University of Colorado

Other

University Technology Corporation

National University of Singapore

Millipore Corporation

Ben-gurion University of the Negev Research and Development Authority

Alan R Greenberg

William B Krantz

Elmira Kujundzic

Anthony J DiLeo

Victor M Bright

Juliet T Gopinath

Joseph J Brown

Paul W Todd

Jack Gilron

Omkar D Supekar

Adrian Yeo

Michael L Peterson, Jr

John Pellegrino

Michael Peterson

Seyed Saeid Hosseini

Yifu Ding

Guy Mizrahi

Zong Mu Wang

Andrew E Neice

Guo Yong Chai

Leonard J Bond

Keith D Cobry

Sajjad Maruf

Xiao Yun Lu

Keith D Corby

The present invention relates to drinking straws that are made from biodegradable material or bioplastics. The process to manufacture the present invention can use waste lipid wax byproducts. The present invention can incorporate chemical modification of corn or hemp fiber waste, and is comprised of wax byproduct, xanthan gum, carnauba wax and stearic acid. Stearin, hardener and plasticizers are mixed with corn or soy wax. A binder ingredient can be added to the waxes and fiber mixture, resulting in a smooth and hard, durable and biodegradable material with a high melting point. This material is then processed using an extrusion method, whereby the mixed ingredients are forced through an opening in a perforated plate or die with a design specific to form a straw, and then cut into a specific size by blades. The extruder consists of a large, rotating screw tightly fitting within a stationary barrel, at the end of which is the die. Extrusion enables mass production of food via a continuous, efficient system that ensures uniformity of the final product.

Super biodegradable straws and method for making the same

Rotor noise cancellation through the use of mechanical means for a personal aerial drone vehicle. Active noise cancellation is achieved by creating an antiphase amplitude wave by modulation of the propeller blades, by utilizing embedded magnets through an electromagnetic coil encircling the propeller blades. A noise level sensor signals the rotor control system to adjust the frequency of the electromagnetic field surrounding the rotor and control the speed of the rotor. An additional method comprises of incorporating a phase lock loop within the control system configured to determine the frequencies corresponding to the rotors and generate corrective audio signals to achieve active noise cancellation.

Rotor craft noise cancellation system and method

Methods and devices for real-time detection of fouling chemistry are described herein. In one aspect, a method of detecting and characterizing fouling of a membrane used for separation in a fluid-based system can include illuminating the membrane with one or more light sources, collecting Raman spectroscopy data from the membrane, and based on the Raman data, determining at least one selected from the group consisting of: presence or absence of membrane fouling, severity of membrane fouling, and composition of the membrane fouling, where the Raman spectroscopy is selected from the group consisting of Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS), Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), and spontaneous Raman Scattering.

Methods and devices for real-time detection of fouling chemistry

A membrane for fluid transfer includes a base membrane and a pattern, that covers a working area of a surface thereof, formed of a compatible material. The pattern has periodicity and/or amplitude that do not exceed 1 micrometer. A method of filtering a component from a solution includes passing the solution comprising the component through a membrane that includes a base membrane. The base membrane and a pattern that covers a working area of a surface thereof are formed of materials compatible with the solution. The pattern has periodicity and/or amplitude that do not exceed 1 micrometer, and reduces mass transfer of surface-accumulative soluble and/or suspended species and particulates from the solution to the membrane while the solution is passed through the membrane. A method of producing a membrane for fluid transfer includes forming a nanoscale pattern over a working area of a polymer membrane.

Filtration membranes with nanoscale patterns

A method for determination of pore-size distribution in a porous material called evapo porometry (EP) is capable of determining pore sizes from approximately the nanometer scale up to the micron scale. EP determines the pore size based on the evaporative mass loss at constant temperature from porous materials that have been pre-saturated with either a wetting or non-wetting volatile liquid. The saturated porous material is placed in an appropriate test cell on a conventional microbalance to measure liquid mass loss at a constant temperature as a function of time. The mass-loss rate is then related to the pore-size distribution. The microbalance permits measuring the mass as a function of time. The slope of the mass versus time curve is the evaporation rate. The evaporation rate is related to the vapor pressure at the interface between the liquid in the porous material and the ambient gas phase. The vapor pressure in turn is related to the pore diameter.

Determination of pore size in porous materials by evaporative mass loss

A method of early detection of scaling on internal surfaces of conduits of water processing equipment, is provided herein. The method includes: transmitting ultrasonic signals through the wall of the conduits; deriving data samples from received ultrasonic signals or reflections thereof; calculating a moving average of the scatter of the ultrasonic signals, over time, based on the data samples; applying a statistical operand to the moving average, to yield a statistical distribution metric; determining a dynamic window defined by: (i) an upper boundary being the moving average plus at least a fraction of the statistical distribution metric and (ii) a lower boundary being the moving average minus the at least a fraction of the statistical distribution metric; generating a trend line being a smooth fitting of the derived samples; and monitoring the trend line within the window to detect a crossover of the trend line at either of the boundaries.

Analyzing ultrasonic signals using a dynamic window for an early detection of scaling in water processing equipment

Plate waves are used to determine the presence of defects within a porous medium, such as a membrane. An acoustic wave can be propagated through a porous medium to create a plate wave within the medium. The plate wave creates fast compression waves and slow compression waves within the medium that relate to the material and structural properties of the medium. The fast compression wave provides information about the total porosity of a medium. While the slow compression wave provides information about the presence of defects in the medium or the types of materials that form the medium.

Ultrasonic detection of porous medium characteristics

An apparatus and method for controlling the pore structure of thin polymeric sheets, such as porous membranes and thin films, during solvent casting or interfacial polymerization. The invention may be used to reduce or eliminate macrovoid pore defects from solvent-cast or interfacially polymerized polymeric membranes used in a variety of separations or controlled release tasks or to create a desired pore structure in porous thin films, such as may be used in breathable garments, surgical dressings, and screen printing. A nonuniform electric field is generated at one or more locations in proximity to a liquid film in which a desired pore structure is to be formed. Due to the difference in dielectric constant between the liquid within the pores and that in the surrounding liquid, the electric field causes an attractive or repulsive force on the evolving pores.

Apparatus and method for controlling pore size in polymeric membranes and thin films

The fouling state of a polymeric membrane within the high pressure housing of a spiral wound or a hollow fiber membrane module is determined. An ultra sonic transducer positioned with its emitting face in physical engagement with the outer surface of the housing is pulse energized by a pulser/receiver device. A membrane echo signal is detected by a receiver of the pulser/receiver device. A reference echo signal indicative of a fouled or an unfouled state of the membrane is compared to the echo signal to determine the membrane fouling state. The echo to reference comparing step can be based upon comparing amplitude domain signals, comparing time-domain signals, comparing combinations of amplitude domain and time-domain signals, and comparing transformations of amplitude domain and time-domain signals. A clean or a fouled reference echo can be provided from a clean or a fouled membrane and then stored for use during a liquid separation process, or a clean reference echo signal can be obtained on-line from a second transducer whose echo signal is derived from an area of the membrane known to remain relatively unfouled during the liquid separation process, or a clean or fouled reference echo signal can be provided for later use during a cleaning process or during a liquid separation process. Multiple transducers and a switching network can sample the fouling state at different positions within the membrane module.

Method and apparatus for determining the state of fouling/cleaning of

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Alan R Greenberg