A method for efficient, high quality rendering of a surface patch. The method tests a surface patch for flatness, and if the surface patch is not flat, the method divides the surface patch into a left surface patch and a right surface patch. Otherwise if the surface patch is flat, the method converts the surface patch into triangles. This method can be implemented to operate recursively, thereby ensuring that all portions of the patch are eventually converted into triangles when the portions become small enough to satisfy the flatness condition. A patch tests as flat only if all curves which form the patch do not deviate from straight lines by more than a predetermined tolerance. The division is efficiently performed by determining (i) left patch control points for a first portion of all curves along one axis of the surface patch, and (ii) right patch control points for a second portion of all curves along said axis of the surface patch. The axis of division preferably alternates, so that the dividing is done along a second axis if patch is not flat along the second axis and a preceding division occurred along a first axis. The method also includes tests for backfaced orientation of the patch and external location of the patch. The patch is discarded if it faces away from the viewpoint or does not appear inside the viewing region.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of methods for converting object representations to images for graphical display systems, and in particular to a method for rendering a surface represented by a set of Bezier patches.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a growing interest in the graphics, vision, and manufacturing communities to be able to acquire and digitally reproduce the shape and external appearance of objects for the purpose of transmission, display, and numerically controlled fabrication. This would have applications in product design, fast prototyping, reverse engineering, and digitizing shapes for the visual simulation, animation, and entertainment industries. Current advancement in laser range scanners now offers a promising methodology for fully-automated model acquisition of arbitrary objects. Several million points scanned on an arbitrary object can be converted easily into an irregular mesh of polygons. These polygons are then preferably converted into a parametric surface representation, which is a more compact and manipulable form. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/810,265 titled "System and method for parametric surface representation of objects using high order surface patches" filed Mar. 3, 1997, and authored by Nishit Kumar et al. provides a fully automated method for converting a polygonal representation into a set of Bezier patches. A method for rendering these patches is now desirable.
A Bezier patch is a two-dimensional Bezier curve. A Bezier curve is defined by the following equation: ##EQU1## where g.sub.i, 0.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.n, are control points as shown in FIG. 1A. The result is a curve that is formed by a weighted sum of the control points. In cubic form, equation (1) can be represented by the following matrix equation: ##EQU2## where G.sub.c is a column vector containing the Bezier curve control points. If G.sub.c is parameterized in order to vary as a function of a second coordinate t, this gives the two-dimensional surface: ##EQU3## Realizing that for 3rd order Bezier curves, G.sub.i (t) can be expressed in the matrix equation EQU G.sub.i (t)=TMG.sub.ci, (4)
an expanded form of equation (3) can be written ##EQU4##
Equation (5) is the matrix form of a bicubic Bezier patch. An example of such a patch is shown in FIG. 1B. Equation (5) is decomposable into three equations of the same form, one equation for each coordinate axis of the control points. For example, equation (5) could be written as EQU X(s,t)=SMG.sub.x MT.sup.T, (6) EQU Y(s,t)=SMG.sub.y MT.sup.T, and (7) EQU Z(s,t)=SMG.sub.z MT.sup.T. (8)
A generalization of the Bezier patches is often used. A rational Bezier patch has a fourth equation EQU W(s,t)=SMG.sub.w MT.sup.T, (9)
which is used in determining the equation of the points of the surface in the following way: the (x,y,z) points on the surface patch are given by ##EQU5## where 0.ltoreq.s, t.ltoreq.1.
Three properties of Bezier patches are noted here. A Bezier patch is completely contained within the convex hull formed by the control points which define the patch. One exemplary consequence of this is that it may be determined that a patch is not within the screen boundaries if none of the control points is within the screen boundaries. A desired affine transformation (e.g. rotation, translation, magnification) of a Bezier patch may be achieved by applying the transformation to the control points. An exemplary consequence of this is that the transformation may be applied before the patch is rendered, thereby providing a significant decrease in the associated computation. An affine transformation may be applied to the s,t parameters of a Bezier patch without inducing any variation in the patch. These three properties will be used in later discussion.
In addition to the surface coordinates of an object, Bezier patches may be used to represent other aspects of the object. Examples include patches which provide values for the normal to the surface (N), the direction of the light source (L), the direction of reflected objects (R), and the surface color (RGB). Each of these patches must also be rendered during the rendering of the surface to provide a variety of special effects.
The usage of Bezier patches advantageously provides a method for compact, high-quality representation of objects. This method also allows for efficient execution of affine transformations on the object. It is desirable to have a method for converting Bezier patches into sets of triangles or other polygons for which established graphics rendering hardware exists.

