Abstract: An optical reservoir computing (ORC) system has a near-UV light emitting diode modulator (LED-M), a beam expander (BE), a fluorescer array (FA), an optical integrator (OA), a liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM), and a photo-detector array (PDA). The LED-M receives an input electrical signal and outputs an optical signal passing through the BE, being made incident upon the FA, being processed in the OA, and being multiplexed onto the LC-SLM. “Non-Linearity” is introduced by overlapping responses to input signals by the FA. “High Dimensionality” is provided by the random but fixed time-wavelength multiplexing onto an imaging plane by a Fresnel-Kohler Integrator (FKI). “Fading Memory” is provided by different decay time constants of the fluorescers. A method of using the ORC system comprises the steps of minimizing an error function of difference between a measured state of the PDA and a target state of the PDA by a regression model.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a sensor array comprising one or more sensors associated with an electrolyzer cell, wherein the one or more sensors produce sensory signals corresponding to one or more specified phenomena of the electrolyzer cell, a sensor board configured to amplify, filter, shape, or condition the sensory signals and to digitize the sensory signals to provide digitized information, a first communication link between the sensor board and the sensor array, and a second communication link configured to transmit the digitized information to a central controller outside the sensor system.

Abstract: A method uses an apparatus for fabricating a zinc plated copper electrode for a zinc anode battery. The method comprises the steps of: placing a zinc sheet and a copper sheet in a container of the apparatus; applying a first positive potential to the copper sheet; applying a first negative potential to the zinc sheet; passing a first predetermined current density; applying a second positive potential to the zinc sheet; applying a second negative potential to the copper sheet; and passing a second predetermined current density.

Abstract: A zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprises an anode-side subassembly, an insulating porous separator, and a cathode-side subassembly. The anode-side subassembly comprises an anode current collector, an anode sheet, and an anode insulating net. The cathode-side subassembly comprises a cathode insulating mesh, a cathode graphite felt, and a cathode current collector. The zinc bromine electrochemical cell is rollable, foldable, or stackable.

Abstract: A zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprises an anode-side subassembly, an insulating porous separator, and a cathode-side subassembly. The anode-side subassembly comprises an anode current terminal, an anode current collector, an anode support, an anode sheet, and an anode insulating net. The cathode-side subassembly comprises a cathode insulating mesh, a cathode graphite felt, a cathode sheet, a cathode current collector, and a cathode current terminal. The anode-side subassembly and the cathode-side subassembly are separated by the insulating porous separator.

Abstract: A battery pack comprises a master battery management system, three or more battery blocks, three or more local battery management systems, three or more optical or magnetic isolated communications, and a wire assembly. Each of the three or more battery blocks comprises a plurality of battery cells connected in parallel so that form a common equipotential positive terminal and a common equipotential negative terminal. The three or more battery blocks comprises a low battery block, a high battery block, and one or more mid-range battery blocks between the low battery block and the high battery block. The negative terminal of each of the one or more mid-range battery blocks is electrically connected to the positive terminal of a respective adjacent battery block of the three or more battery blocks.

Abstract: An air sanitizer generates active airflow utilizing ultraviolet spectrum of light in the UV-C band (200-280 nm). The source of the UV-C is an array of light emitting diodes (LED) that shine the UV-C down a housing of the air sanitizer. A fan draws the contaminated air into the housing. The contaminated air is sanitized by the UV-C light inside the housing and is expelled through apertures at the other end of the housing. Leaking of the potential harmful UV-C light outside of the housing is eliminated by an optical baffle covering the apertures. The electronics design for the air sanitizer contains an LED driver with temperature compensation to optimize the service life of the LEDs. A UV light flux detector facing the UV-C LEDs measures the relative reduction of UV light flux over time and reports the efficacy of the UV-C LEDs during the operation of the air sanitizer.

