A hybrid energy storage system for supplying power to an application with a fluctuating load profile, such as, for example, electric vehicles,... Show moreA hybrid energy storage system for supplying power to an application with a fluctuating load profile, such as, for example, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, wind energy harvesting equipment and solar energy harvesting equipment. The hybrid energy storage system includes an ultra-capacitor electrically connected to a DC bus and a power source electrically connected to the DC bus via a controlled switch. The hybrid energy storage system further including a DC/DC converter connected between the power source and the ultra-capacitor, the DC/DC converter boosting a voltage of the power source to charge the ultra-capacitor. The DC/DC converter is preferably controlled to maintain a voltage of the ultra-capacitor at a higher value than the voltage of the power source. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
Infectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio... Show moreInfectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio-frequency electric field. The medical materials may be comminuted prior to heating. The medical materials are exposed to the radio-frequency electric field in order to heat the medical materials. The medical materials may include sorted medical or veterinary waste which after heat treatment may be recycled. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A heterodyning interferometric monitoring apparatus for simultaneously measuring in situ and in real time the optical and physical thicknesses... Show moreA heterodyning interferometric monitoring apparatus for simultaneously measuring in situ and in real time the optical and physical thicknesses of a sample during a deposition process. A linearly polarized monochromatic light beam is passed through a frequency shifter which produces therefrom a dichromatic light beam having two orthogonally linearly polarized components at respective different frequencies. The dichromatic beam is applied to a modified Twyman-Greene interferometer, from which two heterodyne light beams emerge. The first of the two light beams is a combination of light at the first frequency reflected from the sample and light at the second frequency reflected from a reference plate, from which the physical thickness of the sample can be determined using a heterodyne signal detector. The second light beam is a combination of light at the first frequency passed through the sample and light at the second frequency passed through the reference plate, from which the optical thickness of the sample can be determined using another heterodyne signal detector. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A fast digital logic circuit for comparing two binary numbers and outputting the greater of the two is disclosed. Sponsorship: Illinois... Show moreA fast digital logic circuit for comparing two binary numbers and outputting the greater of the two is disclosed. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method and system for detecting environmental contamination, such as subsurface contamination, include a test probe located in a medium. The... Show moreA method and system for detecting environmental contamination, such as subsurface contamination, include a test probe located in a medium. The probe is adapted to collect a fluid sample from the medium for determining the presence of a contaminant having a vapor pressure. Pneumatic communication lines extend from a test point and connect to the probe. A detector/analyzer is connected to the distal end of the communication lines of the probe. While connected, a fluid sample is taken into the probe and transported in the pneumatic communication lines by a carrier gas to the detector/analyzer for analysis of the contaminant. The general principle is applicable for contaminant detection and/or analysis in soil masses, liquid masses and gases. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
Electrochemical cell battery systems and associated methods of operation are provided based on the incorporation of a thermal management... Show moreElectrochemical cell battery systems and associated methods of operation are provided based on the incorporation of a thermal management matrix including a supply of phase change material disposed at least in part in a heat conductive lattice member to effectively dissipate heat produced or generated by or in the battery system such as to minimize or prevent thermal runaway propagation in the electrochemical cells of the system. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A super absorbent polymer material is contacted with an aqueous medium to absorb at least a portion of the aqueous medium. At least portion of... Show moreA super absorbent polymer material is contacted with an aqueous medium to absorb at least a portion of the aqueous medium. At least portion of the aqueous medium absorbed super absorbent material is subsequently regenerated to release water therefrom and to form a regenerated super absorbent material suitable for the contacting with a second quantity of an aqueous medium. Also disclosed are layered composites including an electrically conductive metal support layer, a layer of super absorbent material disposed thereon, and a layer of a selective semi-permeable material disposed adjacent the layer of the super absorbent material and spaced apart from the electrically conductive metal support layer. United States Patent Show less
A catalyst composition for use in electrochemical reactor devices comprising platinum, ruthenium, and osmium and having a single phase crystal... Show moreA catalyst composition for use in electrochemical reactor devices comprising platinum, ruthenium, and osmium and having a single phase crystal structure comprising a face centered cubic unit cell. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, in atomic percentages, platinum comprises about 65% of the catalyst composition, ruthenium comprises about 25% of the catalyst composition, and osmium comprises about 10% of the catalyst composition. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A lithium-ion battery having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a non-aqueous solvent lithium electrolyte. At least one... Show moreA lithium-ion battery having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a non-aqueous solvent lithium electrolyte. At least one cyclophosphazene is added to the non-aqueous solvent lithium electrolyte, which cyclophosphazene acts as a flame-retardant material. The non-aqueous solvent lithium electrolyte is preferably a carbonate-based electrolyte and the preferred cyclophosphazene is hexamethoxycyclotriphosphazene. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
