Patent Publication Number: US-2023142416-A1

Title: Wave driven variable leverage pump for water desalination

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/276,683 titled “Wave Driven Variable Leverage Pump For Water Desalination” and filed Nov. 8, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
     The present disclosure relates generally to pump technology and, more specifically, to a motion driven pump for desalination. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In some cases, a reverse osmosis process can be used to remove salt from ocean water to produce potable water. Removing salt from water may be referred to herein as “desalination”. For water to pass through a reverse osmosis membrane, the water may be required to be pressurized to at least 800 PSI. Accordingly, improved pumps are desired that enable dynamic desalination of water. 
     The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and are not admitted to be “prior art.” Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     A wave driven variable leverage pump for water desalination is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a variable leverage pump (e.g., a wave driven variable leverage pump) comprises a platform and a paddle comprising at least one lever arm extending therefrom. The at least one lever arm is pivotally coupled with the platform. The pump further comprises a pump having a first end pivotally coupled with the platform, and a second end pivotally coupled with the paddle. A pivot point of the at least one lever arm is located above a pivot point of the pump relative to the platform. 
     The above and other preferred features, including various novel details of implementation and combination of events, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying figures and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular systems and methods described herein are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the principles and features described herein may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of any of the present inventions. As can be appreciated from the foregoing and the following description, each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more such features, is included within the scope of the present disclosure provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent. In addition, any feature or combination of features may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of any of the present inventions. 
     The foregoing Summary, including the description of some embodiments, motivations therefor, and/or advantages thereof, is intended to assist the reader in understanding the present disclosure, and does not in any way limit the scope of any of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, which are included as part of the present specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below serve to explain and teach the principles described herein. 
         FIG.  1 A  is an illustration of an exemplary variable leverage pump, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG.  1 B  is an illustration of an exemplary variable leverage pump, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG.  2    is an illustration of an exemplary desalination system corresponding to variable leverage pump, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The present disclosure should not be understood to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A variable leverage pump for water desalination is disclosed. It will be appreciated that, for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. 
     Wave Driven Variable Leverage Pump 
     Embodiments of a variable leverage pump are described herein. A variable leverage pump may use buoyant forces and inertial forces to pump water (e.g., seawater). As an example, a variable leverage pump may use wave power to pump seawater at high pressures (e.g., pressures exceeding 800 pounds per square inch (PSI)). As described herein, a reverse osmosis process can be used to desalinate and produce potable water. Accordingly, a variable leverage pump as described herein may be used to pump water (e.g., seawater) through a reverse osmosis membrane for desalination purposes. 
     In some embodiments, a variable leverage pump (also referred to herein as a “variable leverage actuator”) may include a paddle. The paddle may be a buoyant (e.g., floating) paddle. The paddle may be coupled (e.g., attached) to one or more levers. A fulcrum of each of the one or more levers may be pivotally coupled (e.g., attached) to a platform. As an example, the platform may be a stable platform positioned adjacent to (e.g., resting on) a floor of a body of water (e.g., sea floor). In some cases, the variable leverage pump may be submerged in a body of water (e.g., ocean) to a suitable depth such that the paddle floats near the surface of the water. 
       FIGS.  1 A and  1 B  are illustrations of an exemplary variable leverage pump  100 . The variable leverage pump  100  may include a paddle  101 , one or more levers  102 , a pump  103  (also referred to as a piston  103 ), one or more lever fulcrums  104 , a piston rod  105 , a force coupling  106 , a pump fulcrum  107 , and a platform  108 . As shown in  FIG.  1 A , the paddle  101  may be coupled to the levers  102   a  and  102   b  (referred to collectively as the levers  102 ). In some cases, the paddle  101  may be an elliptic solid or other shape. The paddle  101  may have at least a threshold level of buoyancy to support the weight of the levers  102  (e.g., when the variable leverage pump  100  is submerged in water). Each of the levers  102  may be coupled (e.g., pivotally coupled) to a platform  108  by a respective lever fulcrum  104 . As shown in  FIG.  1 A , the levers  102   a  and  102   b  may be pivotally coupled to the platform  108  by respective lever fulcrums  104   a  and  104   b  (collectively referred to as lever fulcrums  104 ). The levers  102  may rotate about the respective lever fulcrums  104 . 
