Abstract: A sampler system for water contaminants. The sampler system includes an adsorptive sampler housed within a cylindrical enclosure, which has a top face, a bottom face and a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface of the sampler system is fluid-permeable. A cable connects the top face of the cylindrical enclosure to a flotation device. A spring connects the adsorptive sampler to the bottom face of the cylindrical enclosure. The adsorptive sampler includes a housing having a cavity and an adsorptive material disposed inside the cavity. The housing is attached to the spring and includes a front face and a back face. The spring is a cantilever in the form of a rigid film, wherein the rigid film is connected to the bottom face of the cylindrical enclosure along a flat edge of the rigid film.

Abstract: A robotic system for surface marking comprises a plotter configured to move along x, y and z axes; a chassis configured to hold a plurality of components of the robotic system; one or more ultrasonic sensors mounted on a periphery of the chassis and configured to detect obstacles during movement of the robotic system; at least three drive members coupled to a motor unit configured to control the movement of the robotic system on a surface; and a computer processor having program instructions for controlling the robotic system. The movement of the robotic system is controlled with the computer processor so as to move the plotter and form a marking on the surface based on a pre-determined surface marking stored in a memory of the computer processor.

Abstract: A sampler system includes an enclosure having a top, a bottom and a sidewall that is fluid permeable. The sampler system further includes a sampler apparatus housed within the enclosure. The sampler apparatus includes a sampling component having a support structure and an adsorbent. The sampler apparatus further includes an oscillating component including a spring which connects the sampling component to the bottom of the enclosure. A retaining component includes a first magnet attached to the sampling component and a second magnet separated from the first magnet by a gap.

Abstract: A sampler system for water contaminants. The sampler system includes an adsorptive sampler housed within a cylindrical enclosure, which has a top face, a bottom face and a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface of the sampler system is fluid-permeable. A cable connects the top face of the cylindrical enclosure to a flotation device. A spring connects the adsorptive sampler to the bottom face of the cylindrical enclosure. The adsorptive sampler includes a housing having a cavity and an adsorptive material disposed inside the cavity. The housing is attached to the spring and includes a front face and a back face. The spring is a cantilever in the form of a rigid film, wherein the rigid film is connected to the bottom face of the cylindrical enclosure along a flat edge of the rigid film.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is described. The UAV includes a first battery to power multiple first and multiple second electronic components of UAV. A power consumption of each first electronic component is greater than a power threshold. A power consumption of each second electronic component is less than or equal to the power threshold. The UAV includes a generator and a battery management system (BMS). The generator generates an electrical power through rotation of a shaft of a motor of UAV. The BMS charges the first battery using the electrical power generated by the generator when the UAV is during operation and a stored charge of the first battery drops to a first predefined level, and charges a second battery using the stored charge of the first battery when a stored charge of the second battery drops to a second predefined level.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) cell health monitoring apparatus includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag mounted to the PV cell and having identifying information of the PV cell, and a sensor in communication with the RFID tag for measuring health information of the PV cell. The RFID tag stores the measured health information together with time and locality information of the PV cell and responds to an interrogation signal by transmitting the stored information together with the identifying information. A dust sensor in the form of a comb-like electrode array measures electrical capacitance as an indication of an amount of dust on an exposed surface of the PV cell. An RFID tag antenna arranged as a meander-line patch antenna covered with polyethylene has a dual function as a temperature sensor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a solar surface steering system including a solar surface; a base mount; a main body having a first rotary vane actuator configured to rotate the solar surface via a first rotating joint, and a second rotary vane actuator configured to rotate the main body of the hydraulic actuator via a second rotating joint connected to the base mount; a fluid mover operably connected to each of the first and second rotary vane actuators and configured to actuate the first and second rotary vane actuators; and a control system electrically connected to the fluid mover and configured to control operations of the fluid mover, wherein the first and second rotary vane actuators are affixed to each other and positioned such that a rotational axis of the first rotary vane actuator is orthogonal to a rotational axis of the second rotary vane actuator.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) cell health monitoring apparatus includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag mounted to the PV cell and having identifying information of the PV cell, and a sensor in communication with the RFID tag for measuring health information of the PV cell. The RFID tag stores the measured health information together with time and locality information of the PV cell and responds to an interrogation signal by transmitting the stored information together with the identifying information. A dust sensor in the form of a comb-like electrode array measures electrical capacitance as an indication of an amount of dust on an exposed surface of the PV cell. An RFID tag antenna arranged as a meander-line patch antenna covered with polyethylene has a dual function as a temperature sensor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a solar surface steering system including a solar surface; a base mount; a main body having a first rotary vane actuator configured to rotate the solar surface via a first rotating joint, and a second rotary vane actuator configured to rotate the main body of the hydraulic actuator via a second rotating joint connected to the base mount; a fluid mover operably connected to each of the first and second rotary vane actuators and configured to actuate the first and second rotary vane actuators; and a control system electrically connected to the fluid mover and configured to control operations of the fluid mover, wherein the first and second rotary vane actuators are affixed to each other and positioned such that a rotational axis of the first rotary vane actuator is orthogonal to a rotational axis of the second rotary vane actuator.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) cell health monitoring apparatus includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag mounted to the PV cell and having identifying information of the PV cell, and a sensor in communication with the RFID tag for measuring health information of the PV cell. The RFID tag stores the measured health information together with time and locality information of the PV cell and responds to an interrogation signal by transmitting the stored information together with the identifying information. A dust sensor in the form of a comb-like electrode array measures electrical capacitance as an indication of an amount of dust on an exposed surface of the PV cell. An RFID tag antenna arranged as a meander-line patch antenna covered with polyethylene has a dual function as a temperature sensor.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) cell health monitoring apparatus includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag mounted to the PV cell and having identifying information of the PV cell, and a sensor in communication with the RFID tag for measuring health information of the PV cell. The RFID tag stores the measured health information together with time and locality information of the PV cell and responds to an interrogation signal by transmitting the stored information together with the identifying information. A dust sensor in the form of a comb-like electrode array measures electrical capacitance as an indication of an amount of dust on an exposed surface of the PV cell. An RFID tag antenna arranged as a meander-line patch antenna covered with polyethylene has a dual function as a temperature sensor.

