Abstract: A filtering process can comprise providing a dispersion comprising a liquid and a plurality of particles contained in the liquid; moving an object relative to the dispersion; selectively removing at least a portion of the plurality of particles from the dispersion to obtain a plurality of separated particles attached to the object. In a further embodiment, an assembly for separating particles from a dispersion can comprise a chamber including a dispersion, the dispersion comprising a liquid and a plurality of particles; a movable object, the object being adapted for moving through the chamber and adsorbing at least a portion of the plurality of particles during moving; a first construction adapted for moving the object relative to the dispersion at a controlled moving speed, and a second construction adapted for removing and collecting from the object a plurality of separated particles from the dispersion.

Abstract: Systems and methods for executing an IAQ analysis of a building. One system includes a controller including memory and one or more processors configured to obtain IAQ data from one or more sensors within the building, wherein the IAQ data is associated with at least one of a plurality of environment species, obtain BAS data, identify one or more unknown parameters from the IAQ data and BAS data of two or more of the plurality of environment species, estimate the one or more unknown parameters based on inputting the IAQ data and the BAS data into an optimization model, and wherein the optimization model analyzes predicted concentrations of the plurality of environment species subject to the two or more of the plurality of environment species evolving according to a single-species concentration model, and provide the estimated one or more unknown parameters to one or more predictive models.

Abstract: Systems and methods for executing an IAQ analysis of a building. One system includes a controller including memory and one or more processors configured to obtain IAQ data from one or more sensors within the building, wherein the IAQ data is associated with at least one of a plurality of environment species, obtain BAS data, identify one or more unknown parameters from the IAQ data and BAS data of two or more of the plurality of environment species, estimate the one or more unknown parameters based on inputting the IAQ data and the BAS data into an optimization model, and wherein the optimization model analyzes predicted concentrations of the plurality of environment species subject to the two or more of the plurality of environment species evolving according to a single-species concentration model, and provide the estimated one or more unknown parameters to one or more predictive models.

Abstract: A composite article can comprise a composite body including an organic polymer and ceramic particles comprising hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles distributed throughout the organic polymer, wherein an amount of the hBN particles ranges from 20 vol % to 40 vol % based on a total volume of the body; and the body comprises an in plane thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/mK. The hBN particles within the composite body can have a March-Dollase Orientation parameter ? of at least 50%.

Abstract: A composite article can comprise a composite body including an organic polymer and ceramic particles comprising hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles distributed throughout the organic polymer, wherein an amount of the hBN particles ranges from 40 vol % to 90 vol % based on a total volume of the body; and the body comprises an in plane thermal conductivity of at least 15 W/mK. The hBN particles within the composite body can have a March-Dollase Orientation parameter ? of at least 50%.

Abstract: Surface conduction in porous media can drastically alter the stability and morphology of electrodeposition at high rates, above the diffusion-limited current. Above the limiting current, surface conduction inhibits growth in the positive membrane and produces irregular dendrites, while it enhances growth and suppresses dendrites behind a deionization shock in the negative membrane. The discovery of uniform growth contradicts quasi-steady “leaky membrane” models, which are in the same universality class as unstable Laplacian growth, and indicates the importance of transient electro-diffusion or electro-osmotic dispersion. Shock electrodeposition could be exploited for high-rate recharging of metal batteries or manufacturing of metal matrix composite coatings.

Abstract: Ion-selective separation by shock electrodialysis is performed by applying a voltage differential between electrodes across a porous medium to selectively draw a first species in a liquid toward at least one of the electrodes to a greater degree than a degree to which a second species in the liquid is drawn toward the same electrode. The voltage differential creates a shock in the charged-species concentration in the bulk volume of the liquid within pore channels of the porous medium, wherein the concentration of the first species in a depleted zone of the liquid bulk volume between the shock and the ion-selective boundary is substantially lower than the concentration of the second species in the liquid bulk volume between the shock and the first electrode. A dilute stream including the second species is extracted from the depleted zone separate from a concentrated stream including the first species.

Abstract: Radioactive nuclides (radionuclides) are separate from an aqueous radioactive liquid by feeding the liquid into a chamber between a porous anode and a porous cathode of a shock electrodialysis device. Meanwhile, an anolyte is fed through the porous anode, and a catholyte is fed through the porous cathode. A voltage is applied to the porous anode and to the porous cathode to create a voltage differential across the chamber. The liquid is passed through the chamber, and cations are selectively driven from the liquid into the cathode by the voltage differential. The voltage differential creates a desalination shock that produces an ion-enriched zone on one side of the desalination shock and a deionized zone on an opposite side. A brine including the radioactive cations is extracted from the ion-enriched zone through a brine outlet, and fresh water is extracted from the deionized zone through a fresh-water outlet.

Abstract: A filtering process can comprise providing a dispersion comprising a liquid and a plurality of particles contained in the liquid; moving an object relative to the dispersion; selectively removing at least a portion of the plurality of particles from the dispersion to obtain a plurality of separated particles attached to the object. In a further embodiment, an assembly for separating particles from a dispersion can comprise a chamber including a dispersion, the dispersion comprising a liquid and a plurality of particles; a movable object, the object being adapted for moving through the chamber and adsorbing at least a portion of the plurality of particles during moving; a first construction adapted for moving the object relative to the dispersion at a controlled moving speed, and a second construction adapted for removing and collecting from the object a plurality of separated particles from the dispersion.

