2011
Entries

This concept addresses growing interest and demand for hydrogen for mobile applications and as a competitive source of energy for the combustion engine 1. While hydrogen may make an ideal fuel, it is rare in natural occurrence. Future production must come from other energy sources and face market efficiency.

The envisioned system is a process for high volume production of hydrogen using a primary energy source such as coal or nuclear energy for heat (~850o C). Coal and nuclear energy have high abundance and, up until now, have had no practical extension to automobiles except for secondary electrical distribution for battery and hybrid vehicles.

The system uses a primary energy source to do most of the work to weaken ...

It becomes a graver problem many times for the elderly that they may suffer a heart attack while walking or doing any physically strenuous work. The age they attain normally leaves them incapable of coping with their surroundings. In many countries, during festivals like New Year’s Day, even lighting firecrackers jeopardizes their bodily conditions. In such a case, if they do not get quick access to a medical facility, then it may be even possibly result in death.

Our device, Voice Operated Distance Emergency Informer (abbreviated as VOX-DEI) almost completely guarantee a total removal of problem, in brief we can prevent casualties. The basic VOX-DEI system consists of six main components. Four of them are the circuits for smooth functioning ...

The Vulcan is an open-source, open-hardware handheld computer with two main purposes. The first purpose is to serve as a retro-gaming platform, capable of playing old console games, or new, indie games. The second purpose is to act as a handheld computer research platform for hobbyists that cannot afford a large, expensive development kit.

The Vulcan handheld will employ a reconfigurable logic device capable of changing its hardware configuration on-the-fly. When you upload a new hardware profile, it literally becomes a different device, eliminating the need for platform emulators. With the open-hardware policy, there will be complete transparency in these configurations, so you will always know what you're going to get.

As for software, there will be ...

A major problem with mobile phones and other portable multimedia devices (MP3, Media players) is that these devices need some standby time during the charging process. Obviously the user has to plug the device into a power socket to charge it. During this charging time the device's portability is lost and ultimately its usability suffers.

In this design a small wearable charging device will generate charging voltage enough to charge the battery. This walk assisted universal battery charger purely utilizes the energy generated from the momentum of walking. The design has a pendulum mechanism to power a small motor inside the device. The swing of the pendulum drives a small gear mechanism. The gear mechanism provides required rotation to the ...

Imagine paraplegic patients with as severe injuries as complete paralysis of lower limbs to be able to independently stand up and walk both indoors and outdoors simultaneously exercising power assisted gait training.

According to the International Spinal Cord Society, over 2.6 million people in the world suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI). Each year only in the United States about 12,000 persons, mostly young adults, sustain SCI. Recent surveys of patient lift and mobility technologies show that, despite of well developed equipment for patient mobility, there are only limited wheelchair exercise devices available and none are attached to wheelchairs to provide partial weight bearing toward lower limb rehabilitation. Also, there are limited patient lift devices on the market and ...

Imagine Nathan, a 58 year old grandfather of three, suffering from coronary heart disease. His doctor has recommended a daily walk for 30 minutes but Nathan has been delaying it for weeks in fear of a sudden stroke, heart attack or a simple fall while walking.

According to the World Health Organization the leading causes of mortality in the world are cardio vascular diseases (CVD). This problem can be handled best by preventing further complications and living a balanced lifestyle. Studies have shown that regular exercises through walking and swimming are the best ways to prevent further complications.

However, due the unpredictable nature of CVD many sufferers are either discouraged or not able to do the simplest and the ...

The process of rapid medical evacuation requires that medical information be reliably transferred from station to station with the injured warfighter. This proposal puts forth a concept that will allow for accurate, secure, and reliable transfer of this medical information.

In place of the standard military id tag, each warfighter will be issued a WARD tag – warfighter advanced recording device. This device will be similar in shape to and worn around the neck like the standard military id tag now in use. Each WARD tag will be embossed with the information stamped on the current standard issue id tag, and it will enclose and protect a solid state memory device that will contain the warfighter's detailed medical history. ...

Water Check is a miniaturized and low cost electronic sensor that provides continuous and real-time information about the quality of tap water. Although water is carefully monitored in main urban treatment plants, currently there is no continuous monitoring of the quality of tap water flowing at the very end of the distribution network, in every house, at every tap, just before we fill our glass. An alarm is immediately activated by Water Check in case water is polluted and not drinkable. Even in developed countries, there is high risk of accidental or intentional water contamination in urban pipes, forcing several families to buy bottled mineral water instead of drinking tap water (that is usually of good quality and much ...

Facts: Water comprises two-thirds of the human body. Water comprises three-fourths of the human brain. Clean water is essential for life on Earth. Stormwater runoff from streets and roads is the major uncontrolled source of water pollution in urban areas. The recognition of this source of water pollution is ever increasing.

The concept of using nature's own systems to control urban stormwater pollution is known as Low Impact Development (LID) or Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). Porous pavement is a LID or SUDS strategy to effectively manage the quality and quantity of urban stormwater.

Porous pavement allows pollutant laden street runoff to enter the earth below its surface and let biological processes, infiltration, and evaporation reduce stormwater runoff volume ...

In times of natural disaster potable water and electrical power are scarce. Water is both heavy and heavily used, therefore it is most economical to transport fuel as a source of power and make the water locally from the moisture in the air. The mechanism proposed will provide both emergency power and water. The mechanism is capable of making 700 gallons of water per day from the energy recovered from the wasted exhaust heat of a 100kw electrical power generator. Potable water may also be produced from any waste heat source including refinery ...