902 results about "Small amplitude" patented technology

A wave energy converter with air compression (WECWAC) includes a cylinder and a piston located within the cylinder dividing the cylinder into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The cylinder is fixedly attached to a spar whose up / down (heave) motion is restrained. The piston is fixedly attached to, and driven by, a float which moves generally in phase with the waves. Under typical wave conditions the piston functions to compress air within the upper chamber on its up stroke and within the lower chamber on its down stroke, i. e., the system is thus double-acting. In still water, the spar and cylinder combination is designed to drift down into the body of water relative to the piston whereby the size / volume of the upper chamber is decreased (while that of the lower chamber is increased). For small amplitude waves the piston continues to compress air in the upper chamber and this asymmetrical compression continues until the waves reach a predetermine level when “double-action” is resumed. Controlling the position of the cylinder relative to the piston enables the WECWAC to automatically regulate its compression ‘stroke’ to suit varying wave conditions. The pressurized air from a WECWAC may be stored and / or processed to drive a turbo-generator or it may be combined with the outputs of other WECWACs to drive a single large and highly efficient turbo-generator.

A composite that contains an elastic film laminated to a meltblown facing is provided. During lamination, apertures and discrete bond sites may be concurrently formed in the elastic film. The discrete bond sites may be located proximate (adjacent or near to) a perimeter defined by corresponding apertures formed by displacement of the film. The location of the bond sites adjacent to or near the apertures may enhance the durability of the meltblown facing by strengthening the area surrounding the apertures. Furthermore, the content of the elastic film and the temperature / pressure of lamination may be selected to that the film possesses a sufficient tack for adhering to the facing at regions other than those fused together by the bonding elements of the patterned roll. Such secondary bonding further stabilizes the meltblown facing and renders it suitable for printing. Further, the film is under tension in the machine direction during lamination. Subsequent to lamination, however, the film is retracted so that the facing retracts toward its original machine direction length, thereby gathering and forming pleats. It has been discovered that these pleats have a relatively small amplitude (height), as well as a substantially uniform frequency across the surface of the facing. Such a small height and increased regularity improves the ability to transfer an ink to “peaks” of the pleats, thereby improving print quality and uniformity.