A thermal processing system is provided. The thermal processing system can include a processing chamber and a workpiece disposed within the processing chamber. The thermal processing system can include a heat source configured to emit light towards the workpiece. The thermal processing system can further include a tunable reflective array disposed between the workpiece and the heat source. The tunable reflective array can include a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the plurality of pixels can include an electrochromatic material configurable in a translucent state or an opaque state. When the electrochromatic material of a pixel is configured in the translucent state, the light at least partially passes through the pixel. Conversely, transmission of light through a pixel is reduced when the electrochromatic material of the pixel is configured in the opaque state.

A device for continuously heating foodstuffs includes a channel arranged to receive an electrically conductive liquid. Side walls of the channel include mutually opposite electrodes that are arranged in pairs which are connected to a current source. A first pair of mutually the opposite electrodes is arranged on the side walls of the channel at a distance along the channel. A second pair of mutually opposite electrodes is arranged in electrical contact with the interior of the channel. Each pair of electrodes is electrically connected to a respective one of separate secondary windings of a transformer of the current source. The secondary windings are arranged to be excited by at least one primary winding.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling infrared radiation (IR) sources of a sauna including tuning IR wavelength-ranges and radiated power-levels of IR sources, and directing IR to locations on a user's body. In one illustrative embodiment, a sauna may be provided having adjustable IR emitters to emit IR at any wavelength resulting in a desirable radiation treatment for the sauna user. In another illustrative embodiment, a method is provided for tuning IR emitters in a sauna.

Disclosed are methods of making low voltage joule heating elements (10, 40, 50) from carbon nanotubes (CNT) (32). In an embodiment, the heating element (10) includes layers (12) of aligned thin film CNTs. In another embodiment, the heating element (40) includes CNTs (32) dispersed in a polymer (34) to form a CNT polymer composite (30). In another embodiment, the heating element (50) includes CNT thread (52) stitched to a fabric (54). Each embodiment further includes a pair of electrodes (20, 22, 42, 44, 56, 58) that are configured to be couple to a source of electricity. Embodiments further include an encapsulating film (24, 46) over at least the heating element. The heating elements (10, 40, 50) produced by the processes disclosed herein are lightweight and highly efficient and suitable for many uses including incorporation into objects such as clothing and footwear.

An ultrasonic electronic cigarette atomizer are disclosed. The atomizer includes an ultrasonic atomization sheet (1), an atomization cotton (3), a liquid chamber (2), an air inlet tube (6), an air outlet channel (7), and a suction nozzle (8). The atomization cotton (3) is communicated with the liquid chamber (2) and is in contact with an atomization surface of the ultrasonic atomization sheet (1). An inlet of the air inlet tube (6) is communicated with the outside. The air inlet tube (6), an atomization region of the ultrasonic atomization sheet (1), the air outlet channel (7), and the suction nozzle (8) are communicated in sequence. An outlet of the air inlet tube (6) is opposite to the atomization region of the ultrasonic atomization sheet (1).

The present invention relates to a method of controlling an electro-thermal heating system in a wind turbine blade, comprising measuring a supply voltage to the electro-thermal heating system, determining a duration of a variable time based enforced off period based on the measured supply voltage, and inserting the variable time based enforced off period between subsequent switching duty cycles that controls the electro-thermal heating system. The present invention also relates to a wind turbine that comprises one or more wind turbine blades wherein each wind turbine blade comprises an electro-thermal heating system and a processor adapted to perform the method.

A method for enhancing vacuum tolerance of optical levitation particles includes steps of: (1) turning on a trapping laser to form an optical trap, loading the particles to an effective capture region of the optical trap, and collecting scattered light signals; (2) turning on the preheating laser, and directing a preheating laser beam to the captured particles; (3) adjusting a power of the preheating laser until a particle heating rate is larger than a heat dissipation rate; (4) turning on the vacuum pump, and stopping evacuating when a vacuum degree is greater than a vacuum inflection point of a first reduction of the effective capture region of the optical trap; and (5) turning off the preheating laser when the scattered light signals collected by the photodetector no longer changes. The present invention improves a stable capture probability of the particles in high vacuum environment.

A thermal radiation element includes a substrate; and a plasmonic perfect absorber in which a first conductor layer covering one main surface of the substrate, an insulator layer, and a second conductor layer are laminated in this order, in which the first conductor layer is provided with electrodes through which a current flows in an in-plane direction of a main surface of the first conductor layer.

A leakage current compensation system may be used in an appliance such as a cooking appliance or another device utilizing a sheathed electrical heating element, and may sense a leakage current in one or more phases of a multi-phase power circuit that supplies the appliance or other device using a current transformer and generate a compensating current in a different phase of the multi-phase power circuit to compensate for the leakage current and thereby reduce the likelihood of a false GFCI trip in the multi-phase power circuit.

A curing device comprises a first elliptic cylindrical reflector and a second elliptic cylindrical reflector, the first elliptic cylindrical reflector and the second elliptic cylindrical reflector arranged to have a co-located focus, and a light source located at a second focus of the first elliptic cylindrical reflector, wherein light emitted from the light source is reflected to the co-located focus from the first elliptic cylindrical reflector and retro-reflected to the co-located focus from the second elliptic cylindrical reflector.