Abstract: A method of designing a modified aerofoil shape, the method comprising the steps of: determining a plurality of resonant frequencies of a baseline aerofoil shape; determining that one of the resonant frequencies falls within a predetermined range of frequencies; providing a plurality of aerofoil sections defining the baseline aerofoil shape; and defining a modified aerofoil shape by displacing at least one of the plurality of aerofoil sections relative to its baseline position in the baseline aerofoil shape until one of the plurality of resonant frequencies previously falling within the range of frequencies is shifted outside the range of frequencies.

Abstract: According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a method, system and apparatus for an aircraft may be shown and described. An exemplary embodiment may be an autonomous aircraft which can vertically takeoff and land (VTOL). The VTOL aircraft may have a modular pod which carries a removable payload. The entire VTOL aircraft may be portable. An exemplary embodiment may fit into a standard sized freight container. A propulsion system may be based on distributed electric propulsion. An exemplary embodiment may implement variable pitch propellers and collective pitch variation.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment may provide a robotic powered cargo handling system. An embodiment may implement a pallet-lift mechanism to lift cargo or pallets. Powered rollers may be embedded into the forks of a pallet-lift mechanism and on top of the vehicle body. An exemplary embodiment may be fully autonomous. A user or software may direct the vehicle to a pallet or piece of cargo and set a destination for the cargo. Sensors, cameras, GPS, and computer vision may be implemented to navigate and avoid obstacles. An exemplary embodiment may include independent 4-wheel steering, 4 corner height adjustment, in-hub electric motors, and pneumatic or solid tires.

Abstract: This invention discloses a thin-film composite membrane and process for the separation of carbon dioxide from non-hydrophilic gases such as methane, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The thin-film composite membrane has a gas-separation layer and a nonporous high-diffusion-rate layer, and has carbon dioxide to non-hydrophilic gas selectivity that is greater than the intrinsic selectivity of the gas-separation layer alone.

Abstract: Silver ionomers of fluorinated polymers are useful for separating alkenes from other compounds such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane. In many instances the selectivities between the alkenes and other compounds are very high. These membranes are useful to recover alkenes and other gaseous compounds from processes in which an alkene is a starting material or product.

Abstract: An Automatic Location Identifier (ALI) trigger mechanism can include a data tap configured to detect an ALI location request for an emergency services call. The data tap can also be configured to output a trigger signal in response to detecting the ALI location request. The ALI trigger mechanism can also include a metadata router configured to receive the trigger signal and output an enhanced caller information request to a metadata server in response to the trigger signal.

Abstract: A system can include an emergency call routing element comprising one or more computing devices. The emergency call routing element can be configured to provide locator key and routing information for an emergency services call initiated by an end-user device employed by a caller, wherein the routing information identifies a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The emergency call routing element can also be configured to provide a notification of the emergency services call. The system can also include an ancillary data server comprising one or more computing devices. The ancillary data server can be configured to receive the notification of the emergency services call and query an information source for information related to at least one of the end-user device and the caller in response to the notification. The ancillary data server can further be configured to provide a web service interface that outputs ancillary information that characterizes ancillary data.

Abstract: ESQK and/or ESRK (ESxK) number pool exhaustion and reuse errors are eliminated by replacing the ESxK identifier with an emergency services pseudo key (ESPK) identifier. A positioning center (MPC/VPC) replaces an ESxK received with a query with a ESPK in a return message. The ESPK is either a unique 10-digit number or unique alpha-numeric identifier that can be used to re-query the source of dynamic ALI data. The ESPK may be generated using, e.g., unique prefixing, suffixing, or randomizing. The ESPK is a non-constrained, unique identifier that preferably remains unique for the call instance over an extended period of time. The ESPK is used for any subsequent ALI request for the call. Each time a positioning center receives a query with ESPK, it is directly associated with, and returns, the updated location for the original emergency call, regardless of whether or not the original ESxK was reallocated to another emergency call.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve an ecommerce payment process. The system receives a selection from a user to perform a checkout operation for items in a shopping cart. The system receives a payment type selection from a user and creates an encrypted packet of order information. The user is redirected to a URL of a third party payment processing system that supports the selected payment type for the user's country. The encrypted information is posted securely to the payment system and includes details standard across payment types. A user interface theme identifier is included to allow the third party system to provide a consistent user interface. The third party system accepts the standard details in the encrypted packet and implements the payment type specific details. The ecommerce system receives notification that the payment process succeeded and provisioning resumes by providing the purchased items to the user.