     In some embodiments, the paddle  101  may be coupled (e.g., pivotally coupled) to the piston rod  105  by the force coupling  106 . The piston rod  105  may be coupled to the pump  103  (also referred to as a “piston”). The pump  103  may be a single action pump, such that the pump  103  may only generate pressure when the piston rod  105  into the pump  103  (e.g., during deflection of the paddle  101  from a vertical position). The pump  103  may be coupled (e.g., pivotally coupled) to the platform  108  by a pump fulcrum  107 . The pump  103  may rotate about the pump fulcrum  107 . Based on the coupling of the paddle  101 , the levers  102 , the pump  103 , the piston rod  105 , and the platform  108 , the levers  102  may actuate the piston rod  105  within the pump  103 . The levers  102  may rotate and cause actuation of the piston rod  105  within the pump  103  based on rotational movement of the paddle  1 . Actuating the piston rod  105  within the pump  103  may cause the pump  103  to pressurize a fluid (e.g., water) available to the pump  103 . 
     In some embodiments, paddle  101  may include and/or be comprised of a buoyant material, including a fiberglass material (e.g., a low mass fiberglass material). Each lever  102  may include and/or be comprised of a stainless steel and/or monel alloy material. The pump  103  and the piston rod  105  may each include and/or be comprised of a stainless steel and/or a monel alloy material. In some cases, the platform  108  may include mortar and/or plaster (e.g. cement) materials. In some cases, the platform  108  may include one or more metal (e.g., steel, iron, etc.) structures. The platform  108  may be comprised of a ferro-cement material including mortar and/or plaster materials combined with the metal structure(s). 
     In some cases, a reverse osmosis membrane may be coupled to the pump  103 . An example of a reverse osmosis membrane used with the variable leverage pump  100  may be a Model M-S2521A membrane manufactured by Applied Membranes, Inc. The reverse osmosis membrane may have a threshold pressure of 800 PSI, such that a fluid (e.g., water) may flow through the membrane when the fluid is applied to a side of the membrane at a minimum pressure of 800 PSI. A housing may include the reverse osmosis membrane and may be coupled to the pump  103 . A housing including the membrane may include and/or be comprised of a stainless steel and/or monel alloy material. An example of a housing include a reverse osmosis membrane that is used with the variable leverage pump  100  may be a housing manufactured by Spectra Watermakers, Inc. 
     In some embodiments, the lever fulcrums  104  corresponding to the levers  102  can be positioned at a distance above the pump fulcrum  107  corresponding to the pump  103 . The lever fulcrums  104  may be positioned above the pump fulcrum  107  relative to the platform  108 . Such positioning enables the variable leverage capabilities of the variable leverage pump  100 , which can be advantageous for extracting power from variable waves when the variable leverage pump  100  is submerged underwater. Variable waves may refer to waves of a varying amplitude and/or a varying period. 
     In some embodiments, when the variable leverage pump  100  is submerged underwater, wave motion can act on the paddle  1 . Wave motion may act on the paddle  101  in multiple ways, including by buoyancy forces and inertial forces. Buoyancy forces may be forces that move the paddle  101  and levers  102  into a vertical (e.g., upright) position. Inertial forces may be forces that deflect the paddle  101  and levers  102  from the vertical position toward a horizontal position. The inertial forces may deflect the paddle  101 , thereby producing a downward force on the piston rod  105  through the force coupling  106 . The downward force on the piston rod  105  via the force coupling  106  may actuate the piston rod  105 , thereby pressurizing the pump  103 . Actuating the pump  103  may cause water (e.g., seawater) included in and/or available to the pump  103  to be forced through the reverse osmosis membrane as described herein. For example, when the variable leverage pump  100  is submerged underwater, actuation of the piston rod  105  in the pump  103  by wave forces (e.g., including inertial forces) can force water through a reverse osmosis membrane based on the pump  103  pressurizing the water with a threshold level of pressure (e.g., 800 PSI). 
