high pressure. During extrusion, water in the zeolite particles evaporates and creates a porous, closed-cell microstructure within a polymer matrix. As the polymer matrix cools and solidifies, water vapor is reabsorbed by the zeolite, which at least partially evacuates the closed-cell pores. In another embodiment, the method includes intermixing a polymer with expandable graphite particles and extruding the resulting composition under high pressure. During extrusion, the expandable graphite particles define evacuated voids. The polymer binder can be selected to include low gas permeance, for example ethylene vinyl alcohol (EvOH) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC).

Abstract: An improved method for manufacturing a continuous self-healing barrier film is provided. The method includes slot-die coating opposing sides of a separator substrate with a curing agent slurry and a curable resin slurry using a single-sided coating line or a tandem coating line. The method also includes sequentially interleaving inner and outer protective layers via a continuous roll-to-roll process to create a multi-layered barrier film. The barrier film can optionally be formed into a barrier envelope, and an insulating core material can be inserted into the barrier envelope to define an enclosure. Evacuating and sealing the enclosure along a perimeter of the barrier envelop forms a self-healing vacuum insulation panel with excellent properties for use as a building material and in refrigeration systems, for example. The barrier film can alternatively be used in the manufacture of tires, roofing, cargo containers, food packaging, and pharmaceutical packaging, for example.

Abstract: A fluid storage media includes a plurality of microspheres. Each microsphere includes a porous core with a porous core material and having an exterior surface. A stored fluid is within the porous core. A coating layer covers all of the exterior surface of the porous core. The coating layer includes a coating material which transitions from a first state to a second state, wherein in the first state the coating material is permeable to the stored fluid, and in the second state the material is impermeable to the stored fluid. The coating material in the second state is configured to encapsulate and maintain the stored fluid inside the porous core. A method of making a fluid storage media, a method of delivering a fluid and a method of delivering a biologically active fluid medication to a patient are also disclosed.

Abstract: A self-healing vacuum insulation panel and a method of manufacture are provided. The vacuum insulation panel includes a self-healing, multi-layer barrier film including a separator between a curing agent and a curable resin. Upon damage to the separator, the curing agent penetrates the separator due to a pressure differential across the barrier film and reacts with the curable resin to seal any cuts or punctures. The curing agent and the curable resin can be selected to have long term stability and a short reaction time with no need for external stimuli. As a result, the multi-layer barrier film can retain the internal vacuum and maintain a desirably low thermal conductivity using low-cost, commercially available epoxies and curing agents.

Abstract: An insulation medium invention includes a plurality of microspheres. Each microsphere comprises a porous core comprising a porous core material and having an exterior surface, a gas within the porous core, and a coating layer coating all of the exterior surface of the porous core. The coating layer comprises a coating material which transitions from a first state to a second state. In the first state, the coating material is permeable to the gas. In the second state the material is impermeable to the gas. The coating material in the second state is configured to encapsulate and maintain partial vacuum of the gas inside the porous core. In one embodiment, in the second state the coating is impermeable to air. Insulated structures, a method of making an insulation medium, a fluid storage media, and a method of delivering a fluid are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of forming a polymeric vacuum insulation board is provided, the polymeric vacuum insulation board including a plurality of evacuated, closed-cell pores therein. In one embodiment, the method includes intermixing a polymer with zeolite particles that contain water and extruding the resulting composition under high pressure. During extrusion, water in the zeolite particles evaporates and creates a porous, closed-cell microstructure within a polymer matrix. As the polymer matrix cools and solidifies, water vapor is reabsorbed by the zeolite, which at least partially evacuates the closed-cell pores. In another embodiment, the method includes intermixing a polymer with expandable graphite particles and extruding the resulting composition under high pressure. During extrusion, the expandable graphite particles define evacuated voids. The polymer binder can be selected to include low gas permeance, for example ethylene vinyl alcohol (EvOH) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC).

Abstract: An improved method for manufacturing a continuous self-healing barrier film is provided. The method includes slot-die coating opposing sides of a separator substrate with a curing agent slurry and a curable resin slurry using a single-sided coating line or a tandem coating line. The method also includes sequentially interleaving inner and outer protective layers via a continuous roll-to-roll process to create a multi-layered barrier film. The barrier film can optionally be formed into a barrier envelope, and an insulating core material can be inserted into the barrier envelope to define an enclosure. Evacuating and sealing the enclosure along a perimeter of the barrier envelop forms a self-healing vacuum insulation panel with excellent properties for use as a building material and in refrigeration systems, for example. The barrier film can alternatively be used in the manufacture of tires, roofing, cargo containers, food packaging, and pharmaceutical packaging, for example.

Abstract: An improved system for thermal management is provided. The system includes thermally anisotropic composites coupled with a thermal loop to re-direct, reduce, and shape heat flows through a building envelope, having the potential to (1) significantly reduce envelope-generated heating and cooling loads and (2) provide grid services such as decreasing peak loads and shaping energy use. In one embodiment, the thermal management system includes an anisotropic composite that consists of alternating layers of thermal insulation and thermally conductive materials that are immediately adjacent to each other, including polyisocyanurate foam boards and aluminum sheets. The thermal management system also includes a thermal loop along the long edge or the entire the perimeter of the anisotropic composite, the thermal loop having dynamically controlled or floating temperature that is maintained at lower than an outdoor ambient temperature (for cooling).

