Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory



High Power Density Fuel Cell Comprising an Array of Microchannels
David A. Sopchak, Jeffrey D. Morse, Ravindra S. Upadhye, Jack Kotovsky, Robert T. Graff
U.S. Patent 8,715,882 B2
May 6, 2014
According to one embodiment, this phosphoric acid fuel cell includes an array of microchannels defined by a porous electrolyte support structure extending between the bottom and upper support layers. The array’s microchannels include fuel and oxidant microchannels, fuel electrodes running along some of the microchannels, and air electrodes running along other microchannels. A phosphoric acid fuel cell is made according to one embodiment by etching an array of microchannels into a substrate to form walls between the microchannels; processing the walls to make them porous, thereby forming a porous electrolyte support structure; forming anode electrodes along some of the walls and cathode electrodes along other walls; and filling the porous electrolyte support structure with a phosphoric acid electrolyte. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Classification of Subsurface Objects Using Singular Values Derived from Signal Frames
David H. Chambers, David W. Paglieroni
U.S. Patent 8,717,223 B2
May 6, 2014
This classification system represents a detected object with a feature vector derived from the return signals acquired by an array of N transceivers operating in multistatic mode. The classification system generates the feature vector by transforming the real-valued return signals into complex-valued spectra, using, for example, a fast-Fourier transform. The system then generates a feature vector of singular values for each user-designated spectral subband by applying a singular value decomposition to the N × N square complex-valued matrix formed from subband samples associated with all possible transmitter–receiver pairs. The resulting feature vector of singular values may be transformed into a feature vector of singular value likelihoods and then subjected to a multicategory linear or neural network classifier for object classification.

Microfluidic Ultrasonic Particle Separators with Engineered Node Locations and Geometries
Klint A. Rose, Karl A. Fisher, Douglas A. Wajda, Raymond P. Mariella, Jr., Christopher Bailey, Dietrich Dehlinger, Maxim Shusteff, Byoungsok Jung, Kevin D. Ness
U.S. Patent 8,727,129 B2
May 20, 2014
An ultrasonic microfluidic system includes a separation channel for conveying a sample fluid containing small and large particles, flowing substantially parallel, adjacent to a recovery fluid, with which it is in contact. An acoustic transducer produces an ultrasound standing wave that generates a pressure field having at least one node of minimum pressure amplitude. An acoustic extension structure is located proximate to the separation channel for positioning the acoustic node off center in the acoustic area and concentrating the large particles in the recovery fluid stream.

Spot Restoration for GPR Image Post-Processing
David W. Paglieroni, N. Reginald Beer
U.S. Patent 8,730,085 B2
May 20, 2014
This imaging and detection system is designed to locate subsurface objects within a medium. In some embodiments, the system operates in a multistatic mode to collect radar return signals generated by an array of transceiver antenna pairs positioned across and traveling down the surface. The system preprocesses the return signal to suppress certain undesirable effects. It then generates synthetic aperture radar images from real aperture radar images generated from the preprocessed return signal. Finally, it postprocesses the synthetic aperture radar images to improve detection of subsurface objects. The imaging and detection system identifies peaks in the energy levels of the postprocessed image frame, which indicate the presence of a subsurface object.

Compounds for Neutron Radiation Detectors and Systems Thereof
Stephen A. Payne, Wolfgang Stoeffl, Natalia P. Zaitseva, Nerine J. Cherepy, M. Leslie Carman
U.S. Patent 8,735,843 B2
May 27, 2014
According to one embodiment, this material exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than the optical response signature for gamma rays. The material’s performance is comparable or superior to stilbene in terms of distinguishing neutrons from gamma rays. Although the material is not stilbene, it is composed of a molecule from a group consisting of two or more benzene rings, one or more benzene rings with a carboxylic acid group, one or more benzene rings with at least one double bond adjacent to the said benzene ring, and one or more benzene rings for which at least one atom in the benzene ring is not carbon.

Echelle Grating Multi-Order Imaging Spectrometer Utilizing a Catadioptric Lens
Michael P. Chrisp, Joel M. Bowers
U.S. Patent 8,736,836 B2
May 27, 2014
This cryogenically cooled imaging spectrometer features a spectrometer housing with two opposing sides. An entrance slit on the first side of the housing directs light to a cross-disperser grating. An echelle immersions grating and a catadioptric lens are positioned in the housing to receive the light. Additionally, a cryogenically cooled detector is located on the second side of the spectrometer housing. Light from the entrance slit is directed to the cross-disperser grating and subsequently to the echelle immersions grating. The light from the echelle immersions grating moves to the cryogenically cooled detector on the second side of the spectrometer housing.

Rigid Spine Reinforced Polymer Microelectrode Array Probe and Method of Fabrication
Phillipe Tabada, Satinderpall S. Pannu
U.S. Patent 8,738,110 B2
May 27, 2014
A rigid spine-reinforced microelectrode array probe includes a flexible elongated probe body with conductive lines enclosed within a polymeric material. These lines connect microelectrodes near an insertion end of the probe to respective leads at a connector end of the probe. The probe also has a rigid spine—made from titanium, for example—to structurally reinforce the probe body and enable the typically flexible body to penetrate and be inserted into tissue, such as neural tissue. By attaching or otherwise fabricating the rigid spine to connect only to an insertion section of the probe body, an integrally connected cable section of the probe body may remain flexible.