Abstract: An air sanitizer generates active airflow utilizing ultraviolet spectrum of light in the UV-C band (200-280 nm). The source of the UV-C is an array of light emitting diodes (LED) that shine the UV-C down a housing of the air sanitizer. A fan draws the contaminated air into the housing. The contaminated air is sanitized by the UV-C light inside the housing and is expelled through apertures at the other end of the housing. Leaking of the potential harmful UV-C light outside of the housing is eliminated by an optical baffle covering the apertures. The electronics design for the air sanitizer contains an LED driver with temperature compensation to optimize the service life of the LEDs. A UV light flux detector facing the UV-C LEDs measures the relative reduction of UV light flux over time and reports the efficacy of the UV-C LEDs during the operation of the air sanitizer.

Abstract: A method uses a chemical system to generate hydrogen gas. The chemistry involves a two-step reaction. In the first step, an alkaline hydride reacts with water to produce a hydroxide and hydrogen. In the second step, the hydroxide reacts with aluminum to produce even more hydrogen. The fuel is composed out of a mixture of powders of the alkaline hydride and aluminum. The fuel is encapsulated in a water soluble capsule for easy dispensing and protection against short time exposure to moisture. For large scale systems, the fuel is mixed with a low hydrophilicity ionic liquid to make it into a slurry that can be dispensed into a reaction chamber. The generation system comprises a tank, a pump, a first tube, a second tube, one or more capsules, a tank sensor assembly, and a processing system. The method comprises the steps of dispensing the capsules or the slurry in the tank; supplying water to the tank; and collecting hydrogen gas from the tank.

Abstract: An optical reservoir computing (ORC) system has a near-UV light emitting diode modulator (LED-M), a beam expander (BE), a fluorescer array (FA), an optical integrator (OA), a liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM), and a photo-detector array (PDA). The LED-M receives an input electrical signal and outputs an optical signal passing through the BE, being made incident upon the FA, being processed in the OA, and being multiplexed onto the LC-SLM. “Non-Linearity” is introduced by overlapping responses to input signals by the FA. “High Dimensionality” is provided by the random but fixed time-wavelength multiplexing onto an imaging plane by a Fresnel-Kohler Integrator (FKI). “Fading Memory” is provided by different decay time constants of the fluorescers. A method of using the ORC system comprises the steps of minimizing an error function of difference between a measured state of the PDA and a target state of the PDA by a regression model.

Abstract: An intelligent web-enabled plant growing system controls environmental conditions inside it to grow sprouts, microgreens and plants from seeds placed in it without much intervention of humans through the growing process. Photographs of the sprouts, microgreens and plants are taken periodically by a camera. A computer then uploads the photographs to a server. The server runs artificial intelligence programs to determine the state of the growth and suggests back to the computer how to operate the controls for environment. A user application program on a remote computer or mobile device reports the state of the box, enables the user to buy seeds, enables the user to make own recipes, and enables multiple users to share their growing experience and custom recipes.

Abstract: An intelligent web-enabled plant growing system controls environmental conditions inside it to grow sprouts, microgreens and plants from seeds placed in it without much intervention of humans through the growing process. Photographs of the sprouts, microgreens and plants are taken periodically by a camera. A computer then uploads the photographs to a server. The server runs artificial intelligence programs to determine the state of the growth and suggests back to the computer how to operate the controls for environment. A user application program on a remote computer or mobile device reports the state of the box, enables the user to buy seeds, enables the user to make own recipes, and enables multiple users to share their growing experience and custom recipes.

Abstract: Today, energy requiring equipment commonly relies on batteries for power. The excessive weight and size of batteries severely limits their performance. Described herein is a lightweight portable energy system which includes an ultra-high capacity hydrolysable hydride gel cartridge for use in supplying hydrogen gas to hydrogen based energy generators. Hydrolysable hydride reactivity is controlled by tuning the amounts of hydrophilic and hydrophobic content in a polymer gel encapsulant of the cartridge.

Abstract: A thermionic sensor is disclosed. The sensor includes a sensor housing at least partially defining an emission chamber in which at least a partial vacuum is maintained; a cathode disposed in the emission chamber; an anode disposed in the emission chamber and spaced apart from the cathode; and an electrically conductive layer disposed in the emission chamber facing the anode and cathode. The thermionic sensor is configured to output a detection signal when the anode and cathode are at substantially the same temperature.

