All The Claims

1. A composition for use in making polymeric fiber membranes, the composition comprising a spin dope including:
a) a mixture of tetrabromo bis-phenol A polycarbonate (TBBA-PC) and tetrabromo bishydroxyphenylfluorene polycarbonate (TBBHPF-PC), in proportions, by weight, ranging (in percent) from about 6040 to 4060, and
b) n-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP) and triethylene glycol (TEG), wherein a ratio of NMP to TEG, by weight, is in a range of about 1.6-2.5.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the TBBA-PC and TBBHPF-PC are provided in substantially equal amounts, by weight.
3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the ratio of NMP to TEG is about 2.
4. The composition of claim 2, wherein the ratio of NMP to TEG is about 2.
5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the spin dope comprises, by weight, 22.5% TBBA-PC, 22.5% TBBHPF-PC, 18.6% TEG, and 36.4% NMP.
6. A method of making polymeric fiber membranes for use in non-cryogenic gas separation, the method comprising the steps of:
a) combining tetrabromo bis-phenol A polycarbonate (TBBA-PC) and tetrabromo bishydroxyphenylfluorene polycarbonate (TBBHPF-PC), in proportions, by weight, ranging (in percent) from about 6040 to 4060, to form a mixture,
b) adding the mixture of step (a) to a mixture of n-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP) and triethylene glycol (TEG), wherein a ratio of NMP to TEG, by weight, is in a range of about 1.6-2.5, so as to form a spin dope, and
c) forming the spin dope into hollow fibers.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising passing gas through said fibers so as to separate the gas into components.
8. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing the TBBA-PC and TBBHPF-PC in substantially equal amounts, by weight.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing the NMP and TEG in a ratio which is about 2.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the NMP and TEG in a ratio which is about 2.
11. The method of claim 6, further comprising coating the fibers with an aqueous solution of a non-ionic surfactant.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the non-ionic surfactant to be in a concentration of about 5-150 ppm.
13. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) is performed at a temperature in a range of about 50-85\xb0 C.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein step (c) is performed at a temperature in a range of about 50-85\xb0 C.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A system for performing a continuity test on a lightning conduction system of a wind turbine, the system comprising:
a testing device including a blade ring and an electrically conductive member attached to the blade ring, the blade ring being configured to be positioned around at least a portion of an outer perimeter of a rotor blade of the wind turbine;
a carriage attached to the testing device; and,
a cable having a first end and a second end attached to the carriage and extending between a first anchor point and a second anchor point, the first and second anchor points being spaced apart from one another such that a lightning receptor of the lightning conduction system is generally disposed between the first and second anchor points,
wherein the cable is coupled between the first and second anchor points such that, as the cable is displaced, the testing device is moved to a position at which the electrically conductive member contacts the lightning receptor.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the testing device comprises a support member, the support member having a first end attached to the carriage and a second end attached to the blade ring.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the blade ring is pivotally attached to the second end of the support member.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein a tensioning device is coupled between the blade ring and the support member.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade ring defines a closed shape configured to be positioned around an entire outer perimeter of the rotor blade.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of a height and a width of the blade ring is configured such that an inner surface of the blade ring engages an outer perimeter of the rotor blade when the electrically conductive member is vertically aligned with the lightning receptor.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive member comprises a metal wire brush attached to an inner surface of the blade ring.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wire having a first end attached to the electrically conductive member and a second end disposed generally adjacent to a support surface of the wind turbine.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an electrical measurement device coupled between the second end of the wire and a component of the lightning conduction system, the electrical measurement device being configured to measure an electrical property of the lightning conduction system.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first anchor point is disposed on a nacelle of the wind turbine and the second anchor point is disposed generally adjacent to a support surface of the wind turbine.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein a first pulley is attached to the wind turbine at the first anchor point and a second pulley is attached to a pulley anchor at the second anchor point, the cable being coupled between the first and second pulleys such that, as the cable is displaced, the testing device is moved to a position at which the electrically conductive member contacts the lightning receptor.
12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary cable coupled to the carriage through a cable guide, the secondary cable extending from generally adjacent the first anchor point to generally adjacent the second anchor point.
