Abstract: A device includes a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from the first electrode to define a volume. An anion exchange membrane and a cation exchange membrane are disposed within the volume. A controller controls a supply of electrical current from an electrical source to the first electrode and to the second electrode. The electrical current supply is controlled to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation providing electrical current having a reverse polarity during each cycle. The electrical current is supplied at a controlled cycle rate and for a controlled duration. The cycle rate is greater than about 100 hertz and less than about 10 kilohertz.

Abstract: A method includes: coat a slurry that includes a carbon material, a water-insoluble binder, and a water-soluble polymer on a surface of a current collector to form a template structure; then dry the template structure; and finally, contact the template structure to an aqueous solution, and thereby to remove the water-soluble polymer and to form at least one electrode having a plurality of pores.

Abstract: A double hearing protection system comprises a circumaural hearing protector that covers and encircles the pinnae and an earplug device that is inserted into the ear canal. The earplug portion of the system comprises a tether that is coupled to the interior of a circumaural hearing protector. The tether retracts into the earcup when both the earplug and circumaural hearing protector are worn, ensuring that the earseal against the head is not broken by the retractable tether.

Abstract: A desalination system and method of desalinating liquids are provided. The desalination system includes a supercapacitor desalination unit. A first liquid source to be desalinated is provided to the supercapacitor desalination unit while the system is in a charging mode of operation. A second liquid source comprising saturated or supersaturated liquid is provided to the supercapacitor desalination unit when the system is in a discharging mode of operation.

Abstract: An electrode assembly is provided. The assembly includes a chargeable electrode configured to adsorb oppositely charged ions, where the electrode comprises a porous material. The assembly further includes an ion exchange material in contact with the porous material of the chargeable electrode, where the ion exchange material is similarly charged as the chargeable electrode, and where the ion exchange material is permeable to the oppositely charged ions and at least partially impermeable to the similarly charged ions.

Abstract: An earmuff assembly with a double-shell structure is disclosed for use with a sound-attenuating circumaural headset. The earmuff assembly comprises a cup-shaped outer shell mounted on a resilient outer sealing ring and a cup-shaped inner shell mounted on a resilient inner sealing ring. By means of the two sealing rings the outer and the inner shells are brought into abutment with the head surface around an ear of a wearer. Both shells are structurally rigid. The sound attenuation performance is maximized by isolating the inner shell from the outer shell. The two sealing rings are interconnected through a thin skin layer of soft compliant materials, which acts as a vibration isolating/decoupling means between the outer shell and the inner shell.

Abstract: A supercapacitor desalination cell is provided. The cell includes electrodes formed of conducting materials that are configured to adsorb ions in a charging state of the cell and desorb the ions in a discharging state of the cell. The conducting materials comprise conducting composites. An insulating spacer is disposed between the two electrodes and is configured to electrically isolate one electrode from the other. Further, the cell includes a first current collector coupled to the first electrode, and a second current collector coupled to the second electrode. Further, an energy recovery converter may be operatively associated with the cell and configured to recover energy released by the cell while transforming from a charging state to a discharging state. The converter is configured to transfer at least a portion of the recovered energy to a grid in the discharging state of the cell.

Abstract: A method for verifying trace widths of a printed circuit board (PCB) layout includes the steps of: loading a PCB layout document from a database; defining a verifying area for a PCB layout specified in the PCB layout document; receiving preset design rules; creating a data structure, and loading information on traces in the verifying area into the data structure; selecting an unverified trace from the data structure; selecting an unverified segment from the selected trace; verifying the selected segment by comparing a width of the selected segment with the rules, and determining whether the selected segment satisfies the rules according to the comparison result; and annotating design rule check (DRC) information if the segment does not satisfy the rules. Other segments of the selected trace and other traces are verified by repeating appropriate of the above-described steps. A related system for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A non-Faraday ionic species removal process and system is described. The system includes a power supply, a pump for transporting a liquid through the system, and a plurality of porous electrodes. The electrodes, each include an electrically conductive porous portion. The electrodes may also include a substrate contiguous with the porous portion. The porous electrode can be utilized in electrodialysis and electrodialysis reversal systems. A method for forming a porous electrode is described.

Abstract: A double hearing protection system is disclosed. The earplug portion of the system contains a tether attachment mechanism that may be selectively attached to the interior of a circumaural hearing protector designed with the mating attachment. The tether retracts into the earcup when both the earplug and circumaural hearing protector are worn, ensuring that the earseal against the head is not broken by the retractable tether. The attachment point inside the ear cup mates to the end of the tether in a way that prevents foreign object damage in dangerous work environments, and limits the vibratory path from the earcup to the earplug through a flexible attachment mechanism. The benefit of both the earplug and earcup combined offers the double passive hearing protection for extreme noise environments while providing for a convenient means by which to achieve the double hearing protection and not compromise its performance through the attachment mechanism.

Abstract: A microphone housing improves the broadband noise canceling performance of an active noise canceling microphone system while also ensuring improved speech transmission through the system. First and second microphone elements are selected each having a diameter “d” and a thickness “t”. The two microphone elements are aligned axially with the back surfaces in contact and secured in an axially aligned cylindrical cavity within a cylindrically shaped housing. The cylindrically shaped housing has an outside diameter “D,” an interior cavity of diameter of “d,” and a height “2t”. The housing is exposed to an environment comprising both speech and noise. The first microphone element is adapted to receive a signal having both voice and noise components, while the second microphone element is adapted to receive a signal that is predominantly noise. A controller processes signals from the first microphone element and the second microphone element.