Method for rendering high order rational surface patches


An optical device is formed on an optical IC chip. The optical device includes: an optical device circuit; a first optical waveguide that is coupled to the a first grating coupler; a second grating coupler; a polarization rotator that is coupled to the first grating coupler; a polarization beam combiner or a polarization beam splitter that is coupled to the polarization rotator and to the second grating coupler; and a second optical waveguide that is coupled to the polarization beam combiner or to the polarization beam splitter. The first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide respectively extend to an edge of the optical IC chip.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a testing method for an optical device. In this example, an optical device 1 is equipped with an optical receiver 10 and an optical modulator 20. The optical receiver 10 and the optical modulator 20 are implemented on an optical IC chip. Meanwhile, an optical waveguide 11 guides the input optical signal to the optical receiver 10. The optical waveguide 21 guides input CW light to the optical modulator 20. The optical waveguide 22 propagates the modulated optical signal generated by the optical modulator 20.
In the testing of the optical receiver 10, a light source (LD) 31 outputs an optical signal. A polarization controller 32 controls the polarization of the optical signal output from the light source 31. For example, in the TE polarization measurement, the polarization controller 32 controls the polarization of the optical signal output from the light source 31 so that a TE wave is input to the optical receiver 10. In the TM polarization measurement, the polarization controller 32 controls the polarization of the optical signal output from the light source 31 so that a TM wave is input to the optical receiver 10. The optical signal output from the polarization controller 32 enters the optical waveguide 11 via an optical fiber 33. The optical receiver 10 generates an electric signal RF_out that represents the input optical signal. Then, according to the electric signal RF_out, the quality (for example, the light sensitivity, extinction ratio, and the like) is measured for each polarization.
In the testing of the optical modulator 20, a light source (LD) 41 outputs CW (continuous wave) light. A polarization controller 42 generates single polarization CW light (for example, the TE wave) from the CW light output from the light source 41. The single polarization CW light output from the polarization controller 42 enters the optical waveguide 21 via an optical fiber 43. The optical modulator modulates the single polarization CW light with an electric signal RF_in to generate a modulated optical signal. The modulated optical signal is guided to a polarization beam splitter (PBS) 45 via the optical waveguide 22 and the optical fiber 44. The polarization beam splitter 45 splits the modulated optical light into a TE wave component and a TM wave component. Optical power meters 46 and 47 measures the TE wave component and the TM wave component, respectively. According to this configuration, the quality (for example, the insertion loss, extinction ratio, and the like) is measured.
The testing method illustrated in FIG. 1 is performed after optical IC chips are cut out from the wafer to each of the optical IC chips. At this time, it is necessary to align the optical fibers 33, 43, 44 on the edge of the optical waveguide 11, 21, 22, respectively, that are formed on the optical IC chip. Therefore, a long time is required for the testing of the optical device.
FIG. 2 illustrates another example of the testing method of an optical device. The testing method illustrated in FIG. 2 is performed on the wafer before respective optical IC chips are cut out from the wafer. Here, in order to perform the testing of the optical device on the wafer, a configuration in which light is cast on the surface of the wafer to guide the light to the optical receiver 10 and the optical modulator 20, and a configuration for obtaining the modulated optical signal generated by the optical modulator 20 from the surface of the wafer are required. For this reason, a grating coupler is formed near the optical device on the wafer.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, a GC area for forming grating couplers 51, 52, 53 is provided next to the device area for forming the optical device. The optical waveguides 11, 21, 22 extend to the GC area beyond the dicing line and are coupled to the grating couplers 51, 52, 53, respectively.
When the optical signal generated by the light source 31 enters the grating coupler 51 via the optical fiber 33, it is guided to the optical receiver 10 via the optical waveguide 11. In a similar manner, when the CW light generated by the light source 41 enters the grating coupler 52, it is guided to the optical modulator 20 via the optical waveguide 21. Meanwhile, the modulated optical signal generated by the optical modulator 20 is emitted via the optical waveguide 22 and the grating coupler 53, and therefore, by placing the optical fiber 44 near the grating coupler 53, the modulated optical signal is guided to the power meters 46, 47. Therefore, it is possible to test the optical device on the wafer before cutting out respective optical IC chips from the wafer.
Meanwhile, the configuration to couple the grating coupler or the optical fiber to the optical waveguide is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0235370 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0091664, for example.
As described above, by forming a grating coupler near the optical device, it is possible to perform testing of the optical device on the wafer before cutting out respective optical IC chips from the wafer. However, the loss of the TM wave is large in the grating coupler. Therefore, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, variations by wafer or by optical IC chip may become large, and credibility of measurement results may be lowered.