13. A method for performing a continuity test on a lightning conduction system of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
coupling a cable between a first anchor point and a second anchor point, the first anchor point being spaced apart from the second anchor point such that a lightning receptor of the lightning conduction system is generally disposed between the first and second anchor points;
coupling the cable to a testing device; and,
displacing the cable so that the testing device is moved to a position between the first and second anchor points at which an electrically conductive member of the testing device contacts the lightning receptor.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising connecting a wire to the electrically conductive member such that an electrical connection is formed between the wire and the lightning conduction system when the electrically conductive member contacts the lightning receptor.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising measuring an electrical property between the wire and a component of the lightning conduction system.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the wire generally extends between the electrically conductive member and a support surface of the wind turbine.
17. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting a position of at least one of the first anchor point and the second anchor point such that, as the cable is displaced, the testing device is moved to a position at which the electrically conductive member contacts the lightning receptor.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising aligning a tip of a rotor blade of the wind turbine within a blade ring of the testing device such that, as the cable is displaced, the testing device is moved to a position at which the electrically conductive member contacts the lightning receptor.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of a height and a width of the blade ring is configured such that an inner surface of the blade ring engages an outer perimeter of the rotor blade when the electrically conductive member is vertically aligned with the lightning receptor.
20. A testing device for performing a continuity test on a lightning conduction system of a wind turbine, comprising:
a support member;
a blade ring attached to the support member, the blade ring being configured to be positioned around at least a portion of an outer perimeter of a rotor blade of the wind turbine; and,
an electrically conductive member attached to an inner surface of the blade ring,
wherein the electrically conductive member is configured to contact a lightning receptor of the lightning conduction system when the blade ring is positioned around the at least a portion of the outer perimeter of the rotor blade.

1. A method for monitoring data sources from one or more providers comprising:
the one or more data providers providing data to a processor;
the processor comprising
a communicator for receiving the data from one or more data providers;
a processor engine which compares the data to one or more correlation trees;
a transporter for processing data from the processor and provides a diagnostic report, recommendations, and additional information.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor engine matches the data to a node in the one or more correlation trees that is an anchor node, which causes one of the correlation trees to be executed.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor engine proceeds to a next node branching from the anchor node of the executed correlation tree;
the processor engine determines a lifespan of the next node when the next node is a data node; and
the data node is executed when the data matches the data node.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein specific data is requested by the processor engine in accordance with the executed data node; and
an analysis of the specific data received or not received by the correlation engine determines a next node branching from the executed data node on the correlation tree that the correlation engine proceeds to and executes.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the processor engine deletes the data if the lifespan expires without matching the data to the next node.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the processor engine repeats the steps of claim 4 if the next node is a data node.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein the processor engine generates a diagnostic report, recommendations, or additional information for a system operator when the next node is an action node.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor engine repeatedly compares the data to the nodes of the correlation tree; and
the correlation engine proceeds to subsequent branches of the correlation tree, based on an analysis of the specific data requested according to a corresponding data node and the specific data received or not received, until an action node is reached; and
when the action node is reached the processor engine generates a diagnostic report, recommendations, or additional information for a system operator.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor engine captures and processes the data asynchronously.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor engine matches the data with a node, which is a data node, the data point is tagged and held in a data holding bin until the data is requested.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processor engine matches the data to a node in the one or more correlation trees that is an anchor node, which causes one of the correlation trees to be executed.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor engine proceeds to a next node branching from the anchor node of the executed correlation tree;
the processor engine determines a lifespan of the next node when the next node is a data node; and
the data node is executed when the data matches the data node.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein specific data is requested by the processor engine in accordance with the executed data node; and
an analysis of the specific data received or not received by the correlation engine determines a next node branching from the executed data node on the correlation tree that the correlation engine proceeds to and executes.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the processor engine deletes the data if the lifespan expires without matching the data to the next node.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor engine repeats the steps of claim 13 if the next node is a data node.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor engine repeatedly compares the data to the nodes of the correlation tree; and
the correlation engine proceeds to subsequent branches of the correlation tree, based on an analysis of the specific data requested according to a corresponding data node and the specific data received or not received, until an action node is reached; and
when the action node is reached the processor engine generates a diagnostic report, recommendations, or additional information for a system operator.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the processor engine captures and processes the data asynchronously.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlation engine does not match the data to an anchor node or data point the data is deleted.