Abstract: A system for automatically comparing test points of a PCB includes an application server (1) and a database (6). The application server includes: a PCB file selecting module (10) for selecting a target file and a source file from the database; a test point data extracting module (12) for extracting test point data from the target file and the source file; a table generating module (14) for generating a target table according to the extracted test point data from the target file and generating a source table according to the extracted test point data from the source file; a comparing module (16) for comparing the test point data of the target table and the source table one by one and storing comparison results on those test points which have been modified; and a report generating module (18) for generating a comparison report. A related method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for automatically comparing test points of a PCB includes an application server (1) and a database (6). The application server includes: a PCB file selecting module (10) for selecting a target file and a source file from the database; a test point data extracting module (12) for extracting test point data from the target file and the source file; a table generating module (14) for generating a target table according to the extracted test point data from the target file and generating a source table according to the extracted test point data from the source file; a comparing module (16) for comparing the test point data of the target table and the source table one by one and storing comparison results on those test points which have been modified; and a report generating module (18) for generating a comparison report. A related method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for verifying trace widths of a printed circuit board (PCB) layout includes the steps of: loading a PCB layout document from a database; defining a verifying area for a PCB layout specified in the PCB layout document; receiving preset design rules; creating a data structure, and loading information on traces in the verifying area into the data structure; selecting an unverified trace from the data structure; selecting an unverified segment from the selected trace; verifying the selected segment by comparing a width of the selected segment with the rules, and determining whether the selected segment satisfies the rules according to the comparison result; and annotating design rule check (DRC) information if the segment does not satisfy the rules. Other segments of the selected trace and other traces are verified by repeating appropriate of the above-described steps. A related system for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cyclone is used to collect nanoparticles and is formed of a chamber, and a guide wing located in the chamber such that the guide wing and the chamber form a passage. A flow entraining the nanoparticles is moved through the passage in such a way that the flow is caused to spin rapidly, and that the nanoparticles, acted on by a centrifugal force, are thereby resulting in collision with the chamber wall. The cyclone has a nanoparticle cut-off aerodynamic diameter, which is reduced by virtue of the phenomena that the particle inertia increases in a low pressure environment, and that the particle slipping correction factor increases under low pressure, and that the rebound of the particle in the cyclone chamber tends to alleviate under low pressure. The cyclone is used to remove nanoparticles from industrial exhaust fumes.

Abstract: A shaped acoustic foam insert for use in improving the performance of circumaural hearing protectors is described. A foam block having a cross-section and shape is adapted to occupy the entire interior volume of an earcup of a circumaural hearing protector. The insert has no folds or open acoustic cavities. The surface of the insert that faces the ear of the user of the circumaural hearing protector comprises a curvilinear groove. The groove has no sharp angles and accommodates the average human pinna. A system and method of manufacturing the attenuating foam insert are provided.

Abstract: A cyclone is used to collect nanoparticles and is formed of a chamber, and a guide wing located in the chamber such that the guide wing and the chamber form a passage. A flow entraining the nanoparticles is moved through the passage in such a way that the flow is caused to spin rapidly, and that the nanoparticles, acted on by a centrifugal force, are thereby resulting in collision with the chamber wall. The cyclone has a nanoparticle cut-off aerodynamic diameter, which is reduced by virtue of the phenomena that the particle inertia increases in a low pressure environment, and that the particle slipping correction factor increases under low pressure, and that the rebound of the particle in the cyclone chamber tends to alleviate under low pressure. The cyclone is used to remove nanoparticles from industrial exhaust fumes.

Abstract: A microphone housing improves the broadband noise canceling performance of an active noise canceling microphone system while also ensuring improved speech transmission through the system. First and second microphone elements are selected each having a diameter “d” and a thickness “t”. The two microphone elements are aligned axially with the back surfaces in contact and secured in an axially aligned cylindrical cavity within a cylindrically shaped housing. The cylindrically shaped housing has an outside diameter “D,” an interior cavity of diameter of “d,” and a height “2t”. The housing is exposed to an environment comprising both speech and noise. The first microphone element is adapted to receive a signal having both voice and noise components, while the second microphone element is adapted to receive a signal that is predominantly noise. A controller processes signals from the first microphone element and the second microphone element.

Abstract: A method generates information for a window view of an integrated circuit from layout-formatted data such as GDSII formatted data. The method includes generating outer boundary boxes for structures of the integrated circuit from the layout-formatted data, generating a build file by including information of structures having outer boundary boxes completely or partially in a window, and generating information of the window view from the information thus included in the build file. In generating the build file, information of structures having outer boundary boxes completely outside the window are excluded from the build file. Also excluded is information of structures having areas less than a threshold value.

Abstract: A method generates information for a window view of an integrated circuit from layout-formatted data such as GDSII formatted data. The method includes generating outer boundary boxes for structures of the integrated circuit from the layout-formatted data, generating a build file by including information of structures having outer boundary boxes completely or partially in a window, and generating information of the window view from the information thus included in the build file. In generating the build file, information of structures having outer boundary boxes completely outside the window are excluded from the build file. Also excluded is information of structures having areas less than a threshold value.