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On Bridget: Dress, Donna Karan New York, $1,895, Bloomingdale's. On her right hand: ID bracelet*, Gregg Wolf, 212-529-1784. Chain bracelet, Janis by Janis Savitt, $500, 212-245-7396. Rings, artist's own. On left hand: carved ring*, Gregg Wolf, 212-529-1784. Multichain bracelet, Janis by Janis Savitt, $400, 212-245-7396. Shoes, L.A.M.B., $325, Solutions, 949-650-0479.
*price upon request
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Dec 21, 2010
|Filing date
|Jul 16, 2008
|Priority date
|Nov 5, 2004
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Geoffrey P. McKnight, Cameron Massey, Guillermo A. Herrera, William Barvosa-Carter, Nancy L. Johnson, Alan L. Browne
|Original Assignee
|General Motors Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (47), Referenced by (19), Classifications (13), Legal Events (13)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present application is a divisional of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/086,469, filed on Nov. 5, 2004, incorporated herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to devices for controlling vehicle airflow and, more particularly, to devices for controlling vehicle airflow which can be adjusted through changes in active materials in response to varying conditions, the adjustment being affected through shape, dimension, and/or stiffness changes in the active material.
Airflow over, under, around, and/or through a vehicle can affect many aspects of vehicle performance including vehicle drag, vehicle lift and down force, and cooling/heat exchange for a vehicle powertrain and air conditioning systems. Reductions in vehicle drag improve fuel economy. Vehicle lift and downforce can affect vehicle stability and handling. As used herein, the term "airflow" refers to the motion of air around and through parts of a vehicle relative to either the exterior surface of the vehicle or surfaces of elements of the vehicle along which exterior airflow can be directed such as surfaces in the engine compartment. The term "drag" refers to the resistance caused by friction in a direction opposite that of the motion of the center of gravity for a moving body in a fluid. The term "lift" as used herein refers to the component of the total force due to airflow relative to a vehicle acting on the vehicle in a vertically upward direction. The term "downforce" used herein refers to the component of total force due to airflow relative to the vehicle acting on a vehicle in a vertically downward direction.
Devices known in the art of vehicle manufacture to control airflow relative to a vehicle are generally of a predetermined, non-adjustable geometry, location, orientation and stiffness. Such devices generally do not adapt as driving conditions change, thus the airflow relative to the vehicle cannot be adjusted to better suit the changing driving conditions. Additionally, current under-vehicle airflow control devices can reduce ground clearance. Vehicle designers are faced with the challenge of controlling the airflow while maintaining sufficient ground clearance to avoid contact with and damage by parking ramps, parking blocks, potholes, curbs and the like. Further, inclement weather, such as deep snow slush or rainfall, can damage the device and/or impair vehicle handing.
Current stationary airflow control devices may be adjustable by mounting and/or connecting the devices to hydraulic, mechanical, electrical actuators and/or the like. For example, some vehicle spoilers may adjust location and/or orientation in response to an actuator signal. However, such actuators generally require additional components such as pistons, motors, solenoids and/or like mechanisms for activation, which increase the complexity of the device often resulting in increased failure modes, maintenance, and manufacturing costs. Therefore, there exists a need for an adjustable device for controlling vehicle airflow under varying driving conditions that enhances device simplicity while reducing device problems and the number of failure modes.
Disclosed herein is an airflow control device for a vehicle, i.e. air deflector. The air deflector comprises a body portion having at least one surface, and an active material in operative communication with the at least one surface, the active material being operative to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal, wherein an airflow across the air deflector changes with the change in the at least one attribute of the active material.
Also disclosed is a system for controlling vehicle airflow comprising a stationary surface of a vehicle; and an air deflector fixedly attached to the stationary surface, the air deflector comprising an air deflecting body having at least one surface, an active material in operative communication with the at least one surface, the active material being operative to change a feature of the deflecting body in response to an activation signal, and an activation device in functional communication with the active material, the activation device being operable to selectively provide the activation signal, the activation signal initiates a change in at least one attribute of the active material, wherein the change in at least one attribute of the active material changes a feature of the air deflecting body.
A method for controlling vehicle airflow is also disclosed positioning an airflow controlling device on a stationary surface of the vehicle, the airflow controlling device comprising a body having at least one surface, and an active material in operative communication with the at least one surface, the active material being operative to change a at least one attribute in response to an activation signal; selectively introducing the activation signal upon meeting and/or exceeding a predetermined vehicle condition; and changing the at least one attribute of the active material from a first at least one attribute to a second at least one attribute.
In another embodiment, an air deflector for a vehicle comprises an active material comprising an elongated body having one end fixedly attached to a stationary surface, wherein the active material is adapted to change a flexural modulus property in response to an activation signal.
In yet another embodiment, an air deflector for a vehicle comprises a hinge comprising an active material adapted to hingingly communicate with a stationary surface, wherein the active material is adapted to change a flexural modulus property in response to an activation signal; and a rigid flap fixedly attached to the hinge.
A method of operating an air deflector comprises activating an active material to change at least one attribute of the active material, wherein the air deflector comprises an elongated body of the active material having one end fixedly attached to a stationary surface and an other end in an impinging airflow path, wherein the change in the at least one attribute changes a deflection angle of the air deflector.
The above described and other features are exemplified by the following figures and detailed description.
Referring now to the figures, which are meant to be exemplary embodiments, and wherein the like elements are numbered alike:
The present disclosure provides an airflow control device for a vehicle 100 (
As shown in
Using an automobile as an example, the airflow control device 10 may be of any of a variety of configurations, including but not limited to, air dams; fender flares; side skirt cribs; cabs; rear and tailgate spoilers; louvers for controlling airflow through radiator, other heat exchangers, the engine compartment, over the drive train and transmission; and air and wind deflectors for roof tops, sunroofs, vent windows; and like configurations. An exemplary air dam comprises a projection of the body shell underneath the front of the chassis of a vehicle and functions to reduce the amount of air turbulence and drag underneath the vehicle, as well as channels cooling air to the radiator. Further, many airflow control devices, and air deflectors in particular, improve vehicle stability and increase gas mileage. For example, at low speeds the air dam can be actively positioned so that additional ground clearance is provided, such as may be desired to clear speed bumps, provide curb clearance for parking, and the like. At higher speeds, the air dam can be actively positioned to divert the incoming airflow into the cooling system, or divert air about the vehicle to improve aerodynamics, improve vehicle stability, increase gas mileage, and the like. It will be understood that the device 10 may be a portion of a vehicle louver system and/or an independent component of the vehicle.
The body 12 (also referred to herein as an air deflecting body) may be any of a variety of materials and configurations that enable the airflow device 10 to function, and may further comprise at least one surface 13, 14, or 15. In one embodiment, the body 12 is comprised of a flexible material that exhibits adequate flexibility to operate as an adjustable airflow control device as the active material 16 changes at least one attribute. In an additional embodiment, the body 12 may comprise one or more active material 16. The active material 16 may change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal, and revert back to the original state of the at least one attribute upon discontinuation of the activation signal, or, for the classes of active materials that do not automatically revert upon discontinuation of the activation signal, alternative means can be employed to revert the active materials to their original state as will be discussed in detail herein. In this manner, the airflow control device 10 functions to adjust to changing driving conditions while increasing device simplicity and reducing the number of failure modes.
Active material 16 includes those compositions that can exhibit a change in stiffness properties, shape and/or dimensions in response to the activation signal, which can take the type for different active materials 16, of electrical, magnetic, thermal and like fields. Preferred active materials 16 include but are not limited to the class of shape memory materials, and combinations thereof. Shape memory materials generally refer to materials or compositions that have the ability to remember their original at least one attribute such as shape, which can subsequently be recalled by applying an external stimulus, as will be discussed in detail herein. As such, deformation from the original shape is a temporary condition. In this manner, shape memory materials can change to the trained shape in response to an activation signal. Exemplary active materials include shape memory alloys (SMA), shape memory polymers (SMP), electroactive polymers (EAP), ferromagnetic SMAs, electrorheological fluids (ER), magnetorheological fluids (MR), dielectric elastomers, ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC), piezoelectric polymers, piezoelectric ceramics, various combinations of the foregoing materials, and the like.