Abstract: The invention discloses general apparatus and methods for electrochemical energy conversion and storage via a membraneless laminar flow battery. In a preferred embodiment, the battery includes a flow-through porous anode for receiving a fuel and a porous electrolyte channel for transporting an electrolyte adjacent to the porous anode; a flow-through porous cathode is provided for transporting an oxidant; and a porous dispersion blocker is disposed between the electrolyte channel and the porous cathode, which inhibits convective mixing while allowing molecular diffusion and mean flow. Pore structure properties are selected for tuning convective dispersion, conductivity or other macroscopic properties. Specific materials, reactants, fabrication methods, and operation methods are disclosed to achieve stable charge/discharge cycles and to optimize power density and energy density.

Abstract: This invention provides a non-porous battery separator comprising an elastomeric material, wherein the elastomeric material is permeable to metal ions but not appreciably permeable to other chemical species. A battery comprising the non-porous battery separator is also provided. Methods of making a non-porous battery separator are also provided.

Abstract: Surface conduction in porous media can drastically alter the stability and morphology of electrodeposition at high rates, above the diffusion-limited current. Above the limiting current, surface conduction inhibits growth in the positive membrane and produces irregular dendrites, while it enhances growth and suppresses dendrites behind a deionization shock in the negative membrane. The discovery of uniform growth contradicts quasi-steady “leaky membrane” models, which are in the same universality class as unstable Laplacian growth, and indicates the importance of transient electro-diffusion or electro-osmotic dispersion. Shock electrodeposition could be exploited for high-rate recharging of metal batteries or manufacturing of metal matrix composite coatings.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the design and fabrication of a lithium-bromine rechargeable electrochemical system. The lithium-bromine fuel cell as described herein uses highly concentrated bromine catholytes of various different compositions of LiBr and Bra, representing different states of charge (SOC) associated with 11M LiBr solution by conservation of elemental bromine. The degradation of the rate-limiting component and the lithium ion conducting solid electrolyte are investigated by various characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that a properly designed rechargeable Li-Br fuel cell system can power long-range electric vehicles.

Abstract: The invention discloses general apparatus and methods for electrochemical energy conversion and storage via a membraneless laminar flow battery. In a preferred embodiment, the battery includes a flow-through porous anode for receiving a fuel and a porous electrolyte channel for transporting an electrolyte adjacent to the porous anode; a flow-through porous cathode is provided for transporting an oxidant; and a porous dispersion blocker is disposed between the electrolyte channel and the porous cathode, which inhibits convective mixing while allowing molecular diffusion and mean flow. Pore structure properties are selected for tuning convective dispersion, conductivity or other macroscopic properties. Specific materials, reactants, fabrication methods, and operation methods are disclosed to achieve stable charge/discharge cycles and to optimize power density and energy density.

Abstract: An apparatus, die, and method can be used form a ribbon from a melt, where capillaries are relatively short and spacers are relatively long as compared to a die opening. Such a configuration can cause the melt to flow is a transverse direction that is substantially parallel to the solid/liquid interface to help move impurities to desired locations. In a particular embodiment, a crystal ribbon can be formed where defects, such as microvoids and impurities, are at higher concentrations near outer edges of the crystal ribbon. The outer edges can be removed to produce crystal substrates that are substantially free of microvoids and have no or a relatively low concentration of impurities. In another particular embodiment, the transverse flow can also help to increase the crystal growth rate.

Abstract: A liquid electrolyte can be desalinated and purified using a system that includes a first electrode and a configuration selected from (a) a second electrode and at least one distinct ion-selective boundary and (b) a second electrode that also serves as the ion-selective boundary. The ion-selective boundary is contained in the liquid conduit adjacent to a porous medium that defines pore channels filled with the liquid and that have a surface charge, and the charge of the ion-selective boundary and the surface charge of the pore channels share the same sign. A liquid including at least one charged species flows through the pore channels, forming a thin diffuse electrochemical double layer at an interface of the liquid and the charged surface of the pore channels.

Abstract: The invention provides a system of devices and a set of methods for accurately characterizing, tracking and controlling bulk material flows. Measurements of input material properties, dynamical measurements involving identifiable tags, and fast, discrete simulations are combined to predict and control the composition of bulk material exiting a container, such as a silo, bunker or hopper. In one embodiment, a system is provided for a coal-fired power plant where the properties of coal are assessed, then the coal is marked and tracked to provide the plant's operators improved control over the coal mixture and target bulk properties as it makes its way from a coal receiving station to delivery for combustion in a furnace.

Abstract: This invention provides devices and apparatuses comprising the same, for fast pumping and mixing of relatively small volumes of electrolytes and ionic fluids and materials suspended thereby. Such devices utilize nonlinear induced-charge electro-osmosis as a primary mechanism for driving fluid flow. Such devices comprise a polarizable surface, which is incorporated in the electrodes or pumping elements of the devices as well as a material, which promotes hydrodynamic slip at a region proximal thereto, when the device is subjected to non-linear electro-osmotic flow. Examples of such materials are provided. This invention also provides nanoparticles and microparticles incorporating such materials to enhance nonlinear induced-charge electrophoretic motion. Methods of use of the devices and particles of this invention are described.

Abstract: This invention provides devices and apparatuses comprising the same, for efficient pumping and/or mixing of relatively small volumes of fluid. Such devices utilize nonlinear electrokinetics as a primary mechanism for driving fluid flow. Methods of cellular analysis and high-throughput, multi-step product formation using devices of this invention are described.

Abstract: This invention provides devices and apparatuses comprising the same, for the mixing and pumping of relatively small volumes of fluid. Such devices utilize nonlinear electrokinetics as a primary mechanism for driving fluid flow. Methods of cellular analysis and high-throughput, multi-step product formation using, devices of this invention are described.