Abstract: To detect a leak in a pipe carrying a fluid, an elastic membrane circumferentially surrounds the pipe. A sensing device detects an expansion state of the membrane and a signaling device indicates the presence of the leak based on the expansion state of the membrane.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator assembly may include a first acoustic liner and a second acoustic liner. The first acoustic liner may define a first plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. The second acoustic liner may be rotatably coupled to the first acoustic liner and at least one of the first acoustic liner and the second acoustic liner may be configured to rotate relative to each other to attenuate one or more frequencies of acoustic energy generated by working fluid flowing past the acoustic resonator assembly. The second acoustic liner may define a second plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. A number of degrees of freedom of the acoustic resonator assembly may be varied by rotating the first acoustic liner and/or the second acoustic liner.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator assembly may include a first acoustic liner and a second acoustic liner. The first acoustic liner may define a first plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. The second acoustic liner may be rotatably coupled to the first acoustic liner and at least one of the first acoustic liner and the second acoustic liner may be configured to rotate relative to each other to attenuate one or more frequencies of acoustic energy generated by working fluid flowing past the acoustic resonator assembly. The second acoustic liner may define a second plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. A number of degrees of freedom of the acoustic resonator assembly may be varied by rotating the first acoustic liner and/or the second acoustic liner.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator assembly may include a first acoustic liner and a second acoustic liner. The first acoustic liner may define a first plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. The second acoustic liner may be rotatably coupled to the first acoustic liner and at least one of the first acoustic liner and the second acoustic liner may be configured to rotate relative to each other to attenuate one or more frequencies of acoustic energy generated by working fluid flowing past the acoustic resonator assembly. The second acoustic liner may define a second plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. A number of degrees of freedom of the acoustic resonator assembly may be varied by rotating the first acoustic liner and/or the second acoustic liner.

Abstract: System for visualization of conformal contact. The system visualizes conformal contact between a patterned stamp and a transparent impression surface. A patterned stamp is provided that includes a fluorescent structure for contact with the impression surface. A source of UV light is provided for transmission through the transparent impression surface to interact with the fluorescent structure to generate visible light re-emitted by the fluorescent structure. An imaging system captures the visible light to form a high-contrast image of an area of conformal contact between the patterned stamp and the impression surface. The high-contrast image comprises bright and dark regions representing contact and no contact respectively.

Abstract: The clamp-on ultrasonic fluid flow meter system is an apparatus that includes structures that filter out a pipe structure-borne ultrasonic wave component. The clamp-on ultrasonic fluid flow meter system provides pipes that are modified to rely on Bragg resonance to attenuate the pipe structure-borne ultrasonic wave component. In a first embodiment, the fluid flow pipe is modified with corrugations so that the periodicity of the corrugations defines a pipe wall corrugation wavelength that is one-half the wavelength of the structure-borne ultrasonic wave component, satisfying Bragg's condition and preventing propagation of structure-borne noise that might interfere with the ultrasonic fluid flow meter. In a second embodiment, a pipe clad material having periodic corrugations as described above is adhesively or magnetically attached to the fluid flow pipe. In a third embodiment, alternating materials at a periodic rate satisfying Bragg's condition are attached to the exterior of the fluid flow pipe.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator assembly may include a first acoustic liner and a second acoustic liner. The first acoustic liner may define a first plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. The second acoustic liner may be rotatably coupled to the first acoustic liner and at least one of the first acoustic liner and the second acoustic liner may be configured to rotate relative to each other to attenuate one or more frequencies of acoustic energy generated by working fluid flowing past the acoustic resonator assembly. The second acoustic liner may define a second plurality of openings extending between first and second surfaces thereof. A number of degrees of freedom of the acoustic resonator assembly may be varied by rotating the first acoustic liner and/or the second acoustic liner.

Abstract: Optical methods and systems for the detection of leakages in fluid transporting pipelines. An exemplary system comprises at least one pair of light transmitter and light sensor positioned at the pipe wall itself. The discontinuity of fluid flow by bubbles and entrained particles resulting from a crack on the pipe wall is reflected in the light rays received by the light sensor. The discontinuity is recorded and converted into an optical signal that is transmitted wirelessly to a processing unit at a receiving station.

Abstract: The pipeline leak detector travels through a pipeline passively due to the flow of liquid through the pipeline. The device includes leading and trailing rings shaped to produce hydrodynamic resistance in order for the device to be carried through the pipeline. Wheels are provided about each ring, with at least one wheel having an odometer to measure distance traveled through the pipe. The rings are joined by a plurality of axially oriented connecting rods. A plurality of sensing elements extend between the rings. Each sensing element has a thin laminate of a piezoelectric film sandwiched between two electrically conductive layers, with an electrically insulating coating on the outside of each conductive layer. One of the rings includes microelectronic circuitry for data acquisition and storage.