Abstract: A thermionic sensor package and methods of using the same are disclosed. The sensor package includes a substrate, a package housing disposed on the substrate and at least partially defining a package chamber in which vacuum conditions are maintained, a thermionic sensor disposed in the package chamber, and a wireless transmission device disposed on the substrate. The thermionic sensor includes a sensor housing at least partially defining an emission chamber, a cathode disposed in the emission chamber, an anode disposed in the emission chamber and spaced apart from the cathode, and an electrically conductive layer disposed in the emission chamber facing the anode and cathode. The method includes generating a detection signal when the anode and the cathode of the sensor are at substantially the same temperature.

Abstract: An energy storage system employing a reversible salination-desalination process includes an electrochemical desalination battery (EDB) unit including an anode and a cathode. The EDB unit runs a salination process while storing energy from a direct current power supply unit, and runs a desalination process while releasing energy to an electrical load. The energy storage system can store power from a variable output electrical power supply unit such as solar cells and wind turbines while running a salination process, and release energy, e.g., during peak energy demand hours while running a desalination process. Combined with a capacitive deionization (CD) unit, the energy storage system can generate fresh water by running desalination processes in the EDB unit and the CD unit while releasing stored energy from the EDB unit. The energy storage unit can function as a dual purpose device for energy storage and fresh water generation.

Abstract: An energy storage system employing a reversible salination-desalination process includes an electrochemical desalination battery (EDB) unit including an anode and a cathode. The EDB unit runs a salination process while storing energy from a direct current power supply unit, and runs a desalination process while releasing energy to an electrical load. The energy storage system can store power from a variable output electrical power supply unit such as solar cells and wind turbines while running a salination process, and release energy, e.g., during peak energy demand hours while running a desalination process. Combined with a capacitive deionization (CD) unit, the energy storage system can generate fresh water by running desalination processes in the EDB unit and the CD unit while releasing stored energy from the EDB unit. The energy storage unit can function as a dual purpose device for energy storage (load shifting) and fresh water generation.

Abstract: A method for determining an operating state (e.g., state-of-charge or state-of-health) and/or generating management (charge/discharge) control information in a system including an electrochemical energy device (EED, e.g., a rechargeable Li-ion battery, supercapacitor or fuel cell) that uses optical sensors to detect the intercalation stage change events occurring in the EED. The externally or internally mounted optical sensors measure operating parameter (e.g., strain and/or temperature) changes of the EED during charge/recharge cycling, and transmit measured parameter data using light signals sent over optical fibers to a detector/converter. A processor then analyzes the measured parameter data, e.g., using a model-based estimation process, to detect intercalation stage changes (i.e., crystalline structure changes caused by migration of guest species, such as Li-ions, between the EED's anode and cathode), and generates the operating state and charge/discharge control information based the analysis.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a buck-boost circuit is contemplated which is bi-directional. That is, the buck-boost circuit be configured to produce a load voltage for a load responsive to a source voltage from a voltage source, and the buck-boost circuit may also be configured to produce a charging voltage for the voltage source responsive to a second voltage source connected to the load. In an embodiment, the buck-boost circuit may be operating in boost mode when providing the load voltage and may be operating in buck mode when providing the charging voltage.

Abstract: A neutron detector that utilizes cells in which a liquid scintillator is contained in elongated detector tubes, with photo-detectors disposed at each end of the tube to measure scintillation light generated by incident neutrons. The liquid scintillator is an interblended mixture including an ionic liquid blended with a scintillation enhancer and/or a moderator and/or a controlled optical attenuator. A longitudinal position of an incident neutron is determined by the magnitudes of the scintillation light portions arriving at each photo-detector, which are proportional to the distances between the neutron interaction point and the photo-detectors. The cells are arranged in a closely-spaced parallel planar array to facilitate determining incident neutron location in two dimensions. A detector system utilizes a first detector array to detect fast neutrons, a thermalizer (e.g., polyethylene) to convert fast incident neutrons to thermal neutrons, and a second detector array to detect the thermal neutrons.