Optical device, optical transceiver module, and method of producing optical device


A spark plug comprises: a spark plug housing; an axial core electrode disposed in a longitudinal direction in the spark plug housing; and a ground electrode having a terminal part spaced apart along the longitudinal direction from a distal end of the axial core electrode and disposed in a perpendicular relation with the axial core electrode, the terminal part having a circular through hole formed along an axis coaxial with the axial core electrode, the circular through hole having a tapered inner surface and including a plurality of spiral protrusions disposed on the tapered inner surface to induce a turbulent air flow in the combustion inflow.

Generally, as shown in FIG. 3, a side surface ground electrode 12 of a spark plug 11 is bent in a L-shape being perpendicular with respect to an axial core direction, so that a discharge part 14 facing an axial core electrode 13 is formed in a rectangular shape.
When a discharge spark occurs at the spark plug, a spark occurs between the axial core electrode 13 and a discharge end part 14 of the ground electrode 12 disposed below the axial core electrode 13. A mixed gas in a space 15 formed by the electrodes is combusted by spark, so that a compressed mixed gas is exploded in a cylinder. In the conventional art, a high pressure air generated by the explosion may be blocked by the discharge end part 14, so that a combustion spreading effect with respect to an air combustion mixed gas in a combustion chamber is not good.
When a residual carbon remains in the space formed by the electrodes, the carbons may be accumulated and be changed from a particle phase to a chain phase at the surfaces of the electrodes 13 and 14, so that a short circuit may occur between the electrodes 13 and 14. In this state, even when voltage is supplied, spark may not occur for thereby producing serious problems, so that an engine may stop or mixed gas is outputted to an exhaust pipe in a state it is not combusted. As non-combusted gas is outputted to an exhaust pipe, a backfire phenomenon frequently occurs, so that an abnormal phenomenon and a combustion efficiency decrease problem occur.
When a time of use passes, a crack may occur at a discharge concentration portion of the front end of the axial core electrode 13 due to corrosion, so that a critical damage occurs. The life span of the spark plug may decrease due to an unbalanced abrasion.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, so as to overcome the above problems, there is provided a spark plug 26 which includes an axial core electrode 21 adapted to make spark, and a side surface ground electrode 25 which is opposite to the axial core electrode 21 with the side surface ground electrode 25 being disposed with a spark space 22 from the axial core electrode 21, and with a discharge end part 23 of the side surface ground electrode 25 being formed in a circular shape and having a center circular hole 24. A cap 27 of which part is opened is formed at the circular discharge end part 23 of the spark plug 26, and a plurality of protrusions 28 are formed at a circular inner side surface of the circular discharge front end part 23 in a circular shape. With the above construction, when a discharge spark occurs at the spark plug, a fast moving high pressure passes through the center circular hole 24 among the discharge end portion 23 of the ground electrode 25, the residual carbons are quickly sprayed from the space 22 between the electrodes 21 and 25, so that the residual carbons are not accumulated at a the discharge surfaces of the electrodes for thereby enhancing the efficiency of use and extending the life span of the products. In addition, the side surface ground electrode 25 is designed to effectively spreading heat energy occurring during a spark and explosion combustion from the circular discharge end part 23, so that the area of the spark generation may increase.
However, the spark plug having the circular discharge end part 23 is known to slightly prevent the problem that the carbons are accumulated on the surfaces of the electrodes. In addition, if the compressed mixed gas in the spark space 22 between the electrodes 21 and 25 is not uniformly distributed, the spark spreading speed and combustion efficiencies significantly decrease. The above problems occur because the sparks occurring at the spark plug do not affect the uniformly distributed mixed gas. The protrusions 28 formed at the inner side of the circular discharge end part 23 are formed with simple structures, so that the accumulated carbons can not be effectively removed from the surfaces of the electrodes because the sparks are spread in a straight line shape.


A method, computer program product, and system for validating content included in an electronic communication is disclosed. A computer receives a new communication that includes content from an original communication. The computer determines if the content included in the new communication includes a change to the original communication. In response to determining that the content includes the change to the original communication, the computer generates a validation score of the new communication, such that the validation score is determined by an amount of match between the content of the new communication and the original communication, and the extent to which the change alters a purport of the original communication.

