Abstract: A connection device for connecting a load to a power supply, comprising at least first and second current control devices arranged in parallel between the power supply and the load, and a controller arranged to switch the current control devices on in sequence for temporally overlapping on periods.

Abstract: An embodiment includes dividing a map into a first grid comprising a first plurality of cells with a first resolution and into a second grid comprising a second plurality of cells with a second resolution; determining that, because an initial portion of a key of a first cell of the second grid comprises a key of a first cell of the first grid, the first cell of the first grid comprises the first cell of the second grid; storing the first and the second grid in memories of distributed servers, wherein the first cell of the first grid and the first cell of the second grid are stored in a same one of the distributed servers or are stored in neighboring ones of the distributed servers; and directing respective processors of the distributed servers to perform a parallel search of the first grid and the second grid using the keys.

Abstract: A connection device for connecting a load to a power supply, comprising at least first and second current control devices arranged in parallel between the power supply and the load, and a controller arranged to switch the current control devices on in sequence for temporally overlapping on periods.

Abstract: A single crystalline silicon carbide layer can be grown on a single crystalline sapphire substrate. Subsequently, a graphene layer can be formed by conversion of a surface layer of the single crystalline silicon layer during an anneal at an elevated temperature in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. Alternately, a graphene layer can be deposited on an exposed surface of the single crystalline silicon carbide layer. A graphene layer can also be formed directly on a surface of a sapphire substrate or directly on a surface of a silicon carbide substrate. Still alternately, a graphene layer can be formed on a silicon carbide layer on a semiconductor substrate. The commercial availability of sapphire substrates and semiconductor substrates with a diameter of six inches or more allows formation of a graphene layer on a commercially scalable substrate for low cost manufacturing of devices employing a graphene layer.

Abstract: An embodiment of a reagent container includes a bottle with a pipe to reduce the effects of reagent sloshing. The bottle has an elongated base and an opposed cover connected by side walls and an end wall. A flat platform surrounded by a raised rim lies in the base opposite an opening in the cover. A ribbed pipe frictionally fits within the bottle opening and may attach to the anchor region leaving vent passages around the pipe. The pipe includes an aperture adjacent to the anchor region and oriented toward the end wall so that sloshed fluid has only a small effect on the level of reagent in the pipe during transfers. A modified blow molding process produces the anchor region by extending a pin a predetermined distance into a mold while the molded material is still plastic.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for extracting a kerogen-based product from subsurface shale formations. The methods utilize in-situ reaction of kerogen involving liquid phase chemistry at ambient temperatures at pressures for the subsurface shale formation. These methods rely on chemically modifying the shale-bound kerogen to render it mobile using metal particulate catalysts. In the methods disclosed herein a fluid comprising metal is provided to the subsurface shale formation comprising kerogen in an inorganic matrix. A reducing agent is provided to the subsurface shale formation. The kerogen is converted by contacting the kerogen with a metal particulate catalyst formed from the metal; and a mobile kerogen-based product is formed. At least a portion of the mobile kerogen-based product is recovered. The kerogen-derived product can be upgraded to provide commercial products.

Abstract: Compositions, methods, and systems for controlling crystallization of an agent are generally described. In some embodiments, an agent is crystallized in the presence of polymer matrices, such as polymer particles. The polymer matrix may influence at least a portion of the crystallization process and/or the resulting composition. In some such embodiments, the polymer matrix allows one or more aspect of the process and/or composition to be controlled and/or altered. For instance, the polymer matrix may act as a crystallization promoter and/or acceptable carriers of the crystallized agent. In certain embodiments, the polymer matrix described herein, can be used with any agent regardless of its chemical and/or physical properties.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for extracting a kerogen-based product from subsurface (oil) shale formations. These methods rely on chemically modifying the shale-bound kerogen using a chemical oxidant so as to render it mobile. The oxidant is provided to a formation fluid in contact with the kerogen in the subsurface shale utilizing electrokinetic-induced migration. An electric field is generated through at least a portion of the kerogen rich zone to induce electrokinetic migration of the oxidant. A mobile kerogen-based product, that includes reaction products of kerogen conversion, is urged toward a production well utilizing electrokinetic-induced migration, and withdrawn from the subsurface shale formation. An electric field generated through at least a portion of the kerogen rich zone can also be utilized to induce migration of catalysts or catalyst precursors.

Abstract: A graphene layer is formed on a crystallographic surface having a non-hexagonal symmetry. The crystallographic surface can be a surface of a single crystalline semiconductor carbide layer. The non-hexagonal symmetry surface of the single crystalline semiconductor carbide layer is annealed at an elevated temperature in ultra-high vacuum environment to form the graphene layer. During the anneal, the semiconductor atoms on the non-hexagonal surface of the single crystalline semiconductor carbide layer are evaporated selective to the carbon atoms. As the semiconductor atoms are selectively removed, the carbon concentration on the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer increases. Despite the non-hexagonal symmetry of the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer, the remaining carbon atoms can coalesce to form a graphene layer having hexagonal symmetry.