19. A system for monitoring data sources from one or more providers comprising:
the one or more data providers providing data to a processor;
the processor comprising
a communicator for receiving the data from one or more data providers;
a processor engine which compares the data to one or more correlation trees;
a transporter for processing data from the processor and provides a diagnostic report, recommendations, and additional information.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor engine matches the data to a node in the one or more correlation trees that is an anchor node, which causes one of the correlation trees to be executed.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor engine proceeds to a next node branching from the anchor node of the executed correlation tree;
the processor engine determines a lifespan of the next node when the next node is a data node; and
the data node is executed when the data matches the data node.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein specific data is requested by the processor engine in accordance with the executed data node; and
an analysis of the specific data received or not received by the correlation engine determines a next node branching from the executed data node on the correlation tree that the correlation engine proceeds to and executes.
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor engine deletes the data if the lifespan expires without matching the data to the next node.
24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor engine repeats the steps of claim 22 if the next node is a data node.
25. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor engine generates a diagnostic report, recommendations, or additional information for a system operator when the next node is an action node.
26. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor engine repeatedly compares the data to the nodes of the correlation tree; and
the correlation engine proceeds to subsequent branches of the correlation tree, based on an analysis of the specific data requested according to a corresponding data node and the specific data received or not received, until an action node is reached; and
when the action node is reached the processor engine generates a diagnostic report, recommendations, or additional information for a system operator.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor engine captures and processes the data asynchronously.
28. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor engine matches the data with a node, which is a data node, the data point is tagged and held in a data holding bin until the data is requested.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor engine matches the data to a node in the one or more correlation trees that is an anchor node, which causes one of the correlation trees to be executed.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor engine proceeds to a next node branching from the anchor node of the executed correlation tree;
the processor engine determines a lifespan of the next node when the next node is a data node; and
the data node is executed when the data matches the data node.
31. The system of claim 30, wherein specific data is requested by the processor engine in accordance with the executed data node; and
an analysis of the specific data received or not received by the correlation engine determines a next node branching from the executed data node on the correlation tree that the correlation engine proceeds to and executes.
32. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor engine deletes the data if the lifespan expires without matching the data to the data node.
33. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor engine repeats the steps of claim 13 if the next node is a data node.
34. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor engine repeatedly compares the data to the nodes of the correlation tree; and
the correlation engine proceeds to subsequent branches of the correlation tree, based on an analysis of the specific data requested according to a corresponding data node and the specific data received or not received, until an action node is reached; and
when the action node is reached the processor engine generates a diagnostic report, recommendations, or additional information for a system operator.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor engine captures and processes the data asynchronously.
36. The system of claim 19, wherein the correlation engine does not match the data to an anchor node or data point the data is deleted.
37. A method for monitoring data sources from one or more providers comprising:
a processor receiving data from one or more sources;
the processor compares the data to nodes in a plurality of correlation trees;
the plurality of correlation trees each comprising an anchor node, one or more data nodes, and one or more action nodes;
when a combination of nodes is matched within a time specified to the correlation tree, a diagnostic report, recommendations, and additional information associated with the combination of the nodes matched is reported to one or more system operators.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the anchor node is the first node in one of the plurality of correlation trees and contains requested data attributes that triggers the execution of the correlation tree;
the one or more data nodes contains requested data attributes, time window data, and time window reference node,
and the requested data attributes must be received within the time, indicated by the time window data, from when the time window reference node was received; and
the one or more action nodes indicates a diagnostic report, recommendations, and additional information that will be reported to the system operator according to the action node traversed in the correlation tree.
39. A method for monitoring data sources from one or more providers comprising the steps of:
(a) capturing data from the data sources;
(b) matching the data from the data sources to correlation tree definitions;
(c) executing the correlation tree;
(d) if there is a correlation detected the correlation is reported and provided, otherwise the data is discarded.
