Environmental

System and method for detecting cloud shadows over water from ocean color imagery received from remote sensors.

A multijunction (MJ) solar cell grown on an InP substrate using materials that are lattice-matched to InP. In an exemplary three-junction embodiment, the top cell is formed from In1-xAlxAs1-ySby (with x and y adjusted so as to achieve lattice-matching with InP, hereafter referred to as InAlAsSb), the middle cell from In1-a-bGaaAlbAs (with a and b adjusted so as to achieve lattice-matching with InP, hereafter referred to as InGaAlAs), and the bottom cell also from InGaAlAs, but with a much lower Al composition, which in some embodiments can be zero so that the material is InGaAs.

A passive fuel cell assembly, in which there is neither air pump, nor fuel pump, is comprised of a plurality of bi-cell units. Each bi-cell unit includes a first cell and a second cell, and each cell includes an electrode of a first polarity and an electrode of a second polarity, with an ion permeable membrane disposed therebetween. The bi-cell unit further includes a fuel container which comprises a housing defining a fuel chamber having a first and second open surface.

A booster mechanism is selectively connected to an exhaust turbine which consequently powers an intake air compressor. The booster mechanism applies additional power to the exhaust turbine in order to give the engine full or near full torque above idle revolutions per minute (RPM). In one embodiment, the booster mechanism comprises an air flask which contains pressurized air or another pressurized air source that can be utilized to provide a pressure source for additional power to the exhaust turbine.

Disclosed herein is a composition having: a polymeric material and an antimicrobial peptide derived from Chrysophrys major. Also disclosed herein is a method of: combining the polymeric material and antimicrobial peptide to form a coating material, and applying the coating material to a surface.

A renewable biofuel based on a highly efficient batch catalysis methodology for conversion of 1-butene to a new class of potential jet fuel blends. By tuning the catalyst and then using the dimer produced, the carbon use is about 95% or greater.

A portable protective shield for an IED or other suspected explosive devices includes a plurality of toroidal rings clamped between a lid and a base of the shield. The device is capable of withstanding high-pressure blast waves, thermal release and/or high-velocity fragments.

A non-destructive process for removing chromium from polyvinyl chloride filters is disclosed. The process involves immersing the polyvinyl chloride filters in a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution at elevated temperatures, followed by rinsing with deionized water. Removing the background concentration of chromium from the filters allows for more accurate measurements of the amount of hexavalent and total chromium present in workplace environments.

An optical device including a metamaterial layer having a negative index of refraction for at least one wavelength in the visible range of 400-700 nm, a photovoltaic cell, and an optical waveguide arranged between the metamaterial layer and the photovoltaic cell. The optical waveguide has a first face and second face arranged opposite the first face, the first face having a larger area than the second face, the metamaterial layer positioned at the first face of the optical waveguide and the photovoltaic cell positioned at the second face of the optical waveguide.

An embodiment of a chemical detector has at least one detection window and at least first and second ampoules selectively communicatively coupled to the at least one detection window. The first ampoule contains a first substance that can hydrolyze a nerve agent. The second ampoule contains a second substance that can react with a hydrolyzed nerve agent to produce a color change.