Abstract: A surface of a single crystalline semiconductor-carbon alloy layer having a surface normal along or close to a major crystallographic direction is provided by mechanical means such as cutting and/or polishing. Such a surface has naturally formed irregular surface features. Small semiconductor islands are deposited on the surface of single crystalline semiconductor-carbon alloy layer. Another single crystalline semiconductor-carbon alloy structure may be placed on the small semiconductor islands, and the assembly of the two semiconductor-carbon alloy layers with the semiconductor islands therebetween is annealed. During the initial phase of the anneal, surface diffusion of the semiconductor material proceeds to form vicinal surfaces while graphitization is suppressed because the space between the two semiconductor-carbon alloy layers maintains a high vapor pressure of the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A connection device for connecting a load to a power supply, comprising at least first and second current control devices arranged in parallel between the power supply and the load, and a controller arranged to switch the current control devices on in sequence for temporally overlapping on periods.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for extracting an organics component from subsurface shale formations comprising kerogen and an extractible organics component in an inorganic matrix. Among other factors, these processes are based on the discovery that to more easily access the kerogen in oil shale, it is helpful to first remove the extractible organics component from the subsurface shale formation. The methods utilize a hydrocarbon solvent to at least partially solubilize the extractible organics component. The extractible organics component can be isolated and upgraded to produce useful products. The processes are more environmentally benign, more economical, and more efficient in producing commercial products and in providing access to kerogen.

Abstract: A connection device for connecting a load to a power supply, comprising at least first and second current control devices arranged in parallel between the power supply and the load, and a controller arranged to switch the current control devices on in sequence for temporally overlapping on periods.

Abstract: A single crystalline silicon carbide layer can be grown on a single crystalline sapphire substrate. Subsequently, a graphene layer can be formed by conversion of a surface layer of the single crystalline silicon layer during an anneal at an elevated temperature in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. Alternately, a graphene layer can be deposited on an exposed surface of the single crystalline silicon carbide layer. A graphene layer can also be formed directly on a surface of a sapphire substrate or directly on a surface of a silicon carbide substrate. Still alternately, a graphene layer can be formed on a silicon carbide layer on a semiconductor substrate. The commercial availability of sapphire substrates and semiconductor substrates with a diameter of six inches or more allows formation of a graphene layer on a commercially scalable substrate for low cost manufacturing of devices employing a graphene layer.

Abstract: A single crystalline silicon carbide layer can be grown on a single crystalline sapphire substrate. Subsequently, a graphene layer can be formed by conversion of a surface layer of the single crystalline silicon layer during an anneal at an elevated temperature in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. Alternately, a graphene layer can be deposited on an exposed surface of the single crystalline silicon carbide layer. A graphene layer can also be formed directly on a surface of a sapphire substrate or directly on a surface of a silicon carbide substrate. Still alternately, a graphene layer can be formed on a silicon carbide layer on a semiconductor substrate. The commercial availability of sapphire substrates and semiconductor substrates with a diameter of six inches or more allows formation of a graphene layer on a commercially scalable substrate for low cost manufacturing of devices employing a graphene layer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for extracting a kerogen-based product from subsurface shale formations. The methods utilize in-situ reaction of kerogen involving liquid phase chemistry at ambient temperatures at pressures for the subsurface shale formation. These methods rely on chemically modifying the shale-bound kerogen to render it mobile using metal particulate catalysts. In the methods disclosed herein a fluid comprising metal is provided to the subsurface shale formation comprising kerogen in an inorganic matrix. A reducing agent is provided to the subsurface shale formation. The kerogen is converted by contacting the kerogen with a metal particulate catalyst formed from the metal; and a mobile kerogen-based product is formed. At least a portion of the mobile kerogen-based product is recovered. The kerogen-derived product can be upgraded to provide commercial products.

Abstract: A connection device for connecting a load to a power supply, comprising at least first and second current control devices arranged in parallel between the power supply and the load, and a controller arranged to switch the current control devices on in sequence for temporally overlapping on periods.

Abstract: Systems and methods for capturing and mosaicking images of one or more surfaces of a collapsed cavity are described. One embodiment includes capturing images using an endoscope, where the optics of the endoscope are radially symmetrical, locating the optical center and dewarping each of the captured images by mapping the image from polar coordinates centered on the optical center of the image to rectangular coordinates, discarding portions of each dewarped image to create high clarity dewarped images, estimating the motion of the endoscope with respect to the interior surface of the cavity that occurred between successive high clarity dewarped images, registering the high clarity dewarped images with respect to each other using the estimates of motion, and combining the registered high clarity dewarped images to create at least one mosaic.