System and Method for Traversing Pipes

A system and method is provided for traversing inside one or more pipes. In an embodiment, a fluid is injected into the one or more pipes thereby promoting a fluid flow. An inspection device is deployed into the one or more pipes at least partially filled with a flowing fluid. The inspection device comprises a housing wherein the housing is designed to exploit the hydrokinetic effects associated with a fluid flow in one or more pipes as well as maneuver past a variety of pipe configurations. The inspection device may contain one or more sensors capable of performing a variety of inspection tasks

Modular Robotic Vehicle

A modular robotic vehicle includes a chassis, driver input devices, an energy storage system (ESS), a power electronics module (PEM), modular electronic assemblies (eModules) connected to the ESS via the PEM, one or more master controllers, and various embedded controllers. Each eModule includes a drive wheel containing a propulsion-braking module, and a housing containing propulsion and braking control assemblies with respective embedded propulsion and brake controllers, and a mounting bracket covering a steering control assembly with embedded steering controllers. The master controller, which is in communication with each eModule and with the driver input devices, communicates with and independently controls each eModule, by-wire, via the embedded controllers to establish a desired operating mode. Modes may include a two-wheel, four-wheel, diamond, and omni-directional steering modes as well as a park mode. A bumper may enable docking with another vehicle, with shared control over the eModules of the vehicles

Muscle Logic: New Knowledge Resource for Anatomy Enables Comprehensive Searches of the Literature on the Feeding Muscles of Mammals

Background: In recent years large bibliographic databases have made much of the published literature of biology available for searches. However, the capabilities of the search engines integrated into these databases for text-based bibliographic searches are limited. To enable searches that deliver the results expected by comparative anatomists, an underlying logical structure known as an ontology is required. Development and Testing of the Ontology Here we present the Mammalian Feeding Muscle Ontology (MFMO), a multi-species ontology focused on anatomical structures that participate in feeding and other oral/pharyngeal behaviors. A unique feature of the MFMO is that a simple, computable, definition of each muscle, which includes its attachments and innervation, is true across mammals. This construction mirrors the logical foundation of comparative anatomy and permits searches using language familiar to biologists. Further, it provides a template for muscles that will be useful in extending any anatomy ontology. The MFMO is developed to support the Feeding Experiments End-User Database Project (FEED, https://feedexp.org/), a publicly-available, online repository for physiological data collected from in vivo studies of feeding (e.g., mastication, biting, swallowing) in mammals. Currently the MFMO is integrated into FEED and also into two literature-specific implementations of Textpresso, a text-mining system that facilitates powerful searches of a corpus of scientific publications. We evaluate the MFMO by asking questions that test the ability of the ontology to return appropriate answers (competency questions). We compare the results of queries of the MFMO to results from similar searches in PubMed and Google Scholar. Results and Significance Our tests demonstrate that the MFMO is competent to answer queries formed in the common language of comparative anatomy, but PubMed and Google Scholar are not. Overall, our results show that by incorporating anatomical ontologies into searches, an expanded and anatomically comprehensive set of results can be obtained. The broader scientific and publishing communities should consider taking up the challenge of semantically enabled search capabilities

Hydrology of the North Klondike River: carbon export, water balance and inter-annual climate influences within a sub-alpine permafrost catchment

Arctic and sub-arctic watersheds are undergoing significant changes due to recent climate warming and degrading permafrost, engendering enhanced monitoring of arctic rivers. Smaller catchments provide understanding of discharge, solute flux and groundwater recharge at the process level that contributes to an understanding of how larger arctic watersheds are responding to climate change. The North Klondike River, located in west central Yukon, is a sub-alpine permafrost catchment, which maintains an active hydrological monitoring station with a record of >40 years. In addition to being able to monitor intra-annual variability, this data set allows for more complex analysis of streamflow records. Streamflow data, geochemistry and stable isotope data for 2014 show a groundwater-dominated system, predominantly recharged during periods of snowmelt. Radiocarbon is shown to be a valuable tracer of soil zone recharge processes and carbon sources. Winter groundwater baseflow contributes 20 % of total annual discharge, and accounts for up to 50 % of total river discharge during the spring and summer months. Although total stream discharge remains unchanged, mean annual groundwater baseflow has increased over the 40-year monitoring period. Wavelet analysis reveals a catchment that responds to El Niño and longer solar cycles, as well as climatic shifts such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Dedicated to Professor Peter Fritz on the occasion of his 80th birthday

Design and Construction of a Cascading Pressure Reactor Prototype for Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

Recent work regarding the efficiency maximization for solar thermochemical fuel production in two step cycles has led to the design of a new type of reactor—cascading pressure reactor—in which the thermal reduction step of the cycle is completed in multiple stages. This approach allows lower thermal reduction pressures than feasible in single staged reactors, and decreases required pump work, allowing higher solar to hydrogen efficiencies compared to single staged reactors. Here we report on the design and construction of a prototype cascading pressure reactor and testing of some of the key components. We especially focus on the technical challenges particular to the design, and their solutions

Design of a pilot scale directly irradiated, high temperature, and low pressure moving particle cavity chamber for metal oxide reduction

Recently a novel design concept of a reactor—the cascading pressure reactor—for the thermochemical fuel production, using a solar-driven redox cycle, was proposed. In this concept, thermal reduction of metal oxide particles is completed in multiple stages, at successively lower pressures. This leads to an order of Magnitude decrease in the pumping power demand as compared to a single stage, which in turn increases the solar to fuel efficiency. An important step in the process is the transfer of heat in the form of concentrated solar radiation to the particles, while providing reducing conditions in the space surrounding the particles. In this context, a novel system for heating and reducing particles, with a focus on operating at the small prototype scale (below 20 kW), is investigated. The key goals of the system are continuous operation, uniform heating of the reactive material, the ability to heat reactive material to 1723 K or higher, and flexibility of control. These criteria have led to the conceptual design of a continuous thin-layer particle conveyor, contained in an apertured, windowed cavity and enclosed in a vacuum chamber. This chamber, in combination with a water-splitting chamber and other System components, allows the possibility of testing multiple redox materials without any significant change in the reactor design. The present work shows a potential design for the proposed component, feasibility tests of the physics of moving particles with relevant materials, and series of interconnected numerical models and calculations that can be used to size such a system for the appropriate scales of power and mass flow rates. The use of a unified design strategy has led to efficient development of the system. Experimental investigations of the horizontal motion plate allowed effective determination of motion profiles and bed uniformity. The most important factors determined through the modeling effort were the aperture diameter, which serves as the coupling point between the solar simulator lamp array and the cavity particle heating, and the particle bed thickness, which has a strong effect on the outlet temperature of the particles