A system includes a generator using a fluid mixture obtained via a generator inlet, a compressor having a compressor inlet that is connected to a generator outlet by a first set of conduits, a second set of conduits connected to the compressor outlet and the generator inlet, and a sensor in communication with the second set of conduits, where a portion of the fluid mixture includes gas from a gas emission source, and where exhaust fluid of the generator is provided to the compressor. A process includes obtaining a target fluid property and a fluid measurement using the sensor and modifying a parameter of a fluid control device to modify a first flow rate of the flow of the exhaust fluid through the second set of conduits relative to a second flow rate of the flow of the gas provided by gas emission source through the first set of conduits.

A cascaded energy storage system includes: a gas storage which is divided into at least one air chamber and at least one working medium gas chamber by a flexible diaphragm, where pressure of the air chamber is equal to pressure of the working medium gas chamber, and volume of the air chamber and volume of the working medium gas chamber is capable of being adjusted by contraction and expansion of the flexible diaphragm; an air compression and energy release assembly which communicates with the air chamber, and is configured to introduce compressed air into the air chamber and release the compressed air; a working medium gas-liquid conversion assembly including a working medium compression assembly, a working medium expansion assembly and a liquid storage assembly; and a heat storage assembly, configured to release heat or store heat to the working medium gas-liquid conversion assembly.

Sequence specific DNA amplification and analysis techniques are provided. In some aspects, methods of the embodiments comprise amplifying sequence from two regions of a target sequence in the presence of a blocking oligonucleotide (e.g., such as a phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotide) that hybridizes to the target sequence between the two regions. In some specific embodiments, a method is provided for detecting bacteria (such as detecting gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria) in a biological sample using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

A gradient energy system includes a membrane module including a first section, a second section, and a membrane separating the first section and the second section. A first gas may be provided within the first section. A second gas may be provided within the second section. The membrane module may be configured such that a differential associated with the first gas and the second gas generates a fluid pressure force or an electrical current. A method of recovering energy from gradients of gas mixtures may include providing a first gas to a first section of a membrane module, providing a second gas to a second section of the membrane module, which may be separated from the first section by a membrane, and/or recovering energy generated via a differential between the first gas and the second gas.

Disclosed are oligomeric machines for energy harvesting having a first oligomeric module having a first end and a second end, a second oligomeric module having a first end and a second end. Exemplary oligomeric machines are configured to exhibits stochastic resonance and/or spontaneous vibrations and are configured such that in response to a prescribed amount of energy applied thereto, relative movement occurs between the first oligomeric module and the second oligomeric module in a manner causing the mechanical action of the second oligomeric module on an electric generating element to produce an electrical voltage and/or current. Also disclosed are energy harvesting cells having a thermal cell, a mechanical-electrical transducer with at least two capacitor plates, and at least one oligomeric machine.

The present disclosure is directed to a power take-off device including a shaft member, first and second end plates coupled to opposing ends of the shaft member, and first and second cords. Opposing ends of the first cord are secured to the first end plate to form a first loop and opposing ends of the second cord are secured to the second end plate to form a second loop. The first and second loops are configured to be wound into a twisted state or a hyper-twisted state when the shaft member is rotated in a first direction. When opposing tensile forces are applied to respective end points of the first and second loops, the shaft member is configured to rotate in a second opposing direction, thereby creating a moment of inertia such that the first loop and the second loop are rewound into the twisted state or the hyper-twisted state.

A power generation process is disclosed, the process comprises dissolving a solute (10) into an unsaturated stream (140) to produce a high concentration stream (130) and converting latent mixing energy present in a high concentration input stream (130) into power by passage through a power unit (20) in which the concentration of the high concentration input stream (130) is reduced. The process comprises using a reduced concentration output stream (140) derived from the high concentration input stream (130) following passage through the power unit (20) as the unsaturated stream (140). A first fraction of the high concentration stream (130) is passed to the power unit (20) for use as the high concentration input stream (130) and a second fraction of the high concentration stream (130) is output from the process.

An economical compressed air energy storage (CAES) method effectively utilizing the capacity of space in the air storage portion in CAES plants to reduce the plant costs thereof is provided. An air storage portion is configured from a plurality of vessels, and a film to provide spaces with freely deformable shapes is disposed within each vessel. In the air compression step, the space on one side of the film within each vessel is filled in advance with a cushion gas, air is stored in the space on the other side of the film, and the cushion gas is changed into a fluid with a reduced volume to increase the amount of the air stored in the space on the other side of the film. In the air expansion step, fluid is heated and vaporized to decrease the amount of the air remaining on the other side of the film.

Apparatuses for utilizing transient pressures inherent in water mains to generate electrical power and methods of using the same. A solid-state energy harvester device comprises a cylindrical body configured to be installed inline with a fluid-carrying pipe system and defining a fluid path, a flexible sleeve disposed inside the cylindrical body and encompassing the fluid path, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements integrated into the flexible sleeve. The cylindrical body, flexible sleeve, and plurality of piezoelectric elements are configured such that transient pressures in the fluid flowing through the fluid path cause the flexible sleeve to flex and bend, exciting the plurality of piezoelectric elements to produce an electric current.

An economical compressed air energy storage (CAES) method effectively utilizing the capacity of space in the air storage portion in CAES plants to reduce the plant costs thereof is provided. An air storage portion is configured from a plurality of vessels, and a film to provide spaces with freely deformable shapes is disposed within each vessel. In the air compression step, the space on one side of the film within each vessel is filled in advance with a cushion gas, air is stored in the space on the other side of the film, and the cushion gas is changed into a fluid with a reduced volume to increase the amount of the air stored in the space on the other side of the film. In the air expansion step, fluid is heated and vaporized to decrease the amount of the air remaining on the other side of the film.