Abstract: ESQK and/or ESRK (ESxK) number pool exhaustion and reuse errors are eliminated by replacing the ESxK identifier with an emergency services pseudo key (ESPK) identifier. A positioning center (MPC/VPC) replaces an ESxK received with a query with a ESPK in a return message. The ESPK is either a unique 10-digit number or unique alpha-numeric identifier that can be used to re-query the source of dynamic ALI data. The ESPK may be generated using, e.g., unique prefixing, suffixing, or randomizing. The ESPK is a non-constrained, unique identifier that preferably remains unique for the call instance over an extended period of time. The ESPK is used for any subsequent ALI request for the call. Each time a positioning center receives a query with ESPK, it is directly associated with, and returns, the updated location for the original emergency call, regardless of whether or not the original ESxK was reallocated to another emergency call.

Abstract: The present invention involves a system and method that facilitate a purchasing experience in part by consolidating any number of purchases and their respective charge amounts until the purchases or charge amounts reach a threshold level. The threshold level can be based in part on resources used (consumed or purchased) or on the corresponding monetary value. The threshold level can be determined based at least in part on several factors such as the type of resource being purchased, the volume of resources purchased at a time or over a period of time, customer's payment history, customer's usage history, feedback received from the customer's payment provider, the type of payment vehicle (e.g., credit card, stored value card), time of the purchase, etc. When the threshold is reached, payment is requested asynchronously. The customer's account can be suspended or cancelled if payment cannot be secured within a desired amount of time.

Abstract: A membrane separation process and apparatus for carrying out the process involves contacting a gas feed mixture with one side of a selectively gas permeable membrane and allowing the components to pass through the membrane to form a permeate composition in contact with the opposite side of the membrane and leave a retentate composition on the feed side of the membrane. The process includes introducing a sweep flow of feed gas into the permeate composition near the membrane at a rate effective to increase the enrichment of the retentate composition in the less preferentially permeable component of the feed mixture to a concentration much greater than is achieved without the sweep flow. This process is especially well suited to improve single stage membrane separation effectiveness so that the need for conventional multistage separations to achieve moderate to high purity retentate compositions can be obviated.

Abstract: A filter useful for the ultrafiltration and microfiltration of aqueous suspensions includes a microporous membrane structure that has pores of size effective to reject particles in the range of about 0.01-10 &mgr;m. At least a portion of the membrane structure in contact with the suspension has a surface energy less than that of polytetrafluoroethylene. Low surface energy can be achieved by coating a microporous substrate with a substance such as fluorine substituted dioxole polymer. The filter has superior resistance to fouling by species suspended in the aqueous suspension and can continuously filter flow of such suspension in excess of 100 L/(m2−h) for more than 150 hours. The new filter is useful in many traditionally fouling prone ultrafiltration and microfiltration membrane applications such as the filtering of shipboard generated graywater waste.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to transcription regulators and transcription regulator-like sequences of nanovirus origin. As used in the specification, the nanovirus group is consdiered to include subterranean clover stunt virus (SCSV), cocnut foliar decay virus (CFDV), banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), milk vetch dwarf cirus (MDV), and faba bean necrotic yellow virus (FBNYV). The transcription regulators and transcription regulator-like sequences of the instant invention are useful in genetic engineering of plants and in particular leguminous plants such as to facilitate or control expression of foreign genes. The transcription regulators and transcription regulator-like sequences of the present invention are also useful in facilitating different levels of expression in different plant tissue types.