40. A method for monitoring data sources from one or more providers comprising:
A correlation engine that creates a correlation tree by categorizing nodes as an anchor node defining certain data attributes, an data node that can perform data request and analysis of data, or an action node that is used to report correlated alert, even, or performance metric;
A processor that captures data points from the data sources;
The processor performs the steps of
(a) comparing the data points to the data nodes in the correlation tree and the processor flags the data node if there is a match;
(b) when an anchor node is matched the processor flags a tree instance and moves to a next node in the correlation tree;
(c) the data node requests specific data and moves to another next node dependant on whether or not the specific data is received;
(d) step (c) is repeated until an action node is reached;
(e) the sequence of nodes followed in the correlation tree reported and a diagnostic report is created and recommendations are made;
(f) the sequence of the nodes followed in the correlation tree and the diagnostic report is provided to a system operator; and
(g) the data points that were not part of the correlation tree or that have expired are deleted.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A modular portable bed step device for assisting a human or pet in climbing into a bed, comprising:
a plurality of compartments stacked in fixed positions relative to one another, including a top stacked compartment and one or more lower stacked compartments, each incorporating storage space disposed below a top surface of the compartment; and
a thin, rigid retention member rigidly connected to the top compartment;
the top compartment including a step surface comprised in the top surface thereof;
the lower compartments being of successively greater length, each lower compartment being supportable by, and a bottom compartment of the lower compartments being supported by, a generally horizontal floor surface, and each lower compartment including a step surface comprising a portion of a top surface thereof that exceeds the length of a bottom surface of a subsequently higher compartment;
the stacked compartments including rear sides that substantially align to form a substantially vertical rear side of the device, the rear side of the device in a use position being disposed generally parallel and directly adjacent to the bed, the rear side of the device extending at least from the vertical level of the retention member approximately to the floor surface, the bottom compartment contacting the floor surface proximate to the bottom of the rear side of the device and proximate to the front of the step surface of the bottom compartment, to at least substantially prevent downward movement of any of the plurality of compartments, and
the retention member adapted to be disposed and frictionally retained between opposed surfaces of the bed, when the device is in the use position adjacent to the bed, to resist movement of the device away from the use position, including horizontal sliding movement of the device, bending of the retention member, and upward or downward vertical movement or pivoting of the top compartment, at least one of the plurality of steps in the use position being disposed below the vertical level of the retention member; and
floor-contacting members extendably and retractably connected to the bottom compartment to adjust the height of the retention member above the floor surface to align the retention member with the height of the opposed bed surfaces.
2. The device of claim 1,
each of said compartments including extendable and retractable legs, said floor contacting members extendably and retractably connected to the bottom compartment comprising the extendable and retractable legs of said bottom compartment, and
each of said lower compartments including mating recesses in a top surface thereof to slidingly receive the extendable and retractable legs of the subsequently higher compartment.
3. The device of claim 1, the thin, rigid retention member comprising a generally horizontally disposed retention panel configured to be disposed and retained between opposed surfaces of a mattress and a box spring.
4. The device of claim 3, the retention panel being horizontally slidingly connected to the top compartment, for movement to and from an extended position and a retracted position relative to the top compartment, the retention panel being configured to be disposed and retained between the opposed surfaces when in the extended position, and the device being generally more compact when the retention panel is in the retracted position.
5. The device of claim 3, the retention panel being vertically slidingly connected to the top compartment for adjustment of the height of the retention panel to the height of the opposed mattress and box spring surfaces for disposing and retaining the retention panel between the opposed surfaces.
6. The device of claim 3, the retention panel being pivotally connected to the top compartment for movement to and from a folded storage position and an unfolded use position for retention of the retention panel between the opposed mattress and box spring surfaces.
7. The device of claim 1, said floor contacting members of the bottom compartment comprising floor grip members configured to directly contact the floor surface, the floor grip members composed of a high-traction material to resist sliding of the floor grip members across the floor surface.
8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sliding drawer in at least one of the stacked compartments.
9. The device of claim 8, the drawer being mounted to slide into and out of the compartment through an opening in a lateral side of the compartment disposed generally perpendicular to the rear side of the compartment.
10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sliding drawer in each of the stacked compartments.
11. The device of claim 10, each sliding drawer being mounted to slide into and out of the respective compartment through an opening in a lateral side of the compartment disposed generally perpendicular to the rear side of the compartment.
12. The device of claim 1, further comprising an access opening in at least one of the stacked compartments and a door mounted in the opening.
13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an access opening in each of the stacked compartments and a door mounted in the opening.
14. The device of claim 1, the floor contacting members threading into and out of recesses in the bottom compartment to retract and extend relative to the bottom compartment.
15. The device of claim 1, the floor contacting members sliding into and out of recesses in the bottom compartment to retract and extend relative to the bottom compartment.
16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a spring-loaded pin holding the floor contacting members in a position providing a desired height of the retention member above the floor surface.
17. The device of claim 15, further comprising a set screw holding the floor contacting members in a position providing a desired height of the retention member above the floor surface.