University of Pittsburgh

Corning Incorporated

Peng Kevin Chen

Michael Paul Buric

Paul R Ohodnicki, Jr

Jacob Lorenzi Poole

Aidong Yan

Thomas D Brown

Kirk R Gerdes

Yi Jiang

Sheng Huang

Ming-Jun Li

James Scott Sutherland

Jianguo Wang

Yuming Xie

Monika Backhaus-Ricoult

Philip R Swinehart

Mark J Soulliere

Paul Ohodnicki

Steven D Woodruff

Christopher Steven Witte

Michael James Vayansky

Andrew David Woodfin

Mokhtar S Maklad

Tatum Varut Tarin

Jeffrey Siler White

Pravin Anant Rajeshirke

Mayur Vitthal Selokar

Michael P Buric

Jingyu Wu

Bryan L Nelsen

Mohamed A Bayoumy

Botao Zhang

Rongzhang Chen

Shuo Li

Joel Falk

Albert Chi Fu To

Jieru Zhao

A shuttle kiln () according to certain aspects includes at least one flue channel () and multiple flue risers () in fluid communication with the flue channel (), and at least one shuttle () defining multiple exhaust shafts () arranged above the multiple flue risers (), wherein an aggregate volume of a first exhaust shaft/riser pair (--) differs from an aggregate volume of a second exhaust shaft/riser pair (--). Such configuration at least partially compensates for different backpressures that would otherwise be experienced by flue gas exiting a shuttle kiln cavity () through different exhaust shafts (), thereby improving uniformity of flue gas flow and reducing temperature variability within a kiln cavity ().

Shuttle kiln exhaust configuration

A method of monitoring operation of a reactor system includes causing a chemical reaction to occur within an assembly of the reactor system, and measuring a chemical composition of one or more reactants of the chemical reaction with spatial resolution at a plurality of points along a path within the assembly using a sensor system structured to implement distributed sensing. The sensor system includes an optical fiber sensing member provided at least partially within the assembly, wherein the optical fiber sensing member comprises a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to changes in the chemical composition of the one or more reactants.

System and method for monitoring a reactor system using optical fiber based sensors

Embodiments of the current disclosure include small diameter single-mode optical fibers having gratings and methods of forming thereof. In some embodiments, methods of forming a small diameter single-mode optical fibers having gratings include providing an optical fiber having a core and cladding with a combined outer diameter of 100 &#x3bc;m to 125 &#x3bc;m and a coating having a thickness of less than or equal to 20 &#x3bc;m, wherein the coating comprises one of: (i) a high-modulus coating layer surrounding the cladding region; or (ii) a low-modulus coating layer surrounding the cladding region and a high-modulus coating layer surrounding the low-modulus coating layer; and exposing the core, through the coating, to a pattern of ultraviolet radiation to form an optical grating within the core.

Optical fiber with gratings and methods of forming thereof

A method of making an optical fiber sensor device for distributed sensing includes generating a laser beam comprising a plurality of ultrafast pulses, and focusing the laser beam into a core of an optical fiber to form a nanograting structure within the core, wherein the nanograting structure includes a plurality of spaced nanograting elements each extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of optical fiber. Also, an optical fiber sensor device for distributed sensing includes an optical fiber having a longitudinal axis, a core, and a nanograting structure within the core, wherein the nanograting structure includes a plurality of spaced nanograting elements each extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. Also, a distributed sensing method and system and an energy production system that employs such an optical fiber sensor device.

Method of making a distributed optical fiber sensor having enhanced Rayleigh scattering and enhanced temperature stability, and monitoring systems employing same

An optical sensor device includes an optical waveguide portion having a core, the core having a first refractive index, and a functional material layer coupled to the optical fiber portion, the functional material layer being made of a metal oxide material, the functional material layer being structured to have a second refractive index, the second refractive index being less than the first refractive index. The functional material layer may be a nanostructure material comprising the metal oxide material with a plurality of holes or voids formed therein such that the functional material layer is caused to have the second refractive index.

Optical sensor employing a refractive index engineered metal oxide material

A cable device includes a sheath member, a number of electrical cables provided within the sheath member, and an optical fiber sensing member provided within the sheath member. The optical fiber sensing member includes a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to changes in a parameter of interest. Also, a method of sensing radiation includes introducing a source light into an optical fiber sensing member provided within a structure, wherein the optical fiber sensing member comprises a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to radiation, detecting sensing light generated in response to the source light, and determining a radiation level at a plurality of locations within the structure using the detected sensing light and a distributed sensing scheme.

Optical fiber based sensing for smart electrical cables and distributed radiation detection

A laser frame for holding a plurality of optical components includes a first flexure structure for adjustably holding a first one of the optical components, and a first cellular structure for supporting and cooling a second one of the optical components. The first flexure structure and the first cellular structure are each a unitary structure formed by additive manufacturing. Also, a laser frame for holding an optical component includes a passive cooling cellular structure for supporting and cooling the optical component. The passive cooling cellular structure has a non-uniform density, and the laser frame is a unitary structure formed by additive manufacturing.

Laser system enabled by additive manufacturing

A kiln car assembly for a firing kiln having a plurality of upper burners includes a kiln car with an uppermost plurality of ceramic green bodies, a plurality of vertical members, and a horizontal supporting plate for supporting the ceramic green bodies during a firing process in the kiln. Further, the kiln car assembly includes a covering table having a tabletop located between the uppermost plurality of ceramic green bodies and the upper burners, and a plurality of legs positioned on the horizontal supporting plate.

Kiln car and kiln for firing ceramic bodies

A lightguide is configured to transmit a scanned and/or focused processing beam to a target. The processing beam has a wavefront amplitude and phase set by a spatial light modulator. Suitable wavefront characteristics are obtained based on portions of the processing beam returned to a detector through the lightguide. A beam path can be detected at a first, reduced power, and processing along the beam path performed at a second, higher optical power.

Adaptive optical laser beam steering through endoscope for laser surgery in kidney

A honeycomb body is disclosed having cells extending along a common direction, a first plurality of the cells being open at both ends of the body and a second plurality of the cells being closed at one or both ends of the body, the second plurality of cells arranged in one or more groups of cells cooperating to define one or more fluid passages extending through the body at least in part perpendicularly to the common direction, wherein, in a plane perpendicular to the common direction, the ratio of the area of cells of the first plurality to the area of cells of the second plurality varies along the length of at least one of the one or more fluid passages.

Mini-reactor optimized channel sizing

A gas detection system includes a light detector, a pump laser with spectral emission between UV and IR wavelengths and structured to generate a laser beam, a hollow waveguide structured to receive a sample gas, the hollow waveguide having a bandwidth sufficient to transmit the laser beam and Stokes Raman photons scattered by the sample gas, and an optical system. The optical system is structured to: (i) direct the laser beam into the hollow waveguide such that it propagates in the hollow waveguide in one or more low-order low-loss waveguide modes, and (ii) direct Raman signals generated within the hollow waveguide in response to the laser beam interacting with the sample gas toward the light detector, the Raman signal including the Stokes Raman photons.

Gas sensing system employing raman scattering

An after-treatment device for an automotive engine includes a substrate having a thermoelectric generation element disposed in an interior volume thereof. The substrate has a first end, a second end, and an outermost lateral dimension that defines an interior volume, and is configured to flow engine exhaust gas from the first end to the second end such that the flowing exhaust gas is in thermal contact with the thermoelectric generation element.

Exhaust gas treatment system including a thermoelectric generator

Growing community of inventors

Washington, PA, United States of America

Peng Kevin Chen