Abstract: A portable breathing air supply apparatus uses a membrane separation module to obtain oxygen enriched air from ambient air which is blown into the module by an electrically powered fan. Oxygen enriched air is withdrawn from the permeate side of the membrane by a vacuum pump and is stored in a reservoir while the user exhales. In a preferred mode, a conserver valve in a tube leading from the reservoir to the user's mouth or nose is triggered to feed the enriched air for a preselected duration after a sensor in the tube detects onset of inhalation. Power for the electrical components can be supplied by batteries. The portable apparatus is sufficiently compact and light to be transported by persons weakened by certain chronic breathing disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, and thus frees the user to roam for long periods away from a primary source of oxygen.

Abstract: A novel method of operating an internal combustion engine employs a selectively gas permeable membrane to provide either oxygen or nitrogen enriched air feed to beneficially affect engine performance. By feeding enriched air from a membrane unit such performance parameters as reduced NOx emissions, lean burn limit, engine power, and reduced cold start emissions can be enhanced relative to feeding ambient air. The selectively gas permeable membrane unit further includes a nonporous membrane (i) having an oxygen/nitrogen selectivity of at least 1.4 and a permeability to oxygen of at least 50 barrers; (ii) formed from an amorphous copolymer of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole; and (iii) being at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the amorphous copolymer.A cylindrical module having many substantially parallel aligned small diameter hollow fiber membrane structures is ideally suited for carrying out the novel method.

Abstract: A process for placing an ultra thin layer of a non-porous gas permeable polymer continuously over an entire filter surface area allows the fabrication of compact, high flux, fouling resistant gas filters. The process involves contacting a dilute coating solution of gas permeable polymer in a solvent with one side of a microporous substrate. The pore size of the substrate is chosen for its ability to effectively filter the gas permeable polymer from the coating solution. Solvent of the coating solution is made to flow through the microporous substrate which causes an ultra thin layer of polymer to build up on the side of substrate. When a desired thickness of polymer is built up, the solution and solvent is removed and residual solvent is evaporated, preferably by passing a gas at high rate over the surface of the polymer layer.This process can be used to coat flat sheet and hollow fiber substrates.

Abstract: A method of adding or removing a gas to or from a solution of the gas in a liquid involves transferring the gas between the liquid and another fluid through a membrane unit. The membrane unit includes a membrane which is (i) substantially impermeable to the solvent and having a permeability to oxygen of at least 100 barrers; (ii) formed from an amorphous copolymer of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole; and (iii) is maintained at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the copolymer. The fluid can be another liquid or a gas. The novel method provides very high rates of gas transmission between liquids and permits gasifying liquids without resort to sparging bubbles through the liquid. The method thus can gasify liquid with superior efficiency and without excessive agitation due to bubbling.

Abstract: A method of adding or removing a gas to or from a solution of the gas in a liquid involves transferring the gas between the liquid and another fluid through a membrane unit. The membrane unit includes a membrane which is (i) substantially impermeable to the solvent and having a permeability to oxygen of at least 100 barrers; (ii) formed from an amorphous copolymer of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole; and (iii) is maintained at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the copolymer. The fluid can be another liquid or a gas. The novel method provides very high rates of gas transmission between liquids and permits gasifying liquids without resort to sparging bubbles through the liquid. The method thus can gasify liquid with superior efficiency and without excessive agitation due to bubbling.

Abstract: A mouldable reinforced polyamide composition comprising;(a) a polyamide consisting essentially of between about 0.5 and about 99.5 mol. % of aliphatic diamines having 4-12 carbon atoms and a complementary amount of 2-methyl-pentamethylene diamine copolymerized with aliphatic dicarboxylic acids having 6-12 carbon atoms; and(b) a filler in an amount of 0.5 to 200 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said polyamide. The polyamide has an RV greater than about 20. Related polyamides, especially in which the acid is 1,12-dodecanedioic acid, are also disclosed. The polyamides may be used in a wide variety of end-uses, including moulding, and exhibit excellent gloss compared with nylon 6,6.