Shape memory alloys (SMA's) generally refer to a group of metallic materials that demonstrate the ability to return to some previously defined shape or size when subjected to an appropriate thermal stimulus. Shape memory alloys are capable of undergoing phase transitions in which their yield strength, stiffness, dimension and/or shape are altered as a function of temperature. The term "yield strength" refers to the stress at which a material exhibits a specified deviation from proportionality of stress and strain. Generally, in the low temperature, or martensite phase, shape memory alloys can be plastically deformed and upon exposure to some higher temperature will transform to an austenite phase, or parent phase, returning to their shape prior to the deformation. Materials that exhibit this shape memory effect only upon heating are referred to as having one-way shape memory. Those materials that also exhibit shape memory upon re-cooling are referred to as having two-way shape memory behavior.
Shape memory alloys exist in several different temperature-dependent phases. The most commonly utilized of these phases are the so-called martensite and austenite phases discussed above. In the following discussion, the martensite phase generally refers to the more deformable, lower temperature phase whereas the austenite phase generally refers to the more rigid, higher temperature phase. When the shape memory alloy is in the martensite phase and is heated, it begins to change into the austenite phase. The temperature at which this phenomenon starts is often referred to as austenite start temperature (As). The temperature at which this phenomenon is complete is called the austenite finish temperature (Af). When the shape memory alloy is in the austenite phase and is cooled, it begins to change into the martensite phase, and the temperature at which this phenomenon starts is referred to as the martensite start temperature (Ms). The temperature at which austenite finishes transforming to martensite is called the martensite finish temperature (Mf). Generally, the shape memory alloys are softer and more easily deformable in their martensitic phase and are harder, stiffer, and/or more rigid in the austenitic phase. In view of the foregoing, a suitable activation signal for use with shape memory alloys is a thermal activation signal having a magnitude to cause transformations between the martensite and austenite phases.
Shape memory alloys can exhibit a one-way shape memory effect, an intrinsic two-way effect, or an extrinsic two-way shape memory effect depending on the alloy composition and processing history. Annealed shape memory alloys typically only exhibit the one-way shape memory effect. Sufficient heating subsequent to low-temperature deformation of the shape memory material will induce the martensite to austenite type transition, and the material will recover the original, annealed shape. Hence, one-way shape memory effects are only observed upon heating. Active materials comprising shape memory alloy compositions that exhibit one-way memory effects do not automatically reform, and will likely require an external mechanical force to reform the shape that was previously suitable for airflow control.
Intrinsic and extrinsic two-way shape memory materials are characterized by a shape transition both upon heating from the martensite phase to the austenite phase, as well as an additional shape transition upon cooling from the austenite phase back to the martensite phase. Active materials 16 that exhibit an intrinsic shape memory effect are fabricated from a shape memory alloy composition that will cause the active materials 16 to automatically reform themselves as a result of the above noted phase transformations. Intrinsic two-way shape memory behavior must be induced in the shape memory material through processing. Such procedures include extreme deformation of the material while in the martensite phase, heating-cooling under constraint or load, or surface modification such as laser annealing, polishing, or shot-peening. Once the material has been trained to exhibit the two-way shape memory effect, the shape change between the low and high temperature states is generally reversible and persists through a high number of thermal cycles. In contrast, active materials 16 that exhibit the extrinsic two-way shape memory effects are composite or multi-component materials that combine a shape memory alloy composition that exhibits a one-way effect with another element that provides a restoring force to reform the original shape.
The temperature at which the shape memory alloy remembers its high temperature form when heated can be adjusted by slight changes in the composition of the alloy and through heat treatment. In nickel-titanium shape memory alloys, for instance, it can be changed from above about 100� C. to below about −100� C. The shape recovery process occurs over a range of just a few degrees and the start or finish of the transformation can be controlled to within a degree or two depending on the desired application and alloy composition. The mechanical properties of the shape memory alloy vary greatly over the temperature range spanning their transformation, typically providing the airflow control devices with shape memory effects, superelastic effects, and high damping capacity.
Suitable shape memory alloy materials include, without limitation, nickel-titanium based alloys, indium-titanium based alloys, nickel-aluminum based alloys, nickel-gallium based alloys, copper based alloys (e.g., copper-zinc alloys, copper-aluminum alloys, copper-gold, and copper-tin alloys), gold-cadmium based alloys, silver-cadmium based alloys, indium-cadmium based alloys, manganese-copper based alloys, iron-platinum based alloys, iron-platinum based alloys, iron-palladium based alloys, and the like. The alloys can be binary, ternary, or any higher order so long as the alloy composition exhibits a shape memory effect, e.g., change in shape orientation, damping capacity, and the like. For example, a nickel-titanium based alloy is commercially available under the trademark NITINOL from Shape Memory Applications, Inc.
Shape memory polymers (SMP's) are known in the art and generally refer to a group of polymeric materials that demonstrate the ability to return to some previously defined shape when subjected to an appropriate thermal stimulus. Shape memory polymers are capable of undergoing phase transitions in which their shape is altered as a function of temperature. Generally, SMP's have two main segments, a hard segment and a soft segment. The previously defined or permanent shape can be set by melting or processing the polymer at a temperature higher than the highest thermal transition followed by cooling below that thermal transition temperature. The highest thermal transition is usually the glass transition temperature (Tg) or melting point of the hard segment. A temporary shape can be set by heating the material to a temperature higher than the Tg or the transition temperature of the soft segment, but lower than the Tg or melting point of the hard segment. The temporary shape is set while processing the material at the transition temperature of the soft segment followed by cooling to fix the shape. The material can be reverted back to the permanent shape by heating the material above the transition temperature of the soft segment.
In a preferred embodiment, the permanent shape of the active material 16 is a substantially straightened shape and the temporary shape of the active material 16 is a curved shape (see
The temperature needed for permanent shape recovery can be set at any temperature between about −63� C. and about 120� C. or above. Engineering the composition and structure of the polymer itself can allow for the choice of a particular temperature for a desired application. A preferred temperature for shape recovery is greater than or equal to about −30� C., more preferably greater than or equal to about 0� C., and most preferably a temperature greater than or equal to about 50� C. Also, a preferred temperature for shape recovery is less than or equal to about 120� C., and most preferably less than or equal to about 120� C. and greater than or equal to about 80� C.
Suitable shape memory polymers include thermoplastics, thermosets, interpenetrating networks, semi-interpenetrating networks, or mixed networks. The polymers can be a single polymer or a blend of polymers. The polymers can be linear or branched thermoplastic elastomers with side chains or dendritic structural elements. Suitable polymer components to form a shape memory polymer include, but are not limited to, polyphosphazenes, poly(vinyl alcohols), polyamides, polyester amides, poly(amino acid)s, polyanhydrides, polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polyalkylenes, polyacrylamides, polyalkylene glycols, polyalkylene oxides, polyalkylene terephthalates, polyortho esters, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl esters, polyvinyl halides, polyesters, polylactides, polyglycolides, polysiloxanes, polyurethanes, polyethers, polyether amides, polyether esters, and copolymers thereof. Examples of suitable polyacrylates include poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(butyl methacrylate), poly(isobutyl methacrylate), poly(hexyl methacrylate), poly(isodecyl methacrylate), poly(lauryl methacrylate), poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(methyl acrylate), poly(isopropyl acrylate), poly(isobutyl acrylate) and poly(octadecyl acrylate). Examples of other suitable polymers include polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl phenol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, chlorinated polybutylene, poly(octadecyl vinyl ether) ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(ethylene terephthalate), polyethylene/nylon (graft copolymer), polycaprolactones-polyamide (block copolymer), poly(caprolactone) dimethacrylate-n-butyl acrylate, poly(norbornyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane), polyvinylchloride, urethane/butadiene copolymers, polyurethane block copolymers, styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, and the like.
