Abstract: The present invention may include a towable trailer being mechanically couplable to a vehicle, the towable trailer including an auxiliary battery housing unit, a wheel being rotatably connected to the towable trailer, an auxiliary battery disposed within the auxiliary battery housing unit of the towable trailer, the vehicle including a storage battery, the auxiliary battery of the towable trailer being electrically couplable with the storage battery of the vehicle via a bidirectional pathway, and a control system configured to control a transfer of electrical energy between the auxiliary battery of the towable trailer and the storage battery of the vehicle along the bidirectional pathway.

Abstract: A thermal insulator includes a plurality of layers. At least some of the layers include phononic crystals having a phononic bandgap, wherein heat transporting phonons within a selected range of frequencies are substantially blocked by each phononic crystal layer. The plurality of layers thermally isolate a first region from a second region, wherein the first region is at one end of the plurality of layers and the second region is at the other end of the plurality of layers.

Abstract: A method for providing an environmental impact rating for a solar cell includes acquiring power generation data and thermal exchange data regarding the solar cell using a data acquisition device, transmitting the power generation data and the thermal exchange data to a controller, and generating the environmental impact rating based on the power generation data and the thermal exchange data using the controller, wherein the environmental impact rating provides an indication of an environmental impact of using the solar cell.

Abstract: Various sensors and arrays of sensors that utilize nanostructures or carbon structures, such as nanotubes, nanotube meshes, or graphene sheets, are disclosed. In some arrangements, at least a pair of contacts are electrically coupled with a given nanostructure or carbon structure to sense a change.

Abstract: The present invention may include measuring energy usage of one or more appliances for a selected usage metric, receiving reference energy usage data indicative of energy usage of one or more reference appliances for the selected usage metric, comparing the measured energy usage of the one or more appliances for the selected usage metric to the one or more received sets of reference energy usage data for the selected usage metric, and reporting an amount of energy savings based on the comparison of measured energy usage of the one or more appliances and the one or more received sets of reference energy data.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a turbine blade includes providing a core element having a base portion, a tip portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the base portion and the tip portion. The intermediate portion has a non-uniform cross-section and is a high-strength fiber material. The method also includes surrounding the core element with a shell, the volume between the core element and the shell forming a void.

Abstract: Methane gas in a ruminant exhalation may be oxidized to reduce the amount of methane gas output by the ruminant.

Abstract: A dryer including a housing, a drying chamber disposed within the housing, and a heating element coupled to the housing. The dryer further includes an intake configured to supply intake air to the drying chamber and an exhaust vent configured to vent exhaust air out of the drying chamber. The intake, the drying chamber, and the exhaust vent define an air flow path from the intake through the drying chamber and out the exhaust vent. The dryer includes a heat exchanger and a heat pump having a condenser. The heat exchanger and the heat pump are each configured to absorb thermal energy from the exhaust air and transfer the thermal energy to the intake air. The air flow path is configured such that the intake air is heated directly or indirectly by the heat exchanger prior to the intake air being further heated directly or indirectly by the condenser.

Abstract: A dryer including a housing, a drying chamber disposed within the housing, and a heating element coupled to the housing. The dryer further includes an intake configured to supply intake air to the drying chamber and an exhaust vent configured to vent exhaust air out of the drying chamber. The intake, the drying chamber, and the exhaust vent define an air flow path from the intake through the drying chamber and out the exhaust vent. The dryer includes a heat exchanger and a heat pump having a condenser. The heat exchanger and the heat pump are each configured to absorb thermal energy from the exhaust air and transfer the thermal energy to the intake air. The air flow path is configured such that the intake air is heated directly or indirectly by the heat exchanger prior to the intake air being further heated directly or indirectly by the condenser.

Abstract: Exemplary methods, systems and components enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to make customized adjustments that accommodate various optical aberrations of a current user. In some instances a real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements is based on known corrective optical parameters associated with a current user. In some implementations a control module may process currently updated wavefront measurements as a basis for determining appropriate real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing device. Possible transformable optical elements may have refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics that are adjusted based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing device.

Abstract: Exemplary methods, systems and components enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to make customized adjustments that accommodate various optical aberrations of a current user. In some instances a real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements is based on known corrective optical parameters associated with a current user. In some implementations a control module may process currently updated wavefront measurements as a basis for determining appropriate real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing device. Possible transformable optical elements may have refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics that are adjusted based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing device.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to include customized adjustments that accommodate various optical aberrations of a current user. Customized optical elements associated with an authorized current user are incorporated with the direct-viewing optical device to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil. Possible replacement optical elements may have refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing optical device. Some embodiments enable dynamic repositioning and/or transformation of replaceable corrective optical elements responsive to a detected shift of a tracked gaze direction of a current user. Replaceable interchangeable corrective optical elements may be fabricated for current usage or retained in inventory for possible future usage in designated direct-viewing optical devices.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to make customized adjustments that accommodate optical aberrations of a current user. In some instances a real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements is based on known corrective optical parameters associated with a current user. In some implementations a control module may process currently updated wavefront measurements as a basis for determining appropriate real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing device. Possible transformable optical elements include refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics that are adjusted based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing device.

Abstract: A turbine blade includes a core element having a base portion, a tip portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the base portion and the tip portion. The intermediate portion includes a non-uniform cross-section and is a high-strength fiber material. The turbine blade further includes a shell disposed around the core element, and the volume between the core element and the shell forms a void.

Abstract: Exemplary methods, systems and components enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to include customized adjustments that accommodate various optical aberrations of a current user. A real-time adjustment of transformable optical elements is sometimes based on predetermined corrective optical parameters associated with a current user. Customized optical elements are incorporated with the direct-viewing optical device to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil. Possible transformable or replacement optical elements may have refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics that are selected based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing device. Some embodiments enable dynamic repositioning and/or transformation of corrective optical elements responsive to a detected shift of a tracked gaze direction of a current user.

Abstract: Devices and components that can interact with or modify propagation of electromagnetic waves are provided. The design, fabrication and structures of the devices exploit the properties of reactive composite materials (RCM) and reaction products thereof.

Abstract: A system can perform the following procedure as part of a plan to treat sleep apnea, according to an embodiment. The system monitors a degree to which an airway of a subject is open, and monitors a condition that is related to the degree to which the airway is open. The system also correlates the condition to the degree to which the airway is open, and generates a data structure that represents the correlation between the condition and the degree to which the airway is open. This system can allow a sleep-apnea-treatment system to operate in a closed-loop mode, i.e., to monitor a level of sleep apnea in a subject by monitoring the correlated condition, and to treat the subject in a manner that the treatment system deems appropriate for the level of sleep apnea that the treatment system determines that the subject is experiencing.

Abstract: An embodiment of a collar includes first and second pressure surfaces, and first and second sealing surfaces. The first pressure surface is configured for disposal over a first region of a throat of a subject having an airway, and the first sealing surface is configured to form around the first pressure surface a first seal with a first region of a neck of the subject. And the second pressure surface is configured for disposal over a second region of the throat, and the second sealing surface is configured to form around the second pressure surface a second seal with a second region of the neck. For example, the collar can be configured to generate multiple negative-pressure regions to treat a subject's sleep apnea.

Abstract: Methane gas in a ruminant exhalation may be oxidized to reduce the amount of methane gas output by the ruminant.

Abstract: Methods and articles are provided for reducing the amount of water consumed by a plant over a period of time, sequestering CO2, and producing electricity, where each method includes providing the plant with a composition including at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO2 and/or at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO2. An apparatus is also disclosed for providing the plant with a composition including CO2 and/or a composition that generates CO2.