Abstract: A self-healing vacuum insulation panel and a method of manufacture are provided. The vacuum insulation panel includes a self-healing, multi-layer barrier film including a separator between a curing agent and a curable resin. Upon damage to the separator, the curing agent penetrates the separator due to a pressure differential across the barrier film and reacts with the curable resin to seal any cuts or punctures. The curing agent and the curable resin can be selected to have long term stability and a short reaction time with no need for external stimuli. As a result, the multi-layer barrier film can retain the internal vacuum and maintain a desirably low thermal conductivity using low-cost, commercially available epoxies and curing agents.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises logic for optimizing return traffic paths using network address translation (NAT). The logic is operable to receive outbound data from a source node in a source network, and to replace a source address in a source address field in the outbound data with a first address from a first address pool associated with a first connection. The logic is operable to determine that return traffic on the first connection needs to be switched over to a second connection, where a second address pool is associated with the second connection. The logic is operable to generate a mapping that associates the first address with a second address from the second address pool and, based on the mapping, to replace the first address in the source address field in the outbound data with the second address. The logic is also operable to send the outbound data to the destination node over the second connection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises logic for optimizing return traffic paths using network address translation (NAT). The logic is operable to receive outbound data from a source node in a source network, and to replace a source address in a source address field in the outbound data with a first address from a first address pool associated with a first connection. The logic is operable to determine that return traffic on the first connection needs to be switched over to a second connection, where a second address pool is associated with the second connection. The logic is operable to generate a mapping that associates the first address with a second address from the second address pool and, based on the mapping, to replace the first address in the source address field in the outbound data with the second address. The logic is also operable to send the outbound data to the destination node over the second connection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a signaling message is received from an endpoint. It is determined from the signaling message whether, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint performed network address translation on the body of the signaling message. If it is determined from the signaling message that, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint did not perform network address translation on the body of the signaling message, application layer gateway functionality is applied to the body of the signaling message such that a modified signaling message is generated.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a signaling message is received from an endpoint. It is determined from the signaling message whether, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint performed network address translation on the body of the signaling message. If it is determined from the signaling message that, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint did not perform network address translation on the body of the signaling message, application layer gateway functionality is applied to the body of the signaling message such that a modified signaling message is generated.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a signaling message is received from an endpoint. It is determined from the signaling message whether, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint performed network address translation on the body of the signaling message. If it is determined from the signaling message that, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint did not perform network address translation on the body of the signaling message, application layer gateway functionality is applied to the body of the signaling message such that a modified signaling message is generated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for switchover from an active node to a standby node wherein when a standby network node restarts, designation of the standby node as a new active node is delayed according to 1) the period of a delay timer and 2) a counter indicating the number of data messages the standby node will be receiving from the active network node. The active node sends a notification to the standby node identifying a number of data messages that the active network node needs to send to the standby node. The standby node stores the number in a counter and decrements the counter upon receiving data messages. When the delay timer expires, the standby network node transitions to become the new active node only when the counter has reached zero. If the counter is not yet zero, then the switchover delay timer is restarted and the cycle repeats.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises logic for optimizing return traffic paths using network address translation (NAT). The logic is operable to receive outbound data from a source node in a source network, and to replace a source address in a source address field in the outbound data with a first address from a first address pool associated with a first connection. The logic is operable to determine that return traffic on the first connection needs to be switched over to a second connection, where a second address pool is associated with the second connection. The logic is operable to generate a mapping that associates the first address with a second address from the second address pool and, based on the mapping, to replace the first address in the source address field in the outbound data with the second address. The logic is also operable to send the outbound data to the destination node over the second connection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a signaling message is received from an endpoint. It is determined from the signaling message whether, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint performed network address translation on the body of the signaling message. If it is determined from the signaling message that, prior to sending the signaling message, the endpoint did not perform network address translation on the body of the signaling message, application layer gateway functionality is applied to the body of the signaling message such that a modified signaling message is generated.

Abstract: Approaches to recover from faults associated with multi-homed clients having transport protocol connections that pass through network address translators are disclosed. In one approach, context information for a connection, between a first host and a second host, referencing one of several multi-homed network addresses of the first host, is automatically re-used when the second host switches to a different address of the first host, for example, when the first host becomes unavailable at the original address. Embodiments support seamless switchover of SCTP connections over NAT devices.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for facilitating reliable session based communication with a local host via a subnet of redundant network devices that also implement network address translation (NAT) or the like. In general, embodiments of the present invention include mechanisms for reestablishing access to a local host after the local host's active network device has failed and been replaced by a new active network device with an address space that differs from the failed network device. In this invention, the network devices associated with the same local host also implement NAT, or the like. In brief, for each of its associated local hosts, the new active network device causes an address server to be updated with a new public address that is assigned from its address space to the local host. This update allows other remote hosts access to the local hosts by obtaining the updated address information from the address server.

Abstract: Approaches to recover from faults associated with multi-homed clients having transport protocol connections that pass through network address translators are disclosed. In one approach, context information for a connection, between a first host and a second host, referencing one of several multi-homed network addresses of the first host, is automatically re-used when the second host switches to a different address of the first host, for example, when the first host becomes unavailable at the original address. Embodiments support seamless switchover of SCTP connections over NAT devices.