Abstract: Fire suppressing agents and their use in suppressing thermal events in lithium-ion batteries are provided. The fire suppressing agents comprise an aqueous solution of a carboxylate salt, particularly a potassium or sodium salt of lactic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, butyric acid, or tartaric acid. The fire suppressing agent can be delivered to a battery cell, or battery module comprising a battery cell, which is experiencing a thermal event, such as a thermal runaway, to suppress the thermal event and inhibit a cascade of the thermal event to adjacent cells.

Abstract: The invention provides a dynamically swept tunable laser system and method for measuring sensor characteristics obtained from an array of optical sensors comprising means for dividing the total wavelength sweep of the laser into different regions in any particular order where each region contains single or multiple contiguous sweep segments and where each sweep segment is referenced by a start and a stop reference and can have different lengths compared to the other sweep segments. The sensor characteristics are determined from each region swept by the tunable laser. The invention provides for the tunable laser to be adapted to operate in a quasi-continuous mode to select segments in any order. The relative sweep rates of regions can be changed such that some regions can be swept more times than other regions.

Abstract: Explosion test systems for determining explosibility indicies (Kst) of certain dust and gaseous fuels are provided. The test systems comprise a combustion vessel (130) and associated control equipment (110) containing software for operating the combustion vessel and collecting data generated thereby. The combustion vessel (130) generally comprises a test chamber (140) and a reservoir module (150) operable to inject a fuel into the test chamber, wherein an ignition module (170) ignites the fuel.

Abstract: A reverse-acting rupture disc (10) having a laser-defined reversal initiation feature (16) is provided in the bulged section (12) of the disc. The reversal initiation feature comprises at least a first lased area (22) that has a reduced thickness relative to rest of the bulged section. A second lased area (24) may also be provided within the margins of the first lased area. The second lased area has a depth that is greater than the depth of the first lased area. A line of weakness (40) may be formed in the bulged section that functions to direct reversal of the bulged section toward a particular area of the disc, such as line-of-opening recess (56).

Abstract: The invention provides a system and a method for wavelength referencing and polarization mitigation. An optical wavelength tunable laser source is swept in a number of contiguous, overlapping sweep segments. A coarse reference wavelength section produces a reference signal that defines at least one absolute wavelength within a sweep segment. A fine wavelength reference section produces a periodic wavelength reference signal that defines a plurality of equidistant wavelengths within each sweep segment with an indeterminate offset relative to the absolute wavelength(s) of the coarse reference wavelength section. The free spectral range of the fine wavelength reference section is smaller than the spacing between subsequent absolute reference wavelengths of the coarse reference wavelength section. This arrangement allows reducing the minimum required overlap between contiguous sweep segments.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and a method for wavelength referencing and polarization mitigation. An optical wavelength tunable laser source is swept in a number of contiguous, overlapping sweep segments. A coarse reference wavelength section produces a reference signal that defines at least one absolute wavelength within a sweep segment. A fine wavelength reference section produces a periodic wavelength reference signal that defines a plurality of equidistant wavelengths within each sweep segment with an indeterminate offset relative to the absolute wavelength(s) of the coarse reference wavelength section. The free spectral range of the fine wavelength reference section is smaller than the spacing between subsequent absolute reference wavelengths of the coarse reference wavelength section. This arrangement allows reducing the minimum required overlap between contiguous sweep segments.

Abstract: A control system and method in an optical burst mode network, said network comprising a plurality of channels, at least one channel adapted to carry bursts of data from multiple sources, the control system is configured to calculate a per channel gain measurement from the acquisition of per source received burst data measurements at a channel termination point. The control system facilitates automated per channel optical power monitoring and equalisation without human intervention over the operational life span of the optical system.

Abstract: Explosion test systems for determining explosibility indicies (Kst) of certain dust and gaseous fuels are provided. The test systems comprise a combustion vessel (130) and associated control equipment (110) containing software for operating the combustion vessel and collecting data generated thereby. The combustion vessel (130) generally comprises a test chamber (140) and a reservoir module (150) operable to inject a fuel into the test chamber, wherein an ignition module (170) ignites the fuel.