The use of communication channels of many types has increased greatly, given the proliferation of digitized communication technologies. Similarly, the use of personal networking services has also increased greatly, especially in areas using social media. Social media may be described as interaction among users of digitized communication, forming virtual communities that create, exchange, share and comment on the content of the digitized communication.
Communication channels in widespread use include, for example, telephone voice channels, cellular phone text message channels, computerized instant messaging channels, electronic mail channels, as well as others. Social media networks may utilize Internet-based applications running on mobile and web-based technologies that enable users of social media, thus expanding communications between individuals, communities and organizations.
Social media has become one of the most powerful sources for news updates, information sources, career and professional connections, and topic communities. In addition, social media sources create new opportunities for businesses, which are able to utilize social media for marketing research, sales promotions, and customer relationship development, among others purposes. Different types of social media include collaborative projects, blogs or micro-blogs, social networking sites and topic-specific content communities.
Many media applications enable the creation of user-generated content that may typically be displayed or "posted" to a website page on the internet that can be subscribed to or searched by users. Media content can also be distributed as short message service (SMS), messages. One method of sharing public communication content is by repeating or "re-posting" of one user's content by another user; making the content available to users referred to as "followers" who search for or subscribe to communications by a particular author. Re-posting content extends awareness of new or updated content for view by additional audiences. However, when shared content is "re-posted" or repeated by another user, the content may be intentionally or unintentionally altered. Changes to content can be made in re-postings that may still be equivalent in meaning to the original communication, however, there may be cases in which edits are made that are clearly not equivalent to the original communication.

Validating content from an original communication included in a new communication

International Business Machines Corporation


Some variations provide an automated system for solvent extraction of a feed stock to produce a botanical extract, fats, oils, or other desirable solute, comprising: an extraction reactor; a distillation unit; and a second-stage purge chamber or a second-stage purge process utilizing the extraction reactor itself. The second-stage purge chamber or process receives or holds the solid material along with a heated inert non-condensable gas and/or solvent vapor, to recover residual solvent contained in the solid material. Other variations provide a process comprising: feeding a raw material and a solvent into an extraction reactor; generating dissolved material in rich solvent and extracted solid material; distilling the rich solvent to generate purified product and recovered solvent; conveying the solid material and a heated inert non-condensable gas and/or solvent vapor into a second-stage purge chamber, or holding the solid material in the same vessel, to recover residual solvent; and recovering the purified product.

A botanical extract is an herbal or product ingredient with desirable flavor, aroma, or nutritive quality that is removed from the tissue of a plant, usually by treating it with a solvent, to be used for a particular purpose. Botanical extracts have been used as a source of medicine throughout history and continue to serve as the basis for many pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals today.
Solvent extractions of essential oils have occurred for centuries. Most early applications employed the use of commonly available oils like olive oil and vegetable oils, based on direct contact of the oil with the plant material or seeds of the desired essential oil. These were used in early medicine, food enhancements, and preservatives. This process was very inefficient and only a minor portion of the plant's compounds were transferred to the oil carrier. Steam stripping was later used and proved to be far more efficient. Steam extractions are widely used today. However, the high temperatures of the steam stripping cycle will damage some of the targeted compounds.
The phytochemical composition of many plants has changed over time, with domestication of agricultural crops resulting in enhanced content of some bioactive compounds and diminished content of others. Plants continue to serve as a valuable source of therapeutic compounds because of their vast biosynthetic capacity. Due to modern breakthroughs in science, technology, and engineering, global markets are just now adopting and have a deeper awareness of the medicinal, therapeutic, and alternative-energy applications, to name a few uses of botanical extracts. Valuable botanical extracts include chamomile, dandelion, echinacea, marigold, lavender, cannabis, hemp, and many other therapeutic plants and herbs that organically grow in our ecosystem.
The problem that currently exists in botanical extraction processing is that typical manufacturing methods are limited in capacity, capability, and consistency. Present systems are generally small, single-batch, mixed-phase solvent systems designed and operated for small throughputs. Existing customer pains include slow processing times, inconsistent output quality and yield, low volume capability, high cost, and logistical expense. The increased demand in processing capabilities for botanical extractions is proving that existing technologies are not only incapable of handling the volume but they are also unsustainable processing solutions.
Prior art would have the operator manually fill the extraction vessel, rinse the plant material, and then wait to remove excess solvent via evaporation, pressure to squeeze the residual retained in the biomass, spinning, or other mechanical processes to remove the remaining solvent. Then the operator manually removes content from the extraction vessel, exposing the operator to risk of contact with residual solvent being exposed to environment, at the same time losing valuable high-quality laboratory or food-grade solvents. Then the operator manually refills it to repeat the action.
Because the market dependency and growth for botanical extraction is rapidly expanding, there is an immediate need for larger-scale solutions of high efficiency processing. In view of the prior art, problems include material handling, distillation time, recovery of solvent, and removal of the extract from the machine. There is a desire for removal of target compounds from plant materials without damage to the compounds, and at high yields.

