Abstract: A system for heating water in a hot water storage tank, comprising a heater; and means for drawing water onto the heater to be heated from beneath the heater.

Abstract: A diffuser plate for diffusing a fluid flow in a fluid storage vessel, comprising: a plate having a plurality of holes for the fluid flow to pass through; and at least one wall that extends away from a surface of the plate.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for mechanically loading a biological sample. The apparatus comprises: a container for housing the biological sample; a ferromagnetic element, for attachment to the biological sample within the container; and a solenoid for generating a magnetic field within the container, so as to apply a force to the ferromagnetic element. The solenoid is configured, when energised by a constant current, to produce a force on the ferromagnetic element that varies by less than a predetermined amount over a predetermined range of movement of the magnet within the container. A method of mechanically loading a biological sample is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electric machine (10; 100) comprises a rotor (14a, b) having permanent magnets (24a,b) and a stator (12) having coils (22) wound on stator bars (16) for interaction with the magnets across an air gap (26a, b) defined between them. The bars and coils are enclosed by a stator housing (42a,b; 102, 142a, b,146) that extends between the air gap and defines a chamber (52; 152) incorporating cooling medium to cool the coils.

Abstract: An electric machine (100) comprises a stator (112) and a rotor (114a, b) mounted for rotation about a rotor axis (120) with respect to the stator. Permanent magnets (124a, b) are carried by the rotor. The rotor has an output (190). The stator has coils (122) wound on stator bars (116) for interaction with the magnets. The rotor has two stages (114a,b) arranged one at either end of the stator bars, with two air gaps (126a,b) between the ends of the bars and the rotor stages. An annular housing (102, 142a, b, 146) retains and mounts the stator. A bearing (164a, b) is between the rotor and stator, the rotor being hollow around said rotor axis. There are two significant magnetic flux paths (30,30?) of the motor. The first passes between adjacent coils in a circuit on a substantially circumferential plane with respect to the axis (120). A second path 30? is in an axial plane, passing around the bearing.

Abstract: A method of identifying the operation of an electrical appliance comprising an induction motor is described. The method comprises identifying the operation of an electrical appliance including an induction motor when a path traced by real power values against corresponding reactive power values over a time period of interest comprises one or more substantially circular arcs. The real power values are related to the total real power supplied to one or more electrical appliances as a function of time, and the reactive power values are related to the total reactive power supplied to the one or more electrical appliances as a function of time. There is also described a related method of identifying the operation of a specified type of appliance, in which the operation of said specified type of appliance is dependent on a supply of at least one utility such as electricity, natural gas or water.

Abstract: An apparatus has an input section arranged to receive values representative of the total instantaneous supply of electrical current as a function of time from an alternating voltage supply. Current waveforms comprising sets of values representative of the cyclic waveform of the electric current supply are obtained. A delta waveform generator calculates the difference between a current waveform and an earlier current waveform. An edge detector is arranged to detect an edge or edges in the delta waveform. An analysis section is arranged to identify at least one appliance load based at least on information on the edge or edges detected by the edge detector, and to determine the electrical energy consumed by said appliance load. Another apparatus has an input section arranged to receive values representative of the current supplied to an installation, such as a house. A store contains appliance data characteristic of the use of electricity by each of a plurality of appliances.

Abstract: An apparatus has an input section arranged to receive values representative of the total instantaneous supply of electrical current as a function of time from an alternating voltage supply. Current waveforms comprising sets of values representative of the cyclic waveform of the electric current supply are obtained. A delta waveform generator calculates the difference between a current waveform and an earlier current waveform. An edge detector is arranged to detect an edge or edges in the delta waveform. An analysis section is arranged to identify at least one appliance load based at least on information on the edge or edges detected by the edge detector, and to determine the electrical energy consumed by said appliance load.

Abstract: A non-intrusive method of determining, in respect of a group of appliances that are arranged to consume a utility, an indication of a background level of consumption of the utility by the group of appliances, the method comprising: receiving a series of utility values representative of a total level of consumption of the utility by the group of appliances; determining, based on the received utility values, an indication of a background level of consumption of the utility; and outputting the determined indication of the background level of consumption of the utility.

Abstract: A method of identifying the operation of an electrical appliance comprising an induction motor is described. The method comprises identifying the operation of an electrical appliance comprising an induction motor when a path traced by real power values against corresponding reactive power values over a time period of interest comprises one or more substantially circular arcs. The real power values are related to the total real power supplied to one or more electrical appliances as a function of time, and the reactive power values are related to the total reactive power supplied to the one or more electrical appliances as a function of time. There is also described a related method of identifying the operation of a specified type of appliance, in which the operation of said specified type of appliance is dependent on a supply of at least one utility such as electricity, natural gas or water.

Abstract: An electric machine (10;100) comprises a rotor (14a, b) having permanent magnets (24a,b) and a stator (12) having coils (22) wound on stator bars (16) for interaction with the magnets across an air gap (26a, b) defined between them. The bars and coils are enclosed by a stator housing (42a,b; 102, 142a, b,146) that extends between the air gap and defines a chamber (52;152) incorporating cooling medium to cool the coils.

Abstract: An electric machine (100) comprises a stator (112) and a rotor (114a, b) mounted for rotation about a rotor axis (120) with respect to the stator. Permanent magnets (124a, b) are carried by the rotor. The rotor has an output (190). The stator has coils (122) wound on stator bars (116) for interaction with the magnets. The rotor has two stages (114a,b) arranged one at either end of the stator bars, with two air gaps (126a,b) between the ends of the bars and the rotor stages. An annular housing (102, 142a, b, 146) retains and mounts the stator. A bearing (164a, b) is between the rotor and stator, the rotor being hollow around said rotor axis. There are two significant magnetic flux paths (30,30?) of the motor. The first passes between adjacent coils in a circuit on a substantially circumferential plane with respect to the axis (120). A second path 30? is in an axial plane, passing around the bearing.

Abstract: An apparatus has an input section arranged to receive values representative of the total instantaneous supply of electrical current as a function of time from an alternating voltage supply. Current waveforms comprising sets of values representative of the cyclic waveform of the electric current supply are obtained. A delta waveform generator calculates the difference between a current waveform and an earlier current waveform. An edge detector is arranged to detect an edge or edges in the delta waveform. An analysis section is arranged to identify at least one appliance load based at least on information on the edge or edges detected by the edge detector, and to determine the electrical energy consumed by said appliance load. Another apparatus has an input section arranged to receive values representative of the current supplied to an installation, such as a house. A store contains appliance data characteristic of the use of electricity by each of a plurality of appliances.

Abstract: A method of outputting to a user an indication of the usage of a utility, the method comprising: obtaining data indicating, for each of a plurality of appliances, a respective current level of usage of the utility by that appliance; for each of a plurality of appliance categories, using the obtained data to calculate a respective current total level of usage of the utility by appliances belonging to that appliance category; and outputting an indication of the calculated current total level of usage of the utility for at least one of the plurality of appliance categories.

Abstract: Apparatus for stimulation of the human body which comprises an array of vibration actuators (2) which are operated in an array to provide stimulus that the user can sense. There is a user interface (5) including a display (6) having a grid of zones. The interface is connected to a controller (4) which can be used to operate the actuators (2) to train and test a patient.