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At least 883 records · Page 49

Recent Advances in High-Performance Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Direct methanol fuel cells for portable power applications have been advanced significantly under DARPA- and ARO-sponsored programs over the last five years. A liquid-feed, direct methanol fuel cell developed under these programs, employs a proton exchange membrane as electrolyte and operates on aqueous solutions of methanol with air or oxygen as the oxidant.

fuel cells methanol methanol fuel cells DARPA ARO↗

New high performance algorithmic solution for diagnosis problem

In this paper we address the problem of generating the minimal diagnosis from the conflicts. This problem can be formulated as the well-known Hitting Set Problem. Our approach starts by mapping the Hitting Set problem into the Integer Programming Problem that enables us, for the first time, a priori determination of the lower and upper bounds on the size for the solution. Based on these bounds, we introduce a new concept of solution window for the problem. We also propose a new branch-and-bound technique that not only is faster than the current techniques in terms of number of operations (by exploiting the structure of the problem) but also, using the concept of window, allows a massive reduction (pruning) in the number of branches. Furthermore, as the branch-and-bound proceeds, the solution window is dynamically updated and narrowed to enable further pruning.

diagnosis problems↗

High-performance ultra-low power VLSI analog processor for data compression

An apparatus for data compression employing a parallel analog processor. The apparatus includes an array of processor cells with N columns and M rows wherein the processor cells have an input device, memory device, and processor device. The input device is used for inputting a series of input vectors. Each input vector is simultaneously input into each column of the array of processor cells in a pre-determined sequential order. An input vector is made up of M components, ones of which are input into ones of M processor cells making up a column of the array. The memory device is used for providing ones of M components of a codebook vector to ones of the processor cells making up a column of the array. A different codebook vector is provided to each of the N columns of the array. The processor device is used for simultaneously comparing the components of each input vector to corresponding components of each codebook vector, and for outputting a signal representative of the closeness between the compared vector components. A combination device is used to combine the signal output from each processor cell in each column of the array and to output a combined signal. A closeness determination device is then used for determining which codebook vector is closest to an input vector from the combined signals, and for outputting a codebook vector index indicating which of the N codebook vectors was the closest to each input vector input into the array.

Tawel, Raoul↗

Robust high-performance control for robotic manipulators

Model-based and performance-based control techniques are combined for an electrical robotic control system. Thus, two distinct and separate design philosophies have been merged into a single control system having a control law formulation including two distinct and separate components, each of which yields a respective signal component that is combined into a total command signal for the system. Those two separate system components include a feedforward controller and a feedback controller. The feedforward controller is model-based and contains any known part of the manipulator dynamics that can be used for on-line control to produce a nominal feedforward component of the system's control signal. The feedback controller is performance-based and consists of a simple adaptive PID controller which generates an adaptive control signal to complement the nominal feedforward signal.

Seraji, Homayoun↗

High performance miniature hygrometer and method thereof

An uncoated interdigitated transducer is cooled from a temperature above the dew point to a temperature below the dew point, while a parameter of a signal of the transducer is measured. The reduction in temperature causes a monotonic change in transducer signal because that signal is sensitive primarily to the water loading of the transducer surface as water forms on that surface due to the reduction in temperature. As the dew point is approached with temperature reduction, the slope of the curve of transducer signal with respect to temperature, remains relatively constant. However, as the dew point is reached the slope of that curve increases and because of changes in the structure of the water layer on the surface of the transducer, at the dew point the transducer responds with a clear shift in the rate at which the transducer signal changes. The temperature at which the second derivative of signal vs. temperature peaks can be readily used to identify with extreme accuracy, the precise dew point. The measurement technique employed by the present invention is relatively immune to surface contamination which remains significantly unchanged during the brief measurement period.

VanZandt, Thomas R.↗

High performance methanol-oxygen fuel cell with hollow fiber electrode

A methanol/air-oxygen fuel cell including an electrode formed by open-ended ion-exchange hollow fibers having a layer of catalyst deposited on the inner surface thereof and a first current collector in contact with the catalyst layer. A second current collector external of said fibers is provided which is immersed along with the hollow fiber electrode in an aqueous electrolyte body. Upon passage of air or oxygen through the hollow fiber electrode and introduction of methanol into the aqueous electrolyte, a steady current output is obtained. Two embodiments of the fuel cell are disclosed. In the first embodiment the second metal electrode is displaced away from the hollow fiber in the electrolyte body while in the second embodiment a spiral-wrap electrode is provided about the outer surface of the hollow fiber electrode.

Lawson, Daniel D.↗