Abstract: A food and beverage dispenser for dispensing food and beverage products may have a clean in place (CIP) system that functions with minimal to no operator interface and disassembly. The dispenser may include one or more product barrels and an ingredient supply refrigerator. A nozzle cap containing a cleaning/sanitizing agent may be placed on a dispensing valve of the dispenser, and a CIP connector may be connected to a BIB connector after disconnecting the BIB connector from a BIB package. The CIP connector completes a CIP circuit that places the product barrel in fluid circulation with a water source and optionally another sanitizer source to help clean the dispenser in place. A heater may be included in the CIP circuit to heat the circulating fluid. A microcontroller or other computer processor may control the CIP process.

Abstract: A food and beverage dispenser for dispensing food and beverage products may have a clean in place (CIP) system that functions with minimal to no operator interface and disassembly. The dispenser may include one or more product barrels and an ingredient supply refrigerator. A nozzle cap containing a cleaning/sanitizing agent may be placed on a dispensing valve of the dispenser, and a CIP connector may be connected to a BIB connector after disconnecting the BIB connector from a BIB package. The CIP connector completes a CIP circuit that places the product barrel in fluid circulation with a water source and optionally another sanitizer source to help clean the dispenser in place. A heater may be included in the CIP circuit to heat the circulating fluid. A microcontroller or other computer processor may control the CIP process.

Abstract: A transverse thermoelectric includes a first array of hole-conducting nanowires and a second array of electron-conducting nanowires positioned orthogonal to the first array of nanowires. A substrate provides structure to the first array of nanowires and the second array of nanowires.

Abstract: A food and beverage dispenser for dispensing food and beverage products may have a clean in place (CIP) system that functions with minimal to no operator interface and disassembly. The dispenser may include one or more product barrels and an ingredient supply refrigerator. A nozzle cap containing a cleaning/sanitizing agent may be placed on a dispensing valve of the dispenser, and a CIP connector may be connected to a BIB connector after disconnecting the BIB connector from a BIB package. The CIP connector completes a CIP circuit that places the product barrel in fluid circulation with a water source and optionally another sanitizer source to help clean the dispenser in place. A heater may be included in the CIP circuit to heat the circulating fluid. A microcontroller or other computer processor may control the CIP process.

Abstract: A probe assembly includes plural capacitive contacts that are separate from each other and a conductive depletion gate disposed between and separating the contacts from each other. The depletion gate is configured to receive a direct electric voltage in order to deplete regions of a sample under test of electrons. The contacts are configured to be placed in close proximity to a buried conducting layer in the sample under test without engaging the buried conducting layer, thereby capacitively coupling to the buried conducting layer. A first subset of the capacitive contacts is configured to apply an alternating electric current to a portion of the sample under test and a second subset of the capacitive contacts is configured to sense an alternating voltage response of the portion of the sample under test in order to characterize one or more electrical properties of the sample under test without the capacitive contacts having ohmic contact with the buried conducting layer.

Abstract: A transverse thermoelectric device includes a superlattice body, electrically conductive first and second contacts, and first and second thermal contacts. The superlattice body extends between opposite first and second ends along a first direction and between opposite first and second sides along a different, second direction. The superlattice body includes alternating first and second layers of crystalline materials oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. The electrically conductive first contact is coupled with the first end of the superlattice and the electrically conductive second contact is coupled with the second end of the superlattice. The first thermal contact is thermally coupled to the first side of the superlattice and the second thermal contact is thermally coupled to the second side of the superlattice. A Seebeck tensor of the superlattice body is ambipolar.

Abstract: An integrated circuit chip is defined by a stack of several interconnected layers. The integrated circuit chip includes at least two layers of dissimilar metal patterned to define an array of integrated bimetallic thermocouples.

Abstract: An integrated circuit chip is defined by a stack of several interconnected layers. The integrated circuit chip includes at least two layers of dissimilar metal patterned to define an array of integrated bimetallic thermocouples.

Abstract: Methods for calculating a value of a derivative based on a multiplicative index, where the multiplicative index is a multiple of an underlying index. The methods may comprise the steps of providing a first value of the underlying index and estimating a ratio of the multiplicative index over the underlying index as a first function of the underlying index over a first range of values of the underlying index. The method may also comprise the steps of calculating at least one parameter of the first function by comparing the first function to historical values of the multiplicative index and the underlying index. In addition, the method may comprise the steps of calculating a first value for the ratio given the first value of the underlying index, and calculating the value of the derivative for the first value of the ratio.

Abstract: Methods for calculating a value of a derivative based on a multiplicative index, where the multiplicative index is a multiple of an underlying index. The methods may comprise the steps of providing a first value of the underlying index and estimating a ratio of the multiplicative index over the underlying index as a first function of the underlying index over a first range of values of the underlying index. The method may also comprise the steps of calculating at least one parameter of the first function by comparing the first function to historical values of the multiplicative index and the underlying index. In addition, the method may comprise the steps of calculating a first value for the ratio given the first value of the underlying index, and calculating the value of the derivative for the first value of the ratio.