Abstract: The invention provides a dynamically swept tunable laser system and method for measuring sensor characteristics obtained from an array of optical sensors comprising means for dividing the total wavelength sweep of the laser into different regions in any particular order where each region contains single or multiple contiguous sweep segments and where each sweep segment is referenced by a start and a stop reference and can have different lengths compared to the other sweep segments. The sensor characteristics are determined from each region swept by the tunable laser. The invention provides for the tunable laser to be adapted to operate in a quasi-continuous mode to select segments in any order. The relative sweep rates of regions can be changed such that some regions can be swept more times than other regions.

Abstract: An example embodiment involves a method for adjusting an operating parameter of a node in an optical network which comprises a plurality of nodes, the method comprising the steps of: measuring at the node a value of at least one characteristic associated with the operating parameter of the node; distributing the value of the characteristic to all of the other nodes in the network; receiving at the node the value of the characteristic for all of the other nodes in the network; deriving at the node optical impairment data for each link of the network based on the received values of the characteristic for all of the nodes; calculating at the node the preferred value of the operating parameter for each node based on the derived optical impairment data; and adjusting the operating parameter of the node based on the calculated preferred value for the node.

Abstract: A reverse-acting rupture disc (10) having a laser-defined reversal initiation feature (16) is provided in the bulged section (12) of the disc. The reversal initiation feature comprises at least a first lased area (22) that has a reduced thickness relative to rest of the bulged section. A second lased area (24) may also be provided within the margins of the first lased area. The second lased area has a depth that is greater than the depth of the first lased area. A line of weakness (40) may be formed in the bulged section that functions to direct reversal of the bulged section toward a particular area of the disc, such as line-of-opening recess (56).

Abstract: The invention provides an optical burst switch in an Optical Burst Switched (OBS) communication network, said optical burst switch comprising means for monitoring and maintaining mesh of virtual optical paths from a communication node to a plurality of other communication nodes, arranged in a ring network, enabling traffic data to be transmitted and/or received between nodes via a physical optical path. The switch also provides means for sending a data packet probe on a virtual path from a node to each other node in the OBS communication network, wherein data packet probe information received at said switch provides information of availability of the physical optical path for sending traffic data between nodes. The switch can be configured such that the rate at which this path monitoring is scheduled guaranteeing less than 50 ms protection switch in the event of monitoring a failed or degraded path.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical burst switch in an Optical Burst Switched (OBS) communication network, said optical burst switch comprising means for monitoring and maintaining mesh of virtual optical paths from a communication node to a plurality of other communication nodes, arranged in a ring network, enabling traffic data to be transmitted and/or received between nodes via a physical optical path. The switch also provides means for sending a data packet probe on a virtual path from a node to each other node in the OBS communication network, wherein data packet probe information received at said switch provides information of availability of the physical optical path for sending traffic data between nodes. The switch can be configured such that the rate at which this path monitoring is scheduled guaranteeing less than 50ms protection switch in the event of monitoring a failed or degraded path.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for protecting process equipment from a fire and/or an explosion are provided. In particular, the apparatus and methods utilize Seebeck sensors or thermoelectric generators to detect the propagation of a flame front or deflagration wave within the process equipment. Upon detection of the deflagration wave, the system controller activates mitigation apparatus which may be in the form of a chemical suppressant or isolation valves in order to protect the process equipment from damage.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for protecting process equipment from a fire and/or an explosion are provided. In particular, the apparatus and methods utilize Seebeck sensors or thermoelectric generators to detect the propagation of a flame front or deflagration wave within the process equipment. Upon detection of the deflagration wave, the system controller activates mitigation apparatus which may be in the form of a chemical suppressant or isolation valves in order to protect the process equipment from damage.