A method, energy usage analysis device, and non-transitory computer readable medium that obtain an amount of energy generated from wind resources and thermal resources at a plurality of intervals over a specified time period. An amount of energy consumed by a user at each of the intervals is obtained. An energy source wind number value is generated for each of the intervals based on the respective amount of energy generated from the wind resources and the thermal resources. An energy consumption wind number value is generated for each of the intervals based on the respective energy source wind number value and the respective amount of energy consumed by the user. An overall wind number value is generated for the specified time period based on the energy consumption wind number values and the amount of energy consumed at each of the intervals. The overall wind number value is output.

A robot includes a base, a first arm that rotates around a first rotation axis, a second arm that rotates around a second rotation axis extending in a direction different than the first rotation axis, a third arm that rotates around a third rotation axis extending in a direction parallel to the second rotation axis, a first inertia sensor at the first arm, a second (a) inertia sensor at the third arm, a first angle sensor at a first drive source, a third angle sensor at a third drive source, and the drive sources rotate the respective arms. Angular velocities from the first inertia sensor and the first angle sensor are fed back to a first drive source control unit. Angular velocities from the second (a) inertia sensor and the third angle sensor are fed back to a second drive source control unit.

A method for controlling an actuator of a hinged segment including the steps of: estimating an inertia J of the segment and a minimum viscous hinge friction f; estimating or measuring a traveling speed {dot over (X)} of the segment and an internal deformation ΔX of the actuator; synthesizing a control law H.sub.∞ generating a control current (or torque) from the estimates or measurements and meeting a performance objective pertaining to a transfer function (I) between an acceleration {umlaut over (X)} of the segment and an external force F to which the segment is subjected: (II) with (III), ε being a mathematical artifact and s being the Laplace variable; and controlling the actuation of the hinged segment according to the control law thus synthesized.

A water heating system can include a water heater having a tank, an inlet line, and an outlet line, where the inlet line provides unheated water to the tank, and where the outlet line draws heated water from the tank. The water heating system can also include multiple sensing devices, where each sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices measures a parameter associated with the tank. The water heating system can further include a controller communicably coupled to the plurality of sensing devices, where the controller determines an amount of heated water in the tank based on measurements made by the plurality of sensing devices.

The present disclosure describes software tools for effective biosecurity based on community knowledge and participation. Annotation tools described herein provide assistance to the synthetic biology community to track emerging science on the link between individual proteins and negative outcomes. Screening tools described herein enables the community to broaden both interest and effective practice of biosecurity so that practitioners and biological sequence or construct providers are empowered to evaluate the safety of order requests rather than waiting until synthesis or even expression. In addition, screening tools described herein provide for screening of polynucleotides across the same or multiple orders for sequences associated with harmful biological sequences from a reference database.

A process control device includes an interface configured to communicate with other devices in a process control system. The process control device also includes a primary power source, the primary power source configured to provide power to at least one component of the process control device, which component, if not powered, would result in disruption to the control of the process. The process control device still further includes a terminal configured to electrically couple the process control device to an auxiliary power source such that the auxiliary power source provides sufficient power to the at least one component when the auxiliary power source is connected to the terminal such that the process control device remains operable to control the process in the absence of the primary power source.

A system for managing performance of one or more electrical components in real-time is disclosed. The system includes one or more sensors coupled to one or more energy consuming devices and adapted to provide working conditions of the one or more energy consuming devices. The system further includes one or more actuators coupled to and configured to control the one or more energy consuming devices. Additionally, the system includes a computing device in electrical communication with the one or more sensors and the one or more actuators. The system also includes a database capable of retaining an instruction program for the computing device. The computing device includes a processor that is configured to receive data from the one or more sensors, analyze data from the one or more sensors, and execute the instruction program received from the database in order to optimize operation of the one or more energy consuming devices based on one or more criteria.

Techniques for saving energy efficient setpoints are described herein. A computing device can detect a change in a setpoint schedule based on setpoint data from a client computing device. The computing device can determine that the change in the setpoint schedule decreases energy consumption for a corresponding utility customer associated with the client computing device. The computing device can generate a notification including an indication that the change in the setpoint schedule decreases energy consumption for the corresponding utility customer. The computing device can further send the notification to the client computing device to cause a prompt to be displayed on a user interface of the client computing device, in which the prompt includes the sent notification. The computing device may cause a prompt to be displayed on the client computing device that includes options including an option to adopt the change in the setpoint schedule using the setpoint data.

A method for controlling an economizer in a building HVAC system includes providing a manipulated variable as an input to a control process, holding the manipulated variable at a first extremum during a first portion of an evaluation period, and applying a dither signal to the manipulated variable during a second portion of the evaluation period. The dither signal causes the manipulated variable to deviate from the extremum. The method further includes monitoring a variable of interest output by the control process during the first and second portions of the evaluation period and switching the manipulated variable to a second extremum opposite the first extremum in response to the variable of interest moving toward an optimal value during the second portion of the evaluation period.

The inventive subject matter provides a system and a method for automatically controlling appliances via a mechanical controller. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes a first circuitry communicatively coupled with one or more sensors and configured to generate a motor controlling signal based in part on a reading from the sensor. The system also includes a mechanical device in contact with a lever of the mechanical controller. The system also includes a second circuitry configured to cause the mechanical device to move the lever as a function of the signal received from the first circuitry to control the appliance.