A first component, such as a hub of a gas turbine engine is assembled or disassembled from a second component, such as a shaft by induction heating, using a flexible heating jacket that is wrapped about an outer circumferential surface of the hub. The jacket includes an electrically conductive, flexible cable, having a plurality of loops. The jacket is selectively opened and closed with a plurality of electrical connectors coupled to each respective loop of the cable. A power source passes current through the respective cable loops, which heats the hub. The induction heating is applied to the mating components in the engine, in order to create a sufficient temperature differential that permits assembly or disassembly of the hub and shaft. A controller regulates power applied to the hub and shaft and monitors their temperature with temperature sensors.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for improved building systems management and maintenance. The present invention provides a system for providing an augmented reality-like interface for the management and maintenance of building systems, specifically the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems within a building, including the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control system is provided. The system includes one or more sources of controlled air, a network of portable sensors that are configured to measure one or more parameters of an environment, one or more environmental condition controllers that are configured to operate the one or more sources of controlled air, and a computing device, including a processor and memory. The memory stores programming instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor to generate an initial lumped-element model of the environment, update the initial lumped-element model using the one or more parameters of the environment to generate an adapted lumped-element model of the environment, and cause the one or more environmental condition controllers to adjust an output of the one or more sources of controlled air based on the adapted lumped-element model.

Inference server and environment controller for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance. The environment controller determines at least one room characteristic. The environment controller receives at least one environmental characteristic value and at least one set point. The environment controller transmits the at least one environmental characteristic, set point and room characteristic to the inference server. The inference server executes a neural network inference engine using a predictive model (generated by a neural network training engine) for inferring the one or more commands for controlling the appliance. The inference is based on the received at least one environmental characteristic value, at least one set point and at least one room characteristic. The inference server transmits the one or more commands to the environment controller, which forwards the one or more commands to the controlled appliance.

A system and method for crowd-sourced environmental system control and building maintenance includes a server for providing selective access to building occupants and managers. Users are permitted to generate building reports in the form of (i) thermal reports using a thermal report module, and/or (ii) maintenance reports using a maintenance report module. The reports are each geo-located to locations within the building, and are then captured, stored, and aggregated at the server. The aggregated reports are sorted according to their geo-locations and comfort rules are used to (i) permit a manager at a client computer to access the server to respond, and/or (ii) automatically respond and assign a response status to particular reports. An inspection checklist interface is generated and populated to display a list of preventative maintenance tasks, each of the tasks being user-selectable to designate completion, with the updated status of the reports being stored at the server.

A process measurement apparatus and method capable of increasing production by decreasing an operating time are provided. The process measurement method is performed by a computing device, and includes receiving a plurality of sensed values from a plurality of sensors disposed in a wafer-type temperature sensor, generating a first temperature value of a first heating zone based on the plurality of sensed values, and determining a first compensation value based on a first difference value corresponding to a difference between the first temperature value and a target value, wherein a first compensation ratio between the first difference value and the first compensation value when the first difference value is a first value is different from a second compensation ratio between the first difference value and the first compensation value when the first difference value is a second value.

An integrated circuit that controls distributed temperature sensors in a semiconductor die is described. This integrated circuit may include: memory; a controller (such as a PTAT controller) coupled to the memory; temperature sensors distributed at measurement locations in the semiconductor die (such as remote locations from the controller), where a given temperature sensor includes building blocks (or components) that are common to the temperature sensors; and routing between the controller and the building blocks over an addressable bus, where signal lines for analog signals in the addressable bus are reused when communicating between the controller and different temperature sensors.

Apparatus and methods are described for use with a vaporizer that vaporizes at least one active ingredient of a material. In response to receiving a first input to the vaporizer, the material is heated, in a first heating step. An indication of the temperature of the material is detected, and, in response to detecting an indication that the temperature of the material is at a first temperature, the first heating step is terminated, by withholding causing further temperature increase of the material. The first temperature is less than 95 percent of the vaporization temperature of the active ingredient. Subsequently, a second input is received at the vaporizer. In response thereto, the material is heated to the vaporization temperature, in a second heating step. Other applications are also described.

A control system for a bathing apparatus includes a pairing station associated with the bathing apparatus and having a pairing interface, and a portable user device arranged to be used to control the bathing apparatus, the portable user device being able to control one or more functions of the bathing apparatus only while it is paired with the pairing station. The portable user device is paired with the pairing station by activation of the pairing interface when the portable user device is in a pairing region.

A monitoring system (10) for monitoring parameters of a fluid heater. The heater (30) comprises a storage vessel (32) for storing heated fluid therein. The monitoring system (10) includes a first sensor (12) and associated first electrical metering circuitry (14), a second sensor (16) and associated second electrical metering circuitry (18), and a control switch (22). The control switch (22) is operable so as to be able to adopt a first mode of operation in which the first electrical metering circuitry (14) is activated, and, a second mode of operation in which the second electrical metering circuitry is activated. The monitoring system (10) also includes a controller (24) for causing periodic operation of the control switch so that it switches between the first and second modes of operation.