     In some embodiments, when the paddle  101  is positioned at a vertical position as described herein, any suitable wave may act on the paddle  101 , move (e.g., displace) the paddle  101 , and generate a pressure in the pump  103 . Waves that apply a greater force to the paddle  101  may cause increased displacement of the paddle  101  and the levers  102  from a vertical position. An optimal force applied to the paddle  101  may be a force that causes a maximum displacement of the paddle  101  from a vertical position (e.g., toward a horizontal position). A maximum force that may be applied to the pump  103  (e.g., via the piston rod  105 ) may be a function of the area of the pump  103  (e.g., the area through which the piston rod  105  is actuated) and a pressure threshold corresponding to the reverse osmosis membrane coupled to the pump  103 . As an example, the maximum force that can be applied to the pump  103  may be defined as the area of the pump  103  multiplied by the threshold pressure of the membrane, where the threshold pressure of the membrane may be 800 PSI. 
     With respect to  FIG.  1 B , when the paddle  101 , levers  102 , pump  103 , and piston rod  105  are positioned in a vertical (e.g., upright) position  10 , the mechanical advantage of the variable leverage pump  100  approaches infinity as motion on the pump  103  via the piston rod  105  approaches zero. As the paddle  101  is deflected (e.g., via inertial forces) from the vertical position  120  toward a horizontal position, the mechanical advantage becomes proportionally less and piston rod  105  motion increases.  FIG.  1 B  illustrates a relationship between deflection and mechanical advantage for the variable leverage pump  100 . 
     In some embodiments, with respect to  FIG.  1 B , a geometric center of the paddle  101  may be referred to as a center of effort  109 . The length of a lever  102  may be referred to as L. The length between the lever fulcrum  104  and the force coupling  106  may be referred to as L′. The vertical distance (e.g., the fulcrum offset) between the lever fulcrum  104  and the pump fulcrum  107  may be referred to as E. A variable load arm may be referred to as T, which may be defined by Equation 1 as: 
         T =tan(Ø′) L′   (1)
 
     The angle Ø′ may be an angle between the lever  102  and the piston rod  5  as shown in  FIG.  1 B . The angle Ø may be an angle of the center of effort  109  of the paddle  101  relative to the vertical position  120  as shown in  FIG.  1 B , which may be referred to as paddle deflection. When the center of effort  109  of the paddle  101  is positioned at the vertical position  120 , the angle Ø may be 0°. When the center of effort  109  of the paddle  101  is positioned parallel to the platform  108 , the angle Ø may be 90°. The leverage at the force coupling  106  may be defined by Equation 2 as: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   Leverage 
                   = 
                   
                     L 
                     T 
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   2 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     As the paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  are deflected further from the vertical position  120 , T becomes greater and the leverage at the force coupling  106  is reduced accordingly. When the paddle deflection angle Ø is 90°, T may be equivalent to E, where E is the fulcrum offset. The minimum leverage of the variable leverage pump  100  may be defined by Equation 3 as: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     Minimum 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Leverage 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     L 
                     E 
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   3 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     The greater the deflection of the lever(s)  102  from the vertical position  120  (e.g., as measured by the paddle deflection angle Ø), the greater the force required to move the lever(s)  102  from the vertical position  120 . As an example, when the variable leverage pump  100  is submerged underwater, smaller, less forceful waves can actuate the piston rod  105  within the pump  103  with small deflections of the lever(s)  102 . Larger, more forceful waves can actuate the piston rod  105  within the pump  103  with large deflections of the lever(s)  102 . Waves may deflect the paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  until an equilibrium is reached between force of the wave and a resistance of the pump  103 . The force of waves and the resistance of the pump  103  can form a system of automatic power matching. Based on the paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  being deflected from the vertical position  120 , the buoyancy of the paddle  101  can move and return the unloaded paddle  101  and the lever(s)  102  to the vertical position  120 . 
