Southwest Research Institute

Other

Craig M Wall

Peter Mark Lee

John S Campbell

Michael A Miller

Christopher Alan Sharp

Jeff Qiang Xu

Joe Steiber

Nicholas J Mueschke

Martin B Treuhaft

Edward Albert Bass

Robert Smith

Cheuk Ng

Patrick Martin Merritt

Douglas C Eberle

An engine vibration imager and method of testing engine stability. An accelerometer, mounted to an engine block, is configured to detect engine vibration and generate a signal indicative of detected vibration. An amplifier, electrically coupled to the accelerometer, is configured to amplify the signal indicative of detected vibration. A light indicator, electrically coupled to the amplifier, is configured to emit light upon receiving the amplified signal. The engine vibration imager also includes an indicator disk including timing marks on a first surface of the indicator disk. The indicator disk is rotatable by the crankshaft and light emitted from the light indicator is visible at the first surface of the indicator disk and indicates on the indicator disk a point in the combustion cycle in which engine vibration is detected.

Engine vibration imager

A method of damping pulsations produced by an engine or other driver, so that gas flow can more accurately be measured by a gas flow meter. A damping device is placed between the driver and the flow meter, and has an enclosed volume, an input tube, and an output tube. Particular dimensions of the damping device, namely the volume of the chamber and the diameter and length of the input tube, are calculated to result in a desired damping efficiency.

Pulsation damping for damping pulsations upstream of a gas flow meter

A method and system for strain-based estimation of the state of health of a battery, from an initial state to an aged state, is provided. A strain gauge is applied to the battery. A first strain measurement is performed on the battery, using the strain gauge, at a selected charge capacity of the battery and at the initial state of the battery. A second strain measurement is performed on the battery, using the strain gauge, at the selected charge capacity of the battery and at the aged state of the battery. The capacity degradation of the battery is estimated as the difference between the first and second strain measurements divided by the first strain measurement.

Strain measurement based battery testing

Methods and systems for the differential wear mapping of the surface of an object are described. The process involves establishing a radioactive wearing surface on the object through surface layer activation (SLA) and/or radioactive ion implantation (RII) and imaging the wearing surface with conformal photographic or x-ray film to produce a first autoradiograph providing a baseline profile of the wearing surface. After subjecting the object to wear during testing the wearing surface is again imaged with conformal photographic or x-ray film to produce a second autoradiograph providing a worn profile. The first and second autoradiographs of the wearing surface are digitized and compared to produce a differential wear map of the surface of the object.

Autoradiography-based differential wear mapping

A fuel cell includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a third electrode interposed between the anode and the cathode electrodes. The third electrode preferably includes an electrically conductive component. The third electrode preferably includes a metallic and a polymer grid and/or a conducting polymer. The third electrode may be used to control processes of the anode and/or the cathode electrodes. The third electrode may also be used to monitor the health of any component of the fuel cell.

Three-electrode fuel cell

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a cylindrical fuel cell comprising: providing an anode comprising a substantially solid cylindrical porous conductive matrix, said anode having an anode outer surface; intimately contacting a first proton exchange catalyst with said anode; conforming around and in intimate contact with said anode outer surface an inner polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a membrane outer surface and a membrane inner surface, wherein said membrane inner surface defines a tubular compartment and ionically communicates with said first proton exchange catalyst; providing a source of hydrogen gas in fluid communication with said first proton exchange catalyst; and, disposing around and in ionic communication with said membrane outer surface a cathode comprising a catalytically effective amount of a second proton exchange catalyst.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Craig M Wall