The active material 16 may also comprise an electroactive polymer such as ionic polymer metal composites, conductive polymers, piezoelectric material and the like. As used herein, the term "piezoelectric" is used to describe a material that mechanically deforms when a voltage potential is applied, or conversely, generates an electrical charge when mechanically deformed.
Suitable MR elastomer materials include, but are not intended to be limited to, an elastic polymer matrix comprising a suspension of ferromagnetic or paramagnetic particles, wherein the particles are described above. Suitable polymer matrices include, but are not limited to, poly-alpha-olefins, natural rubber, silicone, polybutadiene, polyethylene, polyisoprene, and the like.
Electroactive polymers include those polymeric materials that exhibit piezoelectric, pyroelectric, or electrostrictive properties in response to electrical or mechanical fields. The materials generally employ the use of compliant electrodes that enable polymer films to expand or contract in the in-plane directions in response to applied electric fields or mechanical stresses. An example of an electrostrictive-grafted elastomer with a piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoro-ethylene) copolymer. This combination has the ability to produce a varied amount of ferroelectric-electrostrictive molecular composite systems. These may be operated as a piezoelectric sensor or even an electrostrictive actuator.
Materials suitable for use as an electroactive polymer may include any substantially insulating polymer or rubber (or combination thereof) that deforms in response to an electrostatic force or whose deformation results in a change in electric field. Exemplary materials suitable for use as a pre-strained polymer include silicone elastomers, acrylic elastomers, polyurethanes, thermoplastic elastomers, copolymers comprising PVDF, pressure-sensitive adhesives, fluoroelastomers, polymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties, and the like. Polymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties may include copolymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties, polymer blends comprising a silicone elastomer and an acrylic elastomer, for example.
Materials used as an electroactive polymer may be selected based on one or more material properties such as a high electrical breakdown strength, a low modulus of elasticity (for large or small deformations), a high dielectric constant, and the like. In one embodiment, the polymer is selected such that is has an elastic modulus at most about 100 MPa. In another embodiment, the polymer is selected such that is has a maximum actuation pressure between about 0.05 MPa and about 10 MPa, and preferably between about 0.3 MPa and about 3 MPa. In another embodiment, the polymer is selected such that is has a dielectric constant between about 2 and about 20, and preferably between about 2.5 and about 12. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to these ranges. Ideally, materials with a higher dielectric constant than the ranges given above would be desirable if the materials had both a high dielectric constant and a high dielectric strength. In many cases, electroactive polymers may be fabricated and implemented as thin films. Thicknesses suitable for these thin films may be below 50 micrometers.
As electroactive polymers may deflect at high strains, electrodes attached to the polymers should also deflect without compromising mechanical or electrical performance. Generally, electrodes suitable for use may be of any shape and material provided that they are able to supply a suitable voltage to, or receive a suitable voltage from, an electroactive polymer. The voltage may be either constant or varying over time. In one embodiment, the electrodes adhere to a surface of the polymer. Electrodes adhering to the polymer are preferably compliant and conform to the changing shape of the polymer. Correspondingly, the present disclosure may include compliant electrodes that conform to the shape of an electroactive polymer to which they are attached. The electrodes may be only applied to a portion of an electroactive polymer and define an active area according to their geometry. Various types of electrodes suitable for use with the present disclosure include structured electrodes comprising metal traces and charge distribution layers, textured electrodes comprising varying out of plane dimensions, conductive greases such as carbon greases or silver greases, colloidal suspensions, high aspect ratio conductive materials such as carbon fibrils and carbon nanotubes, and mixtures of ionically conductive materials.
Materials used for electrodes of the present disclosure may vary. Suitable materials used in an electrode may include graphite, carbon black, colloidal suspensions, thin metals including silver and gold, silver filled and carbon filled gels and polymers, and ionically or electronically conductive polymers. It is understood that certain electrode materials may work well with particular polymers and may not work as well for others. By way of example, carbon fibrils work well with acrylic elastomer polymers while not as well with silicone polymers.
The active material may also comprise a piezoelectric material. Also, in certain embodiments, the piezoelectric material may be configured as an actuator for providing rapid deployment. As used herein, the term "piezoelectric" is used to describe a material that mechanically deforms (changes shape) when a voltage potential is applied, or conversely, generates an electrical charge when mechanically deformed. Preferably, a piezoelectric material is disposed on strips of a flexible metal or ceramic sheet. The strips can be unimorph or bimorph. Preferably, the strips are bimorph, because bimorphs generally exhibit more displacement than unimorphs.
One type of unimorph is a structure composed of a single piezoelectric element externally bonded to a flexible metal foil or strip, which is stimulated by the piezoelectric element when activated with a changing voltage and results in an axial buckling or deflection as it opposes the movement of the piezoelectric element. The actuator movement for a unimorph can be by contraction or expansion. Unimorphs can exhibit a strain of as high as about 10%, but generally can only sustain low loads relative to the overall dimensions of the unimorph structure. A commercial example of a pre-stressed unimorph is referred to as "THUNDER", which is an acronym for THin layer composite UNimorph ferroelectric Driver and sEnsoR. THUNDER is a composite structure constructed with a piezoelectric ceramic layer (for example, lead zirconate titanate), which is electroplated on its two major faces. A metal pre-stress layer is adhered to the electroplated surface on at least one side of the ceramic layer by an adhesive layer (for example, "LaRC-SI�" developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)). During manufacture of a THUNDER actuator, the ceramic layer, the adhesive layer, and the first pre-stress layer are simultaneously heated to a temperature above the melting point of the adhesive, and then subsequently allowed to cool, thereby re-solidifying and setting the adhesive layer. During the cooling process the ceramic layer becomes strained, due to the higher coefficients of thermal contraction of the metal pre-stress layer and the adhesive layer than of the ceramic layer. Also, due to the greater thermal contraction of the laminate materials than the ceramic layer, the ceramic layer deforms into an arcuate shape having a generally concave face.
In contrast to the unimorph piezoelectric device, a bimorph device includes an intermediate flexible metal foil sandwiched between two piezoelectric elements. Bimorphs exhibit more displacement than unimorphs because under the applied voltage one ceramic element will contract while the other expands. Bimorphs can exhibit strains up to about 20%, but similar to unimorphs, generally cannot sustain high loads relative to the overall dimensions of the unimorph structure.
Suit-able piezoelectric materials include inorganic compounds, organic compounds, and metals. With regard to organic materials, all of the polymeric materials with non-centrosymmetric structure and large dipole moment group(s) on the main chain or on the side-chain, or on both chains within the molecules, can be used as candidates for the piezoelectric film. Examples of suitable polymers include, for example, but are not limited to, poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) ("PSS"), poly S-119 (poly(vinylamine)backbone azo chromophore), and their derivatives; polyfluorocarbons, including polyvinylidene fluoride ("PVDF"), its co-polymer vinylidene fluoride ("VDF"), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), and their derivatives; polychlorocarbons, including poly(vinyl chloride) ("PVC"), polyvinylidene chloride ("PVC2"), and their derivatives; polyacrylonitriles ("PAN"), and their derivatives; polycarboxylic acids, including poly(methacrylic acid ("PMA"), and their derivatives; polyureas, and their derivatives; polyurethanes ("PUE"), and their derivatives; bio-polymer molecules such as poly-L-lactic acids and their derivatives, and membrane proteins, as well as phosphate bio-molecules; polyanilines and their derivatives, and all of the derivatives of tetramines; polyimides, including Kapton molecules and polyetherimide ("PEI"), and their derivatives; all of the membrane polymers; poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) ("PVP") homopolymer, and its derivatives, and random PVP-co-vinyl acetate ("PVAc") copolymers; and all of the aromatic polymers with dipole moment groups in the main-chain or side-chains, or in both the main-chain and the side-chains, and mixtures thereof.