     In some cases, when the variable leverage pump  100  is submerged underwater, a cavity on which the pump  103  acts (e.g., included in the pump  103 ) may fill with water. The cavity (e.g., cavity included in the pump  103 ) may completely fill with water when the paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  are positioned at the vertical position  120 . When the paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  are deflected from the vertical position  120  (e.g., based on forces from waves), the pump  103  may force the water included in the pump  103  through a reverse osmosis membrane (e.g., for desalination) and out of the pump  103 , thereby reducing the amount of water included in the pump  103 . The cavity of the pump  103  may refill with water as the unloaded paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  return to the vertical position  120  (e.g., due to the buoyancy of the paddle  101 ) and the piston rod  105  is moved out of the pump  103 . 
     In an example, the variable leverage pump  100  may include lever(s)  102  of length L=20 feet and a fulcrum offset E=2 feet. For such an example, the leverage range of the variable leverage pump  100  may be 8 to less than ∞. A one-ton inertial wave force applied to the paddle  101  and lever(s)  102  can generate a minimum piston rod  105  force of 16 tons. Each full stroke of the piston rod  105  may be equivalent to the fulcrum offset E of 2 feet. For a six-inch diameter pump  103 , a pressure of over 1100 PSI could be produced, which could require that a variable leverage pump  100  include a platform  108  of at least approximately 60 feet in length. Such a variable leverage pump  100  may be capable of producing several thousand gallons of desalinated water on a daily basis. 
     In another example, the variable leverage pump  100  may include lever(s)  102  of length L=20 feet, a fulcrum offset E=2 feet, a diameter of 5 inches for the pump  103 , a stroke length of 3 feet for the pump  103 , and a platform  108  having dimensions of 60 feet by 30 feet. For such a variable leverage pump  100 , when the paddle  101  is moved 45° from the vertical position  120  (e.g., moved to half deflection) for each stroke of the pump  103  at 4 seconds per stroke, the piston rod  105  can move approximately 1 foot to cause the pump  103  to pump approximately 1 gallon of water through the reverse osmosis membrane per stroke. For a period where the variable leverage pump  100  operates for 24 hours at 4 seconds per stroke, the variable leverage pump  100  may operate at approximately 21,600 strokes per day and pump approximately 21,600 gallons of water through the reverse osmosis membrane. In some cases, approximately 80% of the pumped water will yield potable water, such that the variable leverage pump  100  yields approximately 17,280 gallons of potable water over the  24  period. 
       FIG.  2    is an illustration of an exemplary desalination system  200  corresponding to a variable leverage pump, in accordance with some embodiments. As shown in  FIG.  2   , the desalination system  200  can include an intake  202 , a pre-filter  206 , a pump  210 , a reverse osmosis membrane  214 , a water output  218 , and a brine output  222 . The intake  202  may be coupled to the pre-filter  206 . The pre-filter  206  may be coupled to the intake  202  and the pump  210 . The pump  210  may be coupled to the pre-filter  206  and the reverse osmosis membrane  214 . The reverse osmosis membrane  214  may be coupled to the pump  210  and may include a water output  218  and a brine output  222 . The pre-filter  206  and the reverse osmosis membrane  214  may be each be included in a respective housing. Each housing may be coupled to the pump  210  by one or more connectors (e.g., brackets). 
     In some embodiments, the pump  210  may include and/or otherwise be coupled to a piston rod  212 . The pump  210  may include any and/or all features of a pump (e.g., pump  103 ) as described herein. In some cases, the pump  210  may be analogous to the pump  103  described herein with respect to  FIGS.  1 A and  1 B . The piston rod  212  may include any and/or all features of a piston rod (e.g., piston rod  105 ) as described herein. In some cases, the piston rod  212  may be analogous to the piston rod  105  described herein with respect to  FIGS.  1 A and  1 B . The pump  210  and the piston rod  212  may be part of a variable leverage pump (e.g., variable leverage pump  100 ) as described herein. The piston rod  212  may be actuated within the pump  210  via a paddle (e.g., paddle  101 ), thereby causing water to be forced through the reverse osmosis membrane  214  for desalination purposes. 