Modular, mobile, and automated solvent extraction and distillation systems, and methods of using the same


A convertible game system configured to be used by a player at home who wishes to practice skills from multiple sports on an apparatus that does not require extensive space requirements. The game system has a frame, with a hopper section and a mounting section, a ball return, and a rotational component. The rotational component is mounted to the frame at the mounting section by a locking bearing system. For use, a player unlocks the locking bearing system, rotates the rotational component to display the desired game face, then re-locks the locking bearing system before beginning game play. The rotational component can have as few as 3 faces, and as many as 8 faces.

People enjoy playing sports, but most amateur athletes lack the personal resources to construct full game playing fields, especially for different games, such as basketball or football. Constructing an entire football field or basketball court is simply impractical, and thus the market has arisen for personal sport systems. However, personal sport systems, such as a portable basketball hoop or football toss system, can be large and take up a significant amount of space, meaning an athlete may have to choose only one sport to practice at home, even though they wish to practice skills from other sports.
What is needed is a convertible game system that allows a user to practice skills for multiple sports using the same equipment, which can be easily converted between sports while only using the required space for a single personal sports system.


A mounting assembly for a medal is provided. The medal is coupled to a ribbon. The mounting assembly includes a housing, a magnet disposed in the housing, and a clip member having first and second walls. The first wall has a first surface and a second surface. The second wall has a biasing portion extending toward the first wall. The second wall is coupled to the housing such that a gap is formed between the biasing portion and the first surface of the first wall. The mounting assembly further includes an adhesive sheet that is disposed on the second surface of the first wall. The adhesive sheet is configured to hold the medal thereon.

Many clubs, sports teams, and sporting events offer a reward for the completion of a goal in the form of a medal attached to a ribbon designed to be worn around the participant's neck. Currently, most participants wear their medal for a brief period and then place the medal in storage. Thus, participants do not have an easy or convenient way of displaying their medal other than by wearing the medal around their neck.
Accordingly, the inventor herein has recognized a need for a mounting assembly for displaying a medal and a ribbon that minimizes and/or eliminates the above-mentioned deficiency.

Mounting assembly for a medal and a ribbon and a method of mounting the medal and the ribbon


Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.

Aircraft are designed to operate within certain operating speeds and loads on control surfaces of the aircraft. These operating limits are known as the flight envelope, outside of which there may be damage or loss of control of the aircraft. In order to protect against operating outside of the flight envelope, conventional aircraft utilize many disparate systems that evaluate individual aspects of the aircraft to determine whether the aircraft is operating outside of the flight envelope or is likely to collide with the ground on the present flight path. These conventional systems, however, have limitations that prevent full envelope protection.
Furthermore, these conventional systems are often disabled for landing based on whether the landing gear is down or by pilot command. Disabling the systems for landing, however, causes the aircraft to lose flight envelope protection during the landing.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and aircraft that provide greater flight envelope protection during flight and during landing phases. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Aircraft flight envelope protection and recovery autopilot