Further, piezoelectric materials can include Pt, Pd, Ni, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ag, Au, Cu, and metal alloys and mixtures thereof. These piezoelectric materials can also include, for example, metal oxide such as SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2, SrTiO3, PbTiO3, BaTiO3, FeO3, Fe3O4, ZnO, and mixtures thereof; and Group VIA and IIB compounds, such as CdSe, CdS, GaAs, AgCaSe2, ZnSe, GaP, InP, ZnS, and mixtures thereof.
Suitable active materials also comprise magnetorheological (MR) compositions, such as MR elastomers, which are known as "smart" materials whose rheological properties can rapidly change upon application of a magnetic field. MR elastomers are suspensions of micrometer-sized, magnetically polarizable particles in a thermoset elastic polymer or rubber. The stiffness of the elastomer structure is accomplished by changing the shear and compression/tension moduli by varying the strength of the applied magnetic field. The MR elastomers typically develop structure when exposed to a magnetic field in as little as a few milliseconds. Discontinuing the exposure of the MR elastomers to the magnetic field reverses the process and the elastomer returns to its lower modulus state.
The airflow control device 10, illustrated in
Coupled to and in operative communication with airflow device 10 is an activation device 18. The activation device 18 is in functional communication with the airflow device 10 and/or active material 16, which is operable to selectively provide an activation signal to the airflow control device 10 and change a feature of the airflow device 10 by changing at least one attribute of the active material 16. For example, in the case of an underflow airflow device, the active material 16 can retract or extend the airflow device 10 depending on the speed of the vehicle. The activation device 18, on demand, provides the activation signal or stimulus to the active material 16 of the airflow device 10 to cause the change in one or more feature of at least a portion of the device 10. In one embodiment, the change in feature generally remains for the duration of the applied activation signal. Upon discontinuation of the activation signal, the active material 16 generally reverts to an unpowered form and returns substantially to the original at least one attribute, thus reverting the airflow device 10 to the original feature and/or features. In another embodiment, the change in one or more attribute of the active material 16 and/or feature of at least a portion of the device 10 may remain upon discontinuing the activation signal. In this embodiment, the device 10 includes a means to maintain the change in active material 16, such as a latch, lock, stop and/or the like. Upon release of the means, the device 10 reverts back to the original at least one feature. The illustrated device 10 is exemplary only and is not intended to be limited to any particular shape, size, dimension or configuration, material, or the like.
In another embodiment, the airflow device 10 includes at least one sensor 26 in operative communication with the airflow control device 10 and/or the active material 16, wherein the sensor is adapted to transmit signals indicative of at least one vehicle condition. This embodiment may further comprise a controller 24 that is operatively connected to the sensor 26 and activation device 18, wherein the controller is programmed and configured to cause the activation device 18 to provide an activation signal to the active material 16 when the sensor 26 signals indicate a predetermined vehicle condition.
The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular activation signal. The particular activation signal will depend on the sensitivity of the active material 16. As such, the activation signal may provide a thermal activation signal, magnetic activation signal, electrical activation signal, chemical activation signal, and/or other like activation signal or combination of activation signals.
As shown in
As shown, one of more wires 22 are embedded in the active material 16 of the device 20 to provide a thermal activation means in the form of resistive heating. In additional embodiments, controls such as controller 24 and/or sensor 26 may cause a current to flow through the embedded wires 22 at low driving speed causing the active material 16 to curve upward, assuming a trained higher temperature shape. This may result in a rise in the airflow control device 20 and in doing so increase vehicle ground clearance. Further, when driving above a predetermined speed, the controller 24 may discontinue the current and allow the airflow control device 20 to cool, thus straighten and deploy. In another embodiment, the change in feature may be reversed such that at higher vehicle speeds heating may be employed to achieve a high temperature shape, and current would be discontinued at lower vehicle speed to achieve a low temperature shape. In another embodiment, the change in one or more attribute of the active material 16 and/or feature of the device 10 may remain upon discontinuing the activation signal. In this embodiment, the device 10 includes a means to maintain the change in active material 16, such as a latch, lock, stop and/or the like. Upon release of the means to maintain the change in active material 16, the device 10 reverts back to the original at least one feature. In this manner, the device 20 may curve upward in response to the activation signal, maintain the upward curve until release of the means, where upon the device 20 will revert and straighten. Further, the airflow control device 20 that becomes deformed, such as during an impact, may be restored or healed to a desired shape by applying the appropriate temperature range. The selection of material comprising the body 12 and/or active material 16 will be determined by the desired application. Moreover, selection of the locking means is well within the skill of those in the art.
As shown in
With regard to SMAs, as a result of the change in phase, the stiffness in the austenite phase will be greater than the stiffness in the martensite phase. The number and size of the embedded active material strips may be chosen such that when in the austenite phase the embedded active material 16 causes the bulk of the airflow control device 30 to deform. However, when the active material 16 is in the martensite phase, the flexible material comprising the bulk of the airflow control device 30 is sufficiently stiff to return the device 30 to a straight, deployed configuration, and in doing so straightening the active material 16. At higher speeds, in excess of a predetermined vehicle speed, the current flow causing resistant heating may be stopped, causing the active material 16 to return to the martensite phase. In this manner, the airflow control device 30 reverts to a straightened deployed state. As previously discussed, the airflow control device 30 may be restored if deformed as a result of force, such as an impact, due to plastic deformation of the strips of active material 16 by heating the active material 16 to the austenite phase temperature. The other active materials noted above can be activated in a similar manner using a suitable activation signal particular to the selected active material as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.
In an additional embodiment, shown in
In another embodiment as shown in
Other active material structures may also be used in this manner, such as elastic structures that can be stiffened or weakened through the activation of magnetorheological fluids or rubbers, or electrorheological fluids. In these embodiments, the materials undergo a dynamic change in stiffness upon activation, but generally do not exhibit a significant force upon return to their initial configuration. Example embodiments utilizing these materials include a parallel set of soft elastomer tubes filled with magnetorheological fluids might that can be used to form the body of the airflow control device.
For activation, magnetizing coils would be wrapped around each tube. When activated through the action of a current through the coils, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid increases dramatically. Magnetorheological rubber materials can be used in a similar configuration, although the changes in stiffness for these materials are significantly lower. In either embodiment, the structure becomes stiff and more able to oppose the incident airflow. Similarly, a pair of flexible conducting sheets (for instance, graphite impregnated elastomer) separated by a layer of electrorheological fluids could act as a variable stiffness structure. When activated, the electrorheological fluid becomes a gel that stiffly binds the two sheets, dramatically increasing the dynamic stiffness of the structure.
Optionally, a shape memory alloy may be used to provide selectively variable stiffness modulation. In this embodiment, the airflow control device is stiff above the austenite finish temperature and soft and highly deformable below the martensite finish temperature for the shape memory alloy to variably change the incident airflow path. The shape memory alloy may be in the form of a thin sheet, foil, mesh grid, or the like. Hence, to oppose the flow, the shape memory alloy must be heated, and to allow flow past the diverter, the shape memory alloy must be allowed to cool. Depending on temperature, therefore, the shape memory alloy will either resist or allow the incident airflow to flow past the airflow control device.
In another embodiment as shown in
Methods of controlling vehicle airflow are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method first comprises positioning the airflow controlling device of any one of or combination of the preceding embodiments, e.g., devices 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 so as to provide airflow in contact during movement of the vehicle, the airflow controlling device comprising a body and an active material in operative communication with the body, wherein the active material is operative to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal. Once positioned, an activation signal is selectively introduced to the active material. By selectively introducing the activation signal, the at least one attribute of the active material changes.
In another embodiment, the method includes discontinuing the activation signal to reverse the change of at least one attribute of the active material. In an additional embodiment, the method includes maintaining the change in at least one attribute of the active material upon discontinuation of the activation signal.
Other embodiments include optimizing the power requirements for transitioning between well as occupying the various operational states. In general, the occupancy of the operation state is achieved through activation of the active material, which is maintained by applying sufficient power to maintain the transformation of the material. For example, in the shape memory alloy material this implies that the shape memory alloy components must be maintained above their phase transformation temperature. In the case of piezoelectric materials, sufficient voltage must be applied to maintain the desired deformation. This type of operation is referred to as power-on hold.
In order to obtain a power-off hold operation state (also referred to as a zero power hold operation state), whereby the activated state may be maintained without additional power, numerous different approaches are possible. These generally include using various external latching mechanisms to support the activated state, as well as incorporating a stiffness changing material, that may be "frozen" after deformation and used to maintain structural deformation.
The principal purpose of this latch is to allow for a zero power hold mechanism, but additional benefits are also accrued through the use of this latch. These additional benefits include a possibility to have the surface break away from the latched configuration due to impact with either a foreign object, or an increase in airflow volume above a prescribed rate.
Some possible approaches include a magnetic system, whereby a permanent magnet can be engaged and disengaged to a ferromagnetic keeper by means of temporarily magnetizing the keeper. This approach is advantageous in that mechanical contact is not required and thus greater environmental robustness is expected. Another possible latch implementation is a spring-loaded pin and acceptor assembly. In this case, the pin will slide into the acceptor under the force stored in a spring in series with the pin. A electromagnetic solenoid actuator, or shape memory alloy spring could be used to disengage the pin, and therefore release the structure. An additional latch scenario would be a combination of magnetic and active materials approaches whereby a permanent magnet attaches to a ferromagnetic keeper, and the keeper may be disengaged from the permanent magnet using an active materials based approach. Shape memory alloy wires or helical springs could be used to obtain this type of functionality. This system is advantageous over the purely magnetic approach in that the greater actuation energy density of active materials as compared to electromagnetic actuation allows for compact latch designs to be created, and miniaturization of this concept.
An exemplary zero power hold mechanism is illustrated in
An alternative approach that provides similar functionality, without the use of additional external components is the incorporation of a shape memory polymer material into the architecture. This approach utilizes the "shape fixity" aspect of shape memory polymers. In this embodiment, the polymer may be softened, deformed into a new shape using the active material based actuation previously described and hardened. At this point, if the active component is relaxed, the deformation of the elastic component may be maintained by support of the shape memory polymer.
In addition to the use of shape memory polymers for power-off hold, it should be noted that numerous other materials can be used in a similar capacity. For instance, a bladder or tubule filled with a meltable component such as wax, may accomplish the same goals. Operationally, such a structure and system would function as described above for shape memory polymers. Thermoplastics and thermosets are also known to reduce their stiffness upon heating, and can "freeze" in place upon cooling.
The airflow control devices and methods of the present disclosure are able to selectively adjust features such as shape, dimension, stiffness, location, combinations thereof, and the like by changing the at least one attribute of active material 16 to match the needs of different driving conditions. Changes in at least one attribute of active material 16 include shape, dimension, stiffness, combinations thereof and the like. Utilizing active materials 16 to affect these changes provide devices of increased simplicity and robustness, while reducing the number of failure modes, device volume and energy requirements for activation due to higher energy densities.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to a particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
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|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jul 16, 2008
Owner name: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, MICHIGAN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MCKNIGHT, GEOFFREY P.;MASSEY, CAMERON;HERRERA, GUILLERMOA.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:021244/0910;SIGNING DATES FROM 20041105 TO 20041109
Owner name: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, MICHIGAN
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|Jan 14, 2009
Owner name: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.,MICHIGAN
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
$909—$1,164 1—2 bed 747 Worthington Woods Boulevard, Worthington OH, 43085
from $909 1—2 bed
747 Worthington Woods Boulevard, Slate Hill, Columbus, 43085
Commute to Downtown Westerville
The rent at Alexander Square Apartments ranges from $909 for a one bedroom to a $1,164 two bedroom. Apartments in this building are about 172% more expensive than the Slate Hill average. This is a pet-friendly apartment.
This apartment is in the Slate Hill neighborhood in Columbus. The closest park is McCord Park.
Alexander Square Apartments has a Walk Score of 33 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
Alexander Square is a Worthington Apartment located at 747 Worthington Woods Boulevard. The property features 1 - 2 BR rental units available starting at $909.
Amenities include Dogs Ok, Cats Ok, and In-Unit Laundry. Contact us for a showing.
Pets allowed:
James S
Mar 18, 2015
This place was nice. Very clean, updated, and the kitchen is gorgeous. BUT the parking is outrageous. If you get home after 6pm on a weeknight, you will have to illegally park. And when the sales person tells you, "there are firewalls dividing the apartments" dont allow this to fool you. You will hear your neighbors above, below, and side by side. Every cabinet that shuts, every bed that squeaks. For the price and what it looks like, I could handle the neighbor noises. but BEWARE, the utility companies and Preferred living owners both have the same last name, want to say brothers. The electricity rate is 3 times higher than that of AEP, and you can only use that one company. I graduated from OSU where my last year was spent in a 5 bedroom 100 year old house that you could see through the brick to the outside. My heating bill was the same there (very high) as it was when i spent a winter living in an updated 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment at alexander square. AEP= 6c/kWh...AS = 16c/kWh. the water company is also high compared to standard. My water bill doesnt even tell me how much water i used, just an arbitrary price. Both utility companies charge monthly administrative fees. The free beer they tempt you with closes at 6pm, so good luck using it if you have a job. And the keg is usually out. But tiffany is easy on the eyes. all in all, i might live there again, but id be more prepared for how much it would actualy cost with the utility prices.
A Google User
Oct 03, 2010
My wife and I moved into these very stylish apartments and thought we'd made a wise choice. We were wrong. 1) They lock you in to a fly-by-night power and water company. You pay for the outside lights on the building. You pay a shared water bill. The power company (American Power & Light?) charges you a much higher rate than AEP. You can never get in touch with anyone at the utility companies, you leave a message and someone gets back to you... eventually. Our power bills were regularly over $200 during the winter months. 2) Parking is awful. I hope you don't have a nice car. They made the spots very narrow to try to squeeze more spaces in, so you can expect plenty of door dings and there still aren't enough spaces. 3) Crappy wiring. The electrical wiring barely meets code. Breakers blew all the time when we tried to use any high-power equipment. We couldn't vacuum or use our electric patio grill unless we ran the cord to the kitchen outlets which are the only ones wired to handle more current. 4) Noise. We expected this to be young professionals. It's not, mostly people in college or just out, and you can expect many noisy nights.
mike lehner
Sep 10, 2015
A Google User
Mar 05, 2011
Slate Hill, Columbus, 43085
Most errands require a car.
A few nearby public transportation options.
Flat as a pancake, minimal bike lanes.
About your score
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from Alexander Square Apartments.
Alexander Square Apartments has some transit which means a few nearby public transportation options.
Bus lines:
0.4 mi
0.5 mi
0.5 mi
0.5 mi
Alexander Square Apartments is in the Slate Hill neighborhood. Slate Hill is the 119th most walkable neighborhood in Columbus with a neighborhood Walk Score of 32.
Moving to Columbus from another city? View our moving to Columbus guide.


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In case you needed a reminder that President Obama is not Muslim, New York magazine had a funny online photo gallery titled "Thirteen Really Muslim Things Obama Has Done."
It's all satire. Here's an example from Nov. 30, 2007:
Ate bacon during breakfast with Mayor Bloomberg. On April 2, 2008, Obama ate a piece of salami at Claudio Specialty Food in Philadelphia. Muslims love pork.
Then again, no one is arguing that Bloomberg isn't Jewish. OK, maybe this example from April 14, 2009 is better:
Related his economic policies to Bible parables. Muslim Bible parables.
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Dolly Llama - Black & Olive
The Black & Olive Dolly Llama is a killer trout fly. All the action and motion of a Dolly Llama in a deadly color combination. One of our favorite searching flies early in the season.
Dolly Llama - Black & Pink #2
Black & Pink lights up steelhead, coho and kings. It is the perfect combination of dark fly and bright fly. You won't find this custom color combo anywhere else.
Dolly Llama - Black & Red
The Black and Red Dolly Llama is just the ticket for big rainbows and arctic char. If you are targeting big trout, the #4 is the ticket. For small streams or wary fish try the #6. The #2 is a salmon and steelhead fly.
Dolly Llama - Brown & Olive #4
If big trout are on your agenda, the Brown & Olive Dolly Llama needs to be in your box. From spring time all the way through late season, Big Bows love this fly! The #4 has all the size, motion and profile of a #2, only with a trout-friendly hook.
Dolly Llama - Brown & Tan
The Brown and Tan Dolly Llama was originally tied as a bull trout fly in Oregon and Washington. It started catching big rainbows in Alaska and the rest is history.
Dolly Llama - Chinchilla Gray & White
The Chinchilla Gray & White Dolly Llama is a subtle-shade trout fly. As a sculpin imitation or just a streamer with incredible action, this one needs to be in your box.
Dolly Llama - Flesh & Cream #4
Flesh & Cream is one of our favorite new flesh colors in the Dolly Llama family. It is an ideal large profile flesh fly or searching pattern.
Dolly Llama - Fuchsia & Steely Blue #2
Fuschia Steely Blue is a king salmon, silver salmon, steelhead slayer. We have had some epic days with this fly when it outfished all others. You don't want to be without it. Another exclusive AFFG fly.
Dolly Llama - Fuschia Pink #2
The slight color contrast of Fuschia and Pink gives this custom Dolly Llama a look like no other. Pink is the color to have for Alaskan salmon! You will only find this fly at Alaska Fly Fishing Goods.
Dolly Llama - Salmon Pink & White
Salmon Pink & White is a primo flesh fly color. The #6 Little Brother version is super effective mid season on. And if big late season rainbows are on the list, you need a few of the #2's in your box!
Dolly Llama - Steely Blue & Black
Steely Blue is a super fishy color of rabbit strip that just begged to be tied into a Dolly Llama. Steelhead, big rainbows and kings all will jump on this fly. An AFFG Exclusive fly.
Dolly Llama - Tutti Fruiti
The word is out: Dolly Llamas are murder on Coho. We took the legendary Tutti Fruiti color combo (Pink & Chartreuse) and added it to our Dolly Llama line up. This has become one of our top silver producers!
Dolly LLama - White
The All-White Dolly Llama is an awesome flesh pattern as well as a deadly searching fly for trout. A great choice for July - October. If you are targeting big trout, the #4 has all the size & motion of the #2 but with a trout-friendly hook.
Dolly LLama Black & White
The one that started it all. The Black & White Dolly Llama is the #1 color for trout and char and is also amazingly effective on salmon and steelhead. Don't fish Alaska without it!
Dolly LLama Chartreuse & White
The Chartreuse & White Dolly Llama is a silver, chum and king player. Tidewater and the lower stretches of the river are ideal for this fly. This color combination knocks the spots off the silvers! Not for the faint of heart.
Dolly Llama Ginger & Pink
The Dolly Llama in Ginger & Pink is one of the top flesh flies in Alaska. The #2 is a big trout magnet and the smaller #6 is a sleeper that should not be overlooked.
Dolly LLama Olive & White
Olive & White is one of the original Dolly Llama colors and is as good today as ever. Terrific action and a sculpin/leech profile makes this a go to searching pattern.
Dolly Llama Pink & Orange #2
Our custom Pink & Orange Dolly Llama is a prime silver and steelhead fly. Whether swung or stripped, this fly will hook 'em up!
Dolly LLama Pink & Purple
You don't want to fish for silvers without Purple & Pink Dolly Llamas in your fly box. Ridiculously effective! It is also a first rate steelhead and king fly.
Dolly LLama Pink & White
Pink & White Dolly Llamas are in our Top 3 color combos for silvers. It is also a great steelhead and king fly. Now available in size #6 for small streams, too!


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FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL) appointed Kathleen M. Boege General Counsel. Kathleen had been General Counsel at Bally Total Fitness Corporation. Read more in the Business Wire press release.
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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides much needed equipment, personnel, and technical knowledge to assist the flood fight in the Red River Valley.
Read about how DNR employee Steve Grove, sacrificed his home to help others.
DNR flood information and resources.
© 2016
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources • Equal Opportunity Employer • State of Minnesota • Data Access • Disclaimers, Legal Notices and Policies • Email Us


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A Dark And Stormy Render by Saxm13Watch
©2012-2016 Saxm13
Wow, magical effects.
Uh oh... Seth sent her to the queue one too many times, eh? XD
this is simply amazing. I honestly thought it was part of a video game at first and I was like 'I WANNA PLAY THAT VIDEO GAME!'. You have talent, what can I say? I'm actually pretty jealous of you. For the longest time I've wanted to be able to do something like this. <3
Love the effects on the lightning.
I laughed when I read "To the queue!!" XD
so he died ?
Silly Trixie, it's impossible to ressurect a tombstone, unless said tombstone is thelivingtombstone (I am so sorry)
TheLivingTombstone is the by-product of Sethisto's resurrection at the hands of Trixie.
So you are saying Trixie can creat life? What kind of sorcery is this?
The magic of friendship?
The Magic of Stubborn self superiority and the adoring fanaticism that compliments it. In the process all the joy is removed to create the pure G&P magical vessel the spell requires and it is stored in a chosen object or talisman. Sometimes it comes to life to make upbeat electro music.
hmm, needs work. Post anyway.
hmm, needs work. Post anyway.
Did you play Pony Fantasy VI?
epic !
Is she trying to Resurrect him?


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Music © 123greetings.com
Nice one
very cute
i like it
Send these flowers to your near and dear ones...
Send a fun filled birthday card to make your loved one's day even more special.
A lovely card with dancing penguins wishing you a very happy birthday!
Send an ecard, full of fireworks to ensure that your friends have a blast on their...
Convey your birthday wishes with this lovely interactive e-card.
Beautiful visuals and a warm message to wish someone a very happy birthday.
Here's wishing every sparkle brings a lot of joy & happiness to your loved ones on...
Send these beautiful flowers to your friends and family members on their birthday.
The Muppet Show's Swedish Chef dancing in the kitchen to wish you a happy birthday! No...
A funny birthday card for you loved ones that actually says how cool you are.
Send a sparkling birthday wish to your dear ones.
A fun birthday ecard song.
Cakes and candles to wish your special one a very happy birthday.
Happy birthday song!!
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Woven Wrap
By: Kim Rutledge for Naturally Caron
0 Comments
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Crochet yourself a woven wrap or make one to give as a gift using this simple crochet pattern. Learn how to crochet and you can make this stylish wrap and much more!
- One size US F-5 (3.75 mm) crochet hook, or size to obtain gauge.
- Yarn needle
- Naturally Caron.com Country (75% Microdenier Acrylic/25% Merino Wool, 3 oz/85 g, 185 yds/169 m skein): 9 oz (A), 5 oz (B), 3 oz (C), 3 oz (D) Shown in: #0023 Chocolate Truffle (A); # 0018 Spice House (B); #0019 Vicuna (C); #0011 Gilded Age (D).
Wrap measures approximately 20"/51 cm wide x 75"/190.5 cm long
In pattern stitch, using F–5 (3.75 mm) hook, 13 sts and 12 rows = 4"/10 cm.
Chain (ch), double crochet (dc), single crochet (sc), slip stitch (slip st)
STITCH PATTERN (multiple of 3 sts + 1; +1 for foundation ch)
- Row 1 (RS): (Sc, ch 3, dc) in 2nd ch from hook, *sk next 2 ch, (sc, ch 3, dc) in next ch; repeat from * across, turn.
- Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in first st, (sc, ch 3, dc) in each ch-3 space across to last ch-3 space, sc in last ch-3 space, ch 2, dc in last sc, turn.
- Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first st, ch 3, dc in next ch-2 space, *(sc, ch 3, dc) in next ch-3 space; repeat from * across, sc in last dc (turning ch), turn.
- Repeat Rows 2 and 3 for pattern.
- Wrap is worked lengthwise.
- To change color; work last st of old color to last yarn over, yarn over with new color and draw through all loops on hook to complete stitch.
- With A, chain 224.
- Rows 1–3: Work Rows 1–3 of Pattern Stitch—75 sc and 74 ch-2 spaces.
- Continue working in pattern stitch changing colors as follows:
- 4 more rows with A, *1 row with D, 2 rows with A, 2 rows with C, 4 rows with B, 1 row with D, 4 rows with B, 2 rows with C, 2 rows with A, 1 row with D, 7 rows with A; repeat from * once more.
- Fasten off.
Using yarn needle, weave in all ends.
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Angry Vinnie protects the nest.
ahahahahaah funny nest (;
We set up their nest up there so that Maui won't go ballistic constantly; he wants to be involved but they don't want him to be, and he was going into 'attack anything that moves' mode. Maui can't get up there and so this works well.
aaaawwwww. thats a good plan. is he the father?
Yes and no. Cockatiels, like chickens, can lay without being fertilized. Luna and Vinnie are mates but I am not certain their eggs are fertilized, and since they often leave the eggs unattended for a time, they're never going to hatch. They're not the best parents, but they do nest and they do try, and we do our best to accomodate their instincts.


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9Hotel Opera
The 9 Hotel is a 3-star non-smoking property located on rue Papillon in the ninth arrondissement of Paris. A breakfast buffet with hot food is served in the cellar with its stone archway, and a takeaway service is offered too. The hotel also serves afternoon tea, and it has its own bar. Room service is available from 5pm until 1.30am. There is no on-site parking. The 48 rooms are air-conditioned and have complimentary wifi Internet access, flat-screen TV, desk, safe, phone and designer toiletries. In addition, superior rooms have an iPod docking station and a hospitality tray. Rooms with accessibility features for disabled people are available, and there is a lift. The front desk is open 24 hours a day, and the business centre offers fax and photocopying facilities. Guests can make use of the services of the concierge desk as well as the laundry. There is a meeting room for private functions. Major attractions in the area include the Opera House, Montmartre and the Folies Bergeres. The hotel is not far from the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est railway stations as well as Printemps and Galeries Lafayette department stores.
Price range
Name9Hotel Opera
Address14 rue Papillon, 75009, Paris France | 1.2 miles from city center | Show on map
Telephone: +33(1)47707834 | Fax:+33(1)40229100 | Official Homepage
Suitable for
- Party People
- Business People
- Gay Friendly
Top 9 Features
Room features
- Bathroom with bathtub,
- Bathroom with shower,
- Windows that open,
- Television,
- Hairdryer,
- Central heating,
- Air conditioning,
- Satellite TV,
- Desk,
- Telephone,
- Room safe,
- Internet,
- WiFi in the rooms,
- Cost of wireless internet in rooms,
- field_438
Hotel features
- Entrance hall/ lobby,
- Elevator,
- Hotel bar,
- Hotel safe,
- Conference rooms,
- Non-smoking rooms,
- PC with internet,
- 24-hour reception,
- Snack bar,
- Laundry service,
- WiFi in Lobby,
- Room service,
- Reading room,
- field_435,
- field_437
Sports Facilities
- Badminton,
- Billiards,
- Bike Rental,
- Fitness / Aerobics,
- Running/ Rollerblading track,
- Indoor tennis court,
- Table Tennis


text:
|JM ENERGY CORPORATION Patent applications
|Patent application number
|ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL, ELECTRODE AND ELECTRICAL STORAGE DEVICE - The present invention relates to an electrode active material, an electrode and an electrical storage device. The electrode active material includes a carbon material and has not less than 0.020 mmol/g of basic functional groups.
|METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL STORAGE DEVICE, AND ELECTRICAL STORAGE DEVICE - A method for producing an electrical storage device includes winding a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a lithium ion source to form a wound element that has a flat part and a curved part, the lithium ion source including a plurality of parts that are arranged in a winding direction through a gap, the wound element being formed so that the gap is situated in the curved part.
|ELECTRICITY STORAGE MODULE - An energy storage module in which a plurality of energy storage cells including electrode terminals are stacked, includes a bus bar that electrically connects a plurality of electrode terminals, a conductive member that is secured on the bus bar, a detection section that detects a voltage of each of the energy storage cells, and a wiring board, a wire that is electrically connected to the detection section, and a pad that is connected to the wire being formed on the wiring board, the conductive member coming in contact with the pad.
|LITHIUM ION CAPACITOR - Provided is a lithium ion capacitor that can maintain a high capacity retention rate and suppress an increase in internal resistance even after high-load charging-discharging is repeated many times and that has long service life because the occurrence of a short circuit due to precipitation of lithium on the negative electrode is prevented.
|LITHIUM ION CAPACITOR - The present invention has as its object the provision of a lithium ion capacitor having high capacity and high output characteristics and also having high safety that allows suppression of an increase in surface temperature even when an internal short circuit accidentally occurs.
|ACCUMULATOR DEVICEAANM Taguchi; MakotoAACI Kai-cityAACO JPAAGP Taguchi; Makoto Kai-city JPAANM Watanabe; YuuAACI Hokuto-cityAACO JPAAGP Watanabe; Yuu Hokuto-city JPAANM Ando; NobuoAACI Showa-choAACO JPAAGP Ando; Nobuo Showa-cho JPAANM Takagi; HidenoriAACI Nirasaki-cityAACO JPAAGP Takagi; Hidenori Nirasaki-city JP - An accumulator device includes: an outer container with mutually overlapped outer films bonded air-tightly to each other at a bonding portion formed along respective outer peripheral edge portions; an electrode unit accommodated inside the outer container and including positive and negative electrode sheets stacked one on another with a separator disposed therebetween, the positive and negative electrode sheets each including a current collector on which an electrode layer is formed; positive and negative electrode terminals provided to protrude from inside the outer container to outside through the bonding portion; and an electrolytic solution injected in the outer container. The positive electrode terminal includes an aluminum terminal substrate and a nickel-plating coating formed on a surface of an outer end portion of the terminal substrate located outside the outer container; an inner edge of the nickel-plating coating is located within the bonding portion.
|LAMINATE OUTER PACKAGING STORAGE DEVICE - A laminate-packaged electric storage device includes an outer package, an electric storage device element, and an electrolyte solution, the outer package formed by stacking and seal-tight bonding outer package films along a bonding section formed in an outer edge area of the outer package films, the electric storage device element and the electrolyte solution being held in a receiving section formed inside the outer package. A non-bonding section surrounded by the bonding section and communicating with the receiving section is formed in the outer edge area, an opening is formed through at least one outer package film, and a seal section is formed to surround the opening formed in an area of the non-bonding section, the outer package films bonded in the seal section, and the opening formed in the area of the non-bonding section at a position other than a center position.
|ACCUMULATOR DEVICE - Disclosed is an accumulator device that can prevent aluminum forming an outer container from forming an alloy with lithium even when fine lithium metal powder is isolated from a lithium ion supply source to adhere to the outer container.
|METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELECTRIC STORAGE DEVICE, AND ELECTRIC STORAGE DEVICE - A method of producing an electric storage device includes a fastening that includes fastening a laminate that includes a lithium foil and a metal foil to at least one of a first separator and a second separator using a bonding member, and a winding that includes winding the first separator, the second separator, the laminate, a cathode, and an anode to obtain a wound element, one of the first separator and the second separator being disposed between the cathode and the anode.
|WOUND-TYPE ACCUMULATOR - The invention has as its object the provision of a wound-type accumulator, by which arrangement of a lithium ion source is simplified, and the time required to inject an aprotic organic solvent electrolyte solution and the time required for predoping are shortened, and thus the assembly can be completed in a short period of time to achieve high productivity.
|COATED ELECTRODE AND ORGANIC ELECTROLYTE CAPACITOR - A coated electrode includes a current collector of an etched aluminum foil having a thickness of 20 to 45 μm, an apparent density of 2.00 to 2.54 g/cm
Patent applications by JM ENERGY CORPORATION


text:
Beta version
Full version: Jan 2016
|The first result of this collaboration between Instituo-e and ITC's Ethical Fashion Initiative will take place in November 2012 during Expo-Catadores in Brazil - an annual event showcasing the recycling work of Brazil's garbage collectors, the Catadores. The partnership will also aim to assist in developing a product with the Catadores. In the run-up to Expo-Catodores, the product development network will collaborate with the Catadores movement, enabling them to develop new products in the value chain of handicraft and lifestyle through a joint inception project.


text:
|ISSN 1088-6850(online) ISSN 0002-9947(print)
Ljusternik-Schnirelman theory in partially ordered Hilbert spaces
Abstract | References | Similar Articles | Additional Information
Abstract: We present several variants of Ljusternik-Schnirelman type theorems in partially ordered Hilbert spaces, which assert the locations of the critical points constructed by the minimax method in terms of the order structures. These results are applied to nonlinear Dirichlet boundary value problems to obtain the multiplicity of sign-changing solutions.
Retrieve articles in Transactions of the American Mathematical Society with MSC (2000): 35J20, 35J25, 58E05
Retrieve articles in all journals with MSC (2000): 35J20, 35J25, 58E05
Additional Information


text: American military officers Joe Contini and Paul MacDougall are sent on a spy mission to Italy during the waning days of World War II. They are able to send back vital information attached to the legs of carrier pigeons. But their delivery system suffers a severe setback when one of their partners in the resistance kills all but one of the pigeons to serve as a feast for his daughter's wedding day. The pigeons he substitutes as carrier replacements endanger the future of Contini and MacDougall's spy mission as well as their lives.


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About Jerzey
- Birthday 08/29/1974
I'll just add that I hate it when words are spelled out on jerseys so I'd be against one that said Devils or New Jersey on them. I also think out current logo is perfect so if there is a new jersey in our future I hope it's just a minor tweak of the current logo (as many have already said). I'm not really a fan of the red and greens even though they are part of our history. Maybe just add some small green piping to the red and blacks somehow. Black shoulders with small green piping (dark or forest green) and a red base. Same logo. Or opposite with Red shoulders with small green piping and a black base.
I hope you're right about Zacha. His disciplinary problems make me think he just needs to mature a little more but hopefully he has a good summer (of maturing). I was hoping Jacobs was going to be close to what Severon is. Maybe he'll be a late bloomer. I thought he was doing ok in Sarnia. I do think Blandisi is a full time nhler next year. If not the rest of this year.
Unfortunately I think next season will be more of the same for us unless Shero can pull off another Palmieri type trade or two. I don't see Zacha being ready next year. I do think we're going to be picking around 5-10 again but I doubt the player we select will be NHL ready either. I might be wrong here but I think Santini said he was going to continue playing at BC next season too. I might be getting him mixed up with Wood though. Jacobs might be AHL ready. Point is we won't be able to move anyone significant on defense (Severson) for a forward of equal skill until we know how Jacobs or Santini look at the NHL level. Not saying we should move Severson but I think eventually we're going to have to think about shipping someone out on defense for some forward help. I'm completely against trading Larsson so IMO Severson is the next best asset we have on defense (at this point), Greene just isn't an option although I'd be willing to be he could net us a decent return. So we drop some dead weight next year in Ruutu, Gio, Tootoo, and Elias (hopefully he just retires), but we really don't have anything significant to replace them with.
Devils vs Wild, 8pm NBCSN
Jerzey replied to Zubie#8's topic in HellSo if I'm not mistaken, this was the only game that will be blacked out for us (Game Center) all season.
Josefson to IR and we signed Blackwood to a 3 year entry level contract. Timing seems kind of odd to me on the Blackwood contract. Do players sign entry level contracts mid season often?
Sucks that we're so low on assets. They say it's almost impossible to find a 1c outside of drafting one yet it seems there might be 2 of them currently available with RNH and Ryan Johnassen. Would anyone here package Severson for one of these guys? I still think Seversons potential is sky high so I'm not so sure I would at least until we see what Jacobs is gonna be.
GDT: Devils @ Rick Flair's House (7 p.m., MSG+, WFAN)
Jerzey replied to RunninWithTheDevil's topic in HellHe's the yang to Mike Brown's yin. I like Mike's positivity though. His posts are like a lesson in Buddhism.
I like some edge too, a la Claude Lemieux or even Bobby Farnham. Just as long as we don't wind up with Marty Mcsorley on our hands. Also like Tri pointed out we can't have them constantly taking stupid penalties when they're with the big club. I don't mind a slip up here and there but I seem to hear a lot about Zacha's penalties. They're still young though and I say this as a 40 year old whose has a pretty bad temper over the years.
Nice. I heard Zacha shoved a linesman during the Canada game. Both Blackwood and Zacha seem like A level prospects but both have some temper issues they need to sort out. I remember when Merrill was having issues in college Lou paid him a visit. Maybe Shero will have a talk with these guys.
See what I'm saying about Andy Greene though? He makes his pairing look good. I don't think that's the case with Larsson though, at least I hope not.
Nice. His ability to pick those corners is awesome. Plus I've never seen Jacobs play before and he had a couple of nice passes in there.
Honestly I was just hoping for a new style and system and that's exactly what we got. I actually expected us to be a lot worse before the season started but I was more excited to watch this team than most of the teams put together in the past few years. So really I might not be the best person to ask because I just wanted change.
I can understand people who are still loyal to Lou but how anyone can dislike what Shero has done so far is beyond me. This team is playing way better than anyone else could have predicted.
Here's the gif. Stupid but not as bad as I thought it would be. http://gfycat.com/AppropriateTenseBrant
Devils sign Tyler Kennedy; Jiri Tlusty on injured reserve
Jerzey replied to msweet's topic in HellI think the military style worked well in pro sports for a long time but I think things are just different now. It should still be applied to college sports IMO but no pro sports team really uses that philosophy anymore. To be honest I'd say Lou's Devils were one of the, if not the, last pro sports teams to be so militaristic. Could be wrong but I can't think of any pro sports team, in North America at least, that was as strict as Lou.


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Add romance to your wardrobe with classic lace and a sweet silhouette. The unlined three-quarter sleeves and front pleat detailing give the full-skirted dress a vintage feel. A coordinated stretch satin lining creates a tonal textured look in ivory.
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|Quick links:
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March 27, 2013
Spring Practice 9 recap
Having recently passed the midway point of spring camp, the University of Memphis Tigers began the third week of drills on Tuesday.
"We are getting into the grind part of it now," said Memphis football coach Justin Fuente following the ninth of 15 practices during spring camp. "I want to see some toughness. I want to see some guys push through the aches and pains that they are going through because everybody's got them.
"We have to come out here and continue to get better," he said. "We have to become a smarter football team. Not just being physical and being tough. We have to play smart and elminiate mistakes."
Memphis will workout on Thursday and Saturday of this week. The Tigers' spring game is slated for April 6 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.


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Girl 21 Dec 2012 by mashiWatch
©2012-2016 mashi
Don't want to waste the pattern paper I bought awhile ago so just thought to do something with it.
I really love the background paper pattern and it pulled into her suit! Really nice look with your style and composition
How did you go about getting the pattern on her? This is really neat!
nice draw!, that day the world is not ending jejeje
Great patterns.
Sexy-ass legs! I love it.
Love it!
Very cute.
very cute
Cute and hooray for recycling!
mashi,BEAUTIFUL,one of your BEST,the background is a nice touch...
It works.
lovely !
Love your girls!
the smartest way to use pattern paper!
it's amazing Dear!
it's amazing Dear!