     In some embodiments, the desalination system  200  may be submerged underwater and may desalinate water received via the intake  202 . The directional arrows shown in  FIG.  2    display an exemplary direction of water flow through the desalination system  200 . When the desalination system  200  is submerged underwater, water may flow into the intake  202 . After flowing into the intake  202 , the water may flow through the pre-filter  206 . The pre-filter  206  may filter debris and/or any other foreign objects from the water. After the pre-filter  206  filters the water that flows through the pre-filter  206 , the water may flow to the pump  210 . The water may flow to and fill a cavity corresponding to the pump  210 . In some cases, the water may remain at the pump  210  and may not flow through the reverse osmosis membrane  214 . A threshold amount of pressure may be required to be applied to the water (e.g., by the pump  210 ) to cause the water to flow through the reverse osmosis membrane  214 . As an example, a threshold amount of water pressure required for the water to flow through the membrane may be 800 PSI. 
     In some cases, the piston rod  212  may actuate within the pump  210 , thereby applying pressure to the water stored at the pump  210 . Actuating the piston rod  212  within the pump  210  may pressurize the water and force the pressurized water through the reverse osmosis membrane  214 . The water that flows through the reverse osmosis membrane  214  may be fresh, potable water. The potable water may exit the housing for the reverse osmosis membrane  214  through a water output  218 . The water output  218  may be coupled to a storage tank and/or any suitable vessel configured to receive the potable water. In some cases, a brine including substances that are not permeable through the reverse osmosis membrane  214  may exit the housing for the reverse osmosis membrane  214  through the brine output  222 . 
     Terminology 
     The phrasing and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     Measurements, sizes, amounts, and the like may be presented herein in a range format. The description in range format is provided merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as 1-20 meters should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as 1 meter, 2 meters, 1-2 meters, less than 2 meters, 10-11 meters, 10-12 meters, 10-13 meters, 10-14 meters, 11-12 meters, 11-13 meters, etc. 
     Furthermore, connections between components or systems within the figures are not intended to be limited to direct connections. Rather, data or signals between these components may be modified, re-formatted, or otherwise changed by intermediary components. Also, additional or fewer connections may be used. The terms “coupled,” “connected,” or “communicatively coupled” shall be understood to include direct connections, indirect connections through one or more intermediary devices, wireless connections, and so forth. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “preferred embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or “embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention and may be in more than one embodiment. Also, the appearance of the above-noted phrases in various places in the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or embodiments. 
     The use of certain terms in various places in the specification is for illustration purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. A service, function, or resource is not limited to a single service, function, or resource; usage of these terms may refer to a grouping of related services, functions, or resources, which may be distributed or aggregated. 
     Furthermore, one skilled in the art shall recognize that: (1) certain steps may optionally be performed; (2) steps may not be limited to the specific order set forth herein; (3) certain steps may be performed in different orders; and (4) certain steps may be performed simultaneously or concurrently. 
     The term “approximately”, the phrase “approximately equal to”, and other similar phrases, as used in the specification and the claims (e.g., “X has a value of approximately Y” or “X is approximately equal to Y”), should be understood to mean that one value (X) is within a predetermined range of another value (Y). The predetermined range may be plus or minus 20%, 10%, 5%, 3%, 1%, 0.1%, or less than 0.1%, unless otherwise indicated. 
     The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase “and/or,” as used in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements). 
     As used in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of” “only one of” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law. 
     As used in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements). 
     The use of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and additional items. 
     Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term), to distinguish the claim elements. 
     Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Other steps or stages may be provided, or steps or stages may be eliminated, from the described processes. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the preceding examples and embodiments are exemplary and not limiting to the scope of the present disclosure. It is intended that all permutations, enhancements, equivalents, combinations, and improvements thereto that are apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings are included within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It shall also be noted that elements of any claims may be arranged differently including having multiple dependencies, configurations, and combinations. 
     Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.