A small and thin plane type narrow-band dielectric filter to be used for a portable telephone and the like, includes a plurality of end short-circuited strip line resonators having a length of about quarter-wavelength formed parallel and closely to each other on a first dielectric substrate and directly magnetically coupled to each other. The thus formed strip line resonators are partially bonded to parallel plane capacitor electrodes formed on a second dielectric substrate in respective overlapping areas thereby electrically coupling the strip line resonators through the parallel plane capacitors, so that the inter-resonator coupling can be reduced due to the fact that it is achieved in combination with the magnetic coupling and the electrical coupling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a compact planar type dielectric filter to be mainly used in high frequency radio equipment such as a portable telephone set and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, there is an increasingly growing demand for further down-sizing of a planar type dielectric filter which can be made thinner in structure as compared with the coaxial type being widely used for portable telephone sets.
An explanation follows on the operation of a conventional dielectric filter of a laminated planar type as an example. A conventional planar dielectric filter comprises two thick dielectric layers, a first dielectric sheet on which two coil electrodes are formed, a second dielectric sheet on which one-side electrodes of two parallel plane capacitors are formed, a third dielectric sheet on which the other side electrodes of the two parallel plane capacitors are formed, a fourth dielectric sheet on which a shield electrode is formed, and a dielectric sheet which serves to protect the electrodes, which are laminated from the bottom in the order of the fourth dielectric sheet, one of the two thick dielectric layers, the first dielectric sheet, the other of the two thick dielectric layers, the second dielectric sheet, the third dielectric sheet and the dielectric sheet for electrode protection. In the dielectric filter constructed as above, the parallel plane capacitors are formed respectively between the capacitor electrodes confronting to each other. The parallel plane capacitors are connected through respective side electrodes to the coil electrodes in series to serve to act as a resonance circuit. The two coils are magnetically coupled to each other, and the input/output terminals are taken intermediately of the coil electrodes, thus forming a band-pass filter. (See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 3-72706.)
With the conventional dielectric filter structured as above, if the coil electrodes are disposed close to each other to decrease the distance therebetween for down-sizing, a problem arisen in that a good narrow band band-pass characteristic is not easily realized due to the fact that the magnetic coupling between the resonance circuits becomes too large.

Dielectric filter having inter-resonator coupling including both magnetic and electric coupling

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention relates to a fluid circuit (3) comprising: —a supply line (5) for carrying a fluid from a pump (4) connected to a fluid tank (2) to an equipment (8), the supply line having a portion which is divided into a main line (10) including a heat exchanger (13), and a by-pass line (15) for by-passing said heat exchanger; —a first valve (31) for controlling the respective fluid flows in the main line (10) and in the by-pass line (15), and a first control device (33) for controlling the first valve (31) depending on a first parameter (T) of the fluid; —a pressure regulation circuit for carrying fluid from the supply line (5) towards the fluid tank (2), said pressure regulation circuit comprising a pressure regulation valve (23) for controlling the flow of fluid directed back to the fluid tank (2); wherein the pressure regulation circuit comprises: —a first recirculation line (21) branching from the supply line (5) downstream from the by-pass line outlet (17); —a second recirculation line (22) branching from the supply line (5) upstream from the by-pass line inlet (16); —a second valve (32) for controlling the respective fluid flows in the first recirculation line (21) and in the second recirculation line (22), and a second control device (33) for controlling the first valve (31) depending on a second parameter (T) of the fluid.

Fluid systems are used in a wide range of technical fields and applications. For example, vehicles conventionally comprise a fluid system for carrying oil to various equipments of the vehicle, for lubricating, cooling or moving said equipments.
Such a fluid system typically comprises a fluid tank, a pump, and a supply line for carrying the fluid to the equipment(s). The supply line generally includes a heat exchanger in order to control the temperature of the fluid provided to the equipment(s).
When the pump is a constant displacement pump, it provides the same flow at a given rotation speed, whereas the current required fluid pressure may be lower. This results in an unnecessarily high fuel consumption. To limit this drawback, without using more sophisticated and therefore more expensive pumps (such as recirculation pumps or variable capacity pumps), part of the fluid provided by the pump can be directed back to the fluid tank instead of being supplied to the equipment. To that end, part of the fluid exiting the heat exchanger is directed back to the fluid tank, and this fluid return flow can be controlled by the fluid pressure.
However, the known fluid systems are not fully satisfactory, as they still bring significant pressure losses and therefore energy waste.

Fluid circuit and a process for controlling a flow of fluid supplied to at least one equipment


A method for designing a control apparatus includes: determining first, second and third threshold values; setting a first weighting function for calculating a first controlled variable by being multiplied by a difference between a control target value and an output value of a storage battery, a second weighting function for calculating a second controlled variable by being multiplied by the output value of the storage battery, and a third weighting function for calculating a third controlled variable by being multiplied by an integrated value of the output value of the storage battery; and determining a transfer function of the control apparatus in accordance with an H-infinity control theory such that the first controlled variable, the second controlled variable and the third controlled variable are respectively smaller than the first, second and third threshold values.

There is a limit to the amount of power by which storage batteries can be charged or discharged. Accordingly, power storage apparatuses having a control apparatus for controlling the operation of a storage battery by providing feedback of a deviation between the planned power storage amount value and the actual power storage amount value have been proposed (for example, Patent Literatures (PTLs) 1 and 2).

Method for designing a control apparatus and control apparatus