King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Hussain M Al-Qahtani

Muhammad A Hawwa

David E Hardt

M Wasim Raad

Kamal Youcef-Toumi

Saeed Al-Alloush

Ibrahim Al-Babtain

Gene Yeh

Larissa F Nietner

Scott T Nill

A photovoltaic (PV) cell health monitoring apparatus includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag mounted to the PV cell and having identifying information of the PV cell, and a sensor in communication with the RFID tag for measuring health information of the PV cell. The RFID tag stores the measured health information together with time and locality information of the PV cell and responds to an interrogation signal by transmitting the stored information together with the identifying information. A dust sensor in the form of a comb-like electrode array measures electrical capacitance as an indication of an amount of dust on an exposed surface of the PV cell. An RFID tag antenna arranged as a meander-line patch antenna covered with polyethylene has a dual function as a temperature sensor.

Photovoltaic cell with responsive surface film

Printed electronic film for dust sensing on PV cells and reporting via RFID tags

System for visualization of conformal contact. The system visualizes conformal contact between a patterned stamp and a transparent impression surface. A patterned stamp is provided that includes a fluorescent structure for contact with the impression surface. A source of UV light is provided for transmission through the transparent impression surface to interact with the fluorescent structure to generate visible light re-emitted by the fluorescent structure. An imaging system captures the visible light to form a high-contrast image of an area of conformal contact between the patterned stamp and the impression surface. The high-contrast image comprises bright and dark regions representing contact and no contact respectively.

Fluorescent contact imaging for in-process print sensing

A method to limit the deposition of metals from a syngas stream on a gas turbine comprising the steps of feeding the syngas stream to a pressure swing adsorption vessel of a pressure swing adsorption system, the syngas stream comprises carbonyls, the pressure swing adsorption vessel configured to perform a pressure swing adsorption cycle: adsorbing the carbonyls on a carbonyl selective adsorbent, leaving a turbine feed stream, reducing the pressure of the pressure swing adsorption vessel to a purge pressure less than the adsorbing pressure, purging the carbonyls from the carbonyl adsorbed adsorbent to create a tail gas stream, re-pressurizing the regenerated carbonyl adsorbent to the adsorbing pressure, feeding the tail gas stream to an incinerator configured to oxidize the carbonyls in the tail gas stream to metal oxides and carbon dioxide, and feeding the turbine feed stream to the gas turbine.

Carbonyls removal system

The pipeline leak detector travels through a pipeline passively due to the flow of liquid through the pipeline. The device includes leading and trailing rings shaped to produce hydrodynamic resistance in order for the device to be carried through the pipeline. Wheels are provided about each ring, with at least one wheel having an odometer to measure distance traveled through the pipe. The rings are joined by a plurality of axially oriented connecting rods. A plurality of sensing elements extend between the rings. Each sensing element has a thin laminate of a piezoelectric film sandwiched between two electrically conductive layers, with an electrically insulating coating on the outside of each conductive layer. One of the rings includes microelectronic circuitry for data acquisition and storage.

Pipeline leak detector

Pressure sensor. The sensor includes a deformable diaphragm responsive to applied pressure and a rigid beam mounted to move as the diaphragm deforms. The rigid beam includes a mirrored surface for receiving light from and reflecting light into an optical fiber thereby forming a Fabry-Perot cavity to detect changes in the position of the rigid beam. The rigid beam further includes inter-digital fingers extending from the mirrored surface and moving with the rigid beam with respect to fixed inter-digital fingers to create a change in electrical charges in the fingers to detect changes in the position of the rigid beam thereby providing two measures of rigid beam displacement which are measures of pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the optical fiber is a single mode optical fiber.

System for dual pressure sensing

The acoustic leak detection system with environmental noise isolation provides for the acoustic detection of leaks in a pipe while minimizing interference from external or environmental noise. The acoustic leak detection system includes a hollow shell adapted for positioning about the pipe to be inspected. A pair of gaskets are circumferentially secured to the inner surface of the hollow shell so that the pair of gaskets bear against the outer surface of the pipe to form an acoustically isolated region defined between the pipe, the pair of gaskets and the inner surface of the hollow shell. An acoustic sensor, microphone or the like is mounted on the hollow shell within the acoustically isolated region for detecting any acoustic signals; i.e., the sound produced by a leak in the pipe within the acoustically isolated region. Upon detection of a leak, an alert signal is generated.

Growing community of inventors

